, 1880-12-28
Tl,rco Persons Burned to Death
and Several Badly 1n-
jurctl.
-Four Deaths Result from a Boiler
Explosion in Nowburyport,
Mass,
Four Dcntl1s Caused BY mn Accident on
tho Mobile g. Ohio Railroad.
several Trnmps Fatally Poisoned by Limo
Gas Near Richmond, Va.

FRIGfITEuL COLLISION.
CHARLOTTE, N. c.. Dec. a7.-A frightful
1at1rnad disaster occurred this morning IN
the Airline Railroad, TOO yards beyond the
Paw Creek trcstlc, nine miles from the city.
Two fre!ght-tratns left Charlotte yesterday
morning In sections, ono about fifteen mi,'-
utes behind the other. On theup.grntle, lust
beyond tue Paw Creek trcstle, fourteen cars
of the forward train broke loose, and stopped,
after running q short distance. In tho rear
car woro the flaglnan Bob Griffith, OF this
city, and six passengers, three Of whom werc
colorcd. Wl,eN tic detached cars stopped
flagman Griffith Immediately Jumped off,
and, having told the tratnn,e'l to notify the
Messengers they Ind broken ln0so from the
remainder OF tho train, Immediately started
back to signal tho second section. I1o Ind
not gono far before 1lo lieard
tho approaching train. l1o then
realized tho fact he could proceed no
farther bccause Of the trastle which is 15o
yards wide and very heavy. lie waved tho
tlag rs tho engine in charge Of Engineer
Wlsenbcrry came III sight, and tho engineer
expressed his recognition Of 1t by im,ncdf-
ately blowing on brakes, but his train wns
heavy and lo was nearing tho bottom Of one
Of tho biggest grades OH the road. 1lcnce
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE; TO sTor.
As soon rs lie realized this fnct, and before
crossing the trcstfe, he reversed tho engine,
and continued to blow on brnkcs. Realizing
tho catastrophe, he left his sent, and, stand
inE in front of tho flrc-Dox with his hnild OH
the lover, awaited tho shock. It came, and
lie was partially knocked down by stick Of
wood from tho tender, but was otherwise ,ll-
hurt. Though almost entirely shut In by the
mass Of debris which was thrown against tho
engine, his life WINS probably saved by the
fact TINT the renr OF the tender was thrown
to one Side, thus dtycrtlng the full momentum
OF the train from tho engine to tho side OF
the cut, against which tho shattered ears
were piled
IN AN 1SEXTRlcAnr.E siAsa.
What occurred III the cab is obtained from
statement made by Thomas II. Gather, OF
this city, who WIS n passenger. and who
miracuiously escaped, though seriously In
3uretl, having lad several Of Ills ribs broken.
There were six passengers besides tic tlag-
man. Tie train which ran into thonl had
caught ,,p with them Mt a wood station n fow
miles back, md hence when It's coming was
announced no one feltnpprchenslve. A f'ng-
n,an had been sent back rs nn additional pre-
caution, and hence no attention was paid 10
the approaching train. 1t was upon them
before they knew It. Gather remembers
that he and Philip S. W!,isrant started to got
out, but before he pissed tho middle ct the
cdr fo WINS knocked down. lie managed,
with tho assistance Of colorcd malt, to on
tricato himself by lifting the top Of the car
of. The othor passongcrs-plillip s. Wills
nant, Of this city. Charles Sellers, whose ra'
rents live III Pin Hook, md a negro named
Ned Stroud-wcro atl killed. Tho cars
telescopcd each other, md wero piled lii the
greatest confusion. The mass caught fire,
and the remnants of tho cars, including tlial
in which wore tho passengers, wero de
stroyed At least ono Of them was burned
alive. Ills cries wcre heard, hit 1t is moi
known which. The charrcst remains wert
recovered after several hours, but could no
be recognized. The head, feet, md hand
wero entirely burned o!f.