The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-25
THE CATAsTROPHE.
scenes During and After the Burning.
s'FoR cons SAKE COME AND HELP ME-
THE REMAINS NOT RECOGNIZABLE" WHAT
THE DEVIL Is TIE NATTER ?"-THE LOST.
fCharloite Observer. YESTERDAY.

fCharlotte Observer, yesierdayl
The following Is Engineer HalPs account
Of the accident on the Carolina Central
railroad. He and his fireman are the only
living witnesses OF the catastrophe and
burning except those on board the train
who escaped. None OF them have yet re.
turned TO Charlotte. The engineers story
is at second hand. as by the time the re-
porter could see him he declined to talk any
more about 1t. He had been worried to
dealh, he said. He is an EngIisbman, and
10 get him TO talk under the most auspi-
cIous circumstances would, IL is probable,
he difficult.
Just as the engine had gotten over Indian
Creek treste the gong OF the cab sounded
violently and the rope broke. AZ he
wheeled he heard
A CRASH,
and saw cars and trPstle going down. The
engine was quickly reversed and stopped
almost immediately. as the speed was slow
at the time. He seized an axe. and, to-
getber with the fireman, ran down The en-
bankment towards the wreck. 1t was
blazing bv the time they reached l.. The
combined baggage. express, and mail'cdf
was standing on its end, but smashed out
OF shape. The paSsenger-car had fallen en-
tirely over the msl-car. and was also stand
in" on its end on this side OF 1t, and smashed
in the same manner. The bOX-cirs. which
were loaded with cotton, were piled close
around aud enveloped in flames almost inn
mediately, while the timbers OF the fallen
treStle were scattered over and around in
ineXtric ible confusion.
THE FIRST THOUGHT
was, Of course, for the men on board. They
discovered Limerick and pulled him out.
He seemed to be daZed, for without utter
ing a word he started 10 the engine. Griffin
was found aud liberated, when he immedi-
ately injured for Smith. " Here, for Gods
sake come and help me-" came from the
flaming dfbriS. In vain the distracted men
attempted TO reach the burning man. They
could not even see him. Pite0us cries aud
screams Of agony came, but no help cHui1
reach him. 10 few minutes all was silent.
| The man was dead.
Amid the ruins could be seen the bodies
OF the colored men. Mckenzie and Warlick.
They were both dead; one tranSiXed with
shattered beam. the other crushed beneath
| huge tlmbers. Or
| GOODSON AND BLOOM
nothing was seen or heard. Captain John
stOn was found one hundred and iifty yards
away, sitting on LOG IN the woods, wet,
dazed. and bewIldered. "What the devil
is the matter?" he said, As the engineer
came up. He SAYS he remembers nothing
don't know how be got where he was, nor
wnen he fell. He hasn't scratch, but IS
bruised and sore. He had hardly revived
from MS utter confusion yesterday when
the train left LincOlnton.
Cars, trestle, and freight were burnt 10
ashes. among which were found the signs
OF human bodies in charred and s!ckenine
fragments. The remains, except those OF
| Bill MckenzlP, which were rescued AFTER
being badly distgured, were undisunguisll'
able, locality even giving an uncertain cue
| to identity.
Captain Johnston says that there were
only
FOUR PASSENGERS
on the train; consequently all have been
accounted for.
| Mr.. Limerick received severe cut across
the nose, but Is IN no danger. MI. grimm
is also not seriously injured. They are DOM
| in LipcOlntou, as is also Captain Johnston.
| Neither the er gineer nor any OF the res
cred il able to say whether the cars jumped
the track or the trestle gave way. The fact
will 90 far towards settling the question OF
responsibility for the accident.
Not yestige OF the trestle except the
| iron bands and belts, nor OF the cars except
the wheels aud other parts made OF iron,
| remain. The engineer and fireman, beng
the only persons present, could do nothing
| 70 stay the flames, which, being fed by the
cotton, spread rapidly and quickly DESTROY
ed every inflimmable substance withln
reach. About seventy.fye bales OF cotton
were burned.
| Mr.. j. f. Bloom, one OF
THE VICTIMS,
who is we'll known here, has for more than
twelve wears been Tue mail agent on this end
OF the road He is said 10 have been one OF
the hest and steadiest agents in the State.
He was member OF the Knights OF Honor,
! which iusures TO his family, which Is a large
one, provision for $4,000. To this it may
be added he bad a paid-up policy for
$4,000 in the Cotton States Llie-in-
surance Company OF Macon, Ca. and was
shareholder In the United States Railway
| Mail Service Mutual Benefit Association,
which also entities his family to $4,000. In
connection with this last it may be incident
ally remarked that reporter has been
shown his signature, made on the 10th OF
December. paying his fee and renewing his
membership in this association, after having
allowed II to expire for considerable in-
terval.
Mr.. Frank w. Smith, another OF the vic
tins. is also we'll known here as the popular
southern salesman of Benedict, Hall Co..
a large shoe firm Of New York city. He
was a man Of splendid physique, about
thirty years old, height about SIX feet; was
very attractive in his manner, OF free, io-
vial, aud good.natu disposition, and
generally liked here.
S. w. Goodson, another OF the victims
will be remembered here as having bad an
insurance office under the First National
Bank building in this city several years ago:
He lived last In Statesvile, but travelled
most OF the time for the benefit OF ms
health, it being recommended to him by
pbysicans for consumption, with which he
was afflicted. His son, who bears The same
name, 10 now living in this city, steady
and industrious young mechanic.