Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-03

ner own laDOr, Sucn QepenuenC parent SIldll
be entitled to $12 per month instead of So.
The bill now goes to the House for concur
renee in the Senate amendments.
FRIGHTFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Between 2and o'clock, P. M, on Friday
last, frightful railroad accident occurred
about mile south of the depot, by which
Mr.. Peyton A. Darwin, youth about eigh-
teen years of age, son of the late Peyton B.
Darwin, Esq, was instantly killed. Thema-
terial train was employed at the scene of the
accident, repairing the road bed. This train
and it's gang of laborers, were under charge
of Mr.. WIS. Taylor, conducJC", with MIR.
w. H. Elliott, engineer, and Jasper Goforth,
colored, fireman. The locomotive was at
tached to the southern end of the train, con-
nected by the draw-bar of the pilot, or, in
other words, the tender of the locomotive
was in front. About noon the train backed
up to the depot, where the hands ate dinner,
and on returning to their work, Mr.. Darwin,
who was a telegraph operator, and had been
employed about the depot, more or less, for
the past two or three years, mounted one of
the flats and rode out with the hands.
1t seems that the water-tank at Yorkville
is not used, which explains one feature of
the catastrophe not developed by the testi-
mony, and solves problem puzzling to all
not aware of that fact, when they read or
hear that the engineer passed Immediately
under this tank and after stopping his train
where dirt was being loaded on it, cut off
his engine and went to McConnellsville, a
distance ofeight miles, for water. This ex-
PLANTATION is due to all concerned.
Soon after stopping the train the engineer
announced his intention of going for water.
He detached the locomotive and started, Mr..
Darwin riding with him. After taking wa
ter, and stopping at the woodward, near
McConnellsville, for wood, the locomotive
started on the return to the train. While
taking on wood, Mr.. Darwin decided to ride
back to the train on the pilot which on the
return was forward and running towards the
train of five fiat cars, three of which were
loaded with dirt, and some of them held to
the rails by the brakes. The fiat forward to
the engine was standing on the highest
point of a grade, which, south of the car,
has an inclination of forty or forty-five feet
to the mile. The engine was speeding up
this grade, poor Darwin enjoying the exhil-
iration of the ride, waving his hand to per-
sons in the neighboring field, and little
dreaming of the horrible death which in but
a few moments awaited him. The locomo-
tive dashed forward. There was failure in
making the coupling with the car, and the
fearful crash came. The pilot plowed its
way under the fiat, swapping the brake
beam Of the car and throwing up the end
of it to such height that the bumper struck
the centre of the right hand edge of the
boiler rim, carrying with it the unfortunate
young man, whose forehead was struck by
the left-hand corner of the car and his head
forced against the door of the "smoke-box,"
which is in the centre Oft front end OF
the boiler. His face was mangled beyond
recognition, and the bone of his left leg was
broken. So great was the concussion that
although the bumper struck the rim of the
boiler, the door of the smoke-box was shat
tered, and the bumper broken off.
Word was Immediately conveyed to town
and the news spread rapidly. Mr.. J. A.
Darwin, brother of the deceased, fastened,
with physician, to the scene, not being
certain that life was extinct, and large
number of citizens, through sympathy, Wis
tied the ground. But he was beyond earth
ly aid. The body which had left the depot
but short hour before, in the exnberance of
youthful vivacity, was mangleo corpse.
His body was brought to the residence of
his mother, in town, and J. NJ. Caldwell,
coroner, was notified of the occurrence.
His residence is about six miles from town,
and it was near9 o'clock that night before
he arrived. A jury of inquest was impan-
eled and an investigation at once begun.
The jury was constituted as follows: l..
Lowry Smith, foreman; J. E. Lowry, w.
H. Herndon, G. NJ. Lowrance, DIR. A. Y.
Cartwright, Frank E. Smith, It. B. McClain,
R. A. Parish, Charles H. Dixon, w. H.
Colcock, Alonzo Rose, G. R. Russell, S. L.
McElwee, P. S. Wall. The following testi-
mony was taken before the jury:
FRIDAY NIGHT, June 81.
Dr. J. F. LINDSAY having been summoned be-
fore the inquest herein to examine the dead body
of Peyton A. Darwin, and to testify as an expert
as to the cause Of his death, deposes and says:
Deponent finds the tibia small bone of the left
leg broken, and also few slight scars on both
legs. Also finds the skull so crushed as to be
entirely emptieG of its contents; the superior
maxillary or facial bones being also broken.
This the deponent states to be the cause of death.
the material train Of the Chester and Lenoir Rail
road. This afternoon the deceased was with us
about mile from town. He asked permission
to ride with me on the engine to McConnells-
Vile waving me down, after had started. He
went with me to McConnellsville, riding in the
cab. Returning from McConnellsville, when
about three quarters Of mile from that place,
where we stopped to take on wood, he got on the
pilot of the engine against my orders. spoke
to him two or three times, asking him not to get
on the pilot /; but he said he would ride on it,
was running up the grade at speed OF eight
miles an hour; when the engine struck the car,
I was running at speed OF about one or two
miles an hour. l intended to couple to the flat
cars said nothing to Darwin about coupling
the cars as had hand for that purpose. Dar-
win would not have been hurt, had not the draw
bar of the engine broke off the bumper Of the
car. The hand whose duty it was to couple the
cars to the engine had started to do so. There
was no other injury to the car except the break
ing of the bumper. Broke the smoke-box door
of the engine, and drew the pin from the trucks
of the car. could not see the deceased; he was
on the opposite side of the engine from me.
reversed the engine when I saw that was about
to miss making the coupling. When gave it
steam I was satisfied that it was reversed. The
hand that makes the coupling is usually the one
that is nearest the draw-bar. saw the hand
whose duty it was he struck his shovel into the
ground and started for that purpose. I have
printed instructions not to permit persons to
ride on the engine. Mr.. Darwin was favorite
about the depot, and I did not want to insult
him. Had the bumper not broken Oft the flat
car he would not have been hurt. usually ap-
proach bumpers slowly; have struck them hard
er before without breaking them. The bolts of
this bumper were small. did not warn the de-
ceased to get off. knew he was there, but
did not apprehend any danger, nor do / suppose
he did. There was no ill feeling between US; I
lii, ad hi VARY much think was about thirty