The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-22
JUST FROM THE WRECK.
PRESIDENT WILBUR's PARTY IN
SAVANNAH

w dyCEOSS OhO nAOA .
Added to the List of the Dead-Con-
dition of the Injured.
The Wilbur party arrived in Savannah
yesterday afternoon and is at the Pulaski
House. Miss Katie H. Cox was removed in
the police ambulance from the depot to the
hotel, and was tenderly carried to her room
by detail Of strong-armed policemen. She
is suffering more from the shock to her
nervous system than from her bruises, but
she is much improved, and was resting
quietly last night. DR.. Duncan dressed the
scalp wound of President Wilbur yesterday
after the party had dinner.
The following comprise the Wilbur party:
E. 7. Wilbur and wife, Master Kenneth
Wilbur, w. A. Wilbur and wife, and Roll
lin H. Wilbur and wife Of South Bethle-
hem, Pa; +. p Wilbur, Jr, and r. p Lin
dernan, of Bethlehem Pa. and Miss Katie
II. Cox, guest of the Wilburs, of Harris
burg, Pa. George Mathews, steward of the
Minerva and wife also have rooms at the
Pulaski A. G. Boyle. Of Mauch Chunk
Pa, the assistant steward, who received a
severe flesh wound of the leg and had a
hand badly mashed, remained at the depot
with the car.
RESTING IN SAVANNAH.
A MORNING NEWS reporter had very
pleasant interview last night with Mr.
Rollin H. Wilbur, Superintendent of one of
the roads of the Lehigh Valley system, and
a son of President Wilbur. Mr.. Wilbur
said that they were all worn out and will
rest few days at the Pulaski House before
returning home. They left WayCross, not
because they had not been most Hospitality
treated, but because Savannah afforded
better hotel facilities. The people of Way
| cross were very kind, and left nothing
undone to minister to their comfort, and
they will always be remembered kindly.
GOING DOWN IN THE WRECK
Mr.. Wilbur was asked about the accident
| He said that when the accident occurred
his father and the ladies of the party were
in the saloon, or middle part of the
! Minerva" Himself and the rest of the
party were in the observation room, or
front part of the car. Usually, he said
this part of the car is in the rear, but on
this trip it had been coupled next to the
Pullman, and was therefore, in front. The
windows of the car extend to the ceiling.
All of the party were seated, and he was
looking out of the window. He heard the
air brake applied and which slowed up the
train as it went on the bridge, and in an
instant the train was on the trestle.
SAW THE CAR GOING.
He saw that the Pullman car in front had
left the track and almost instantly the jolt
of the Minerva showed that it had struck
the ties, and the downward descent was
made. Mr.. Wilbur says that when he re-
covered consciousness he found himself
wedged in the car, from which he was
rescued by Mr.. Mathews and Mr.. Boyle.
They priced off the door and he clint ed
out. He says he does not think any of the
party would have been seriously hurt if
they had been in the saloon, and he thinks
the scalp wound that his father received
was from the fall of a lamp. His own in
juries are a slight confusion of the left arm,
which is bandaged, and discolored eye,
| caused by blow on the back of the head.
This gives him no pain, and the sdiscolora-
ton is slowly being absorbed and without
injury to the sight.
| THE ACCIDENT UNAVOIDABLE
Mr.. Wilbur said that the railroad authori-
ties can in no way be chargeable for the &C
| cident He thinks it was caused by the
| breaking of truck of the tender some !, 200
| feet before reaching the bridge 1t is an
accident that may happen to any road and
at any time, he said. When the Minerva
was Cerailed, he said the strongest steel
bridge could not have resisted the shock of
fifty ton car striking it at a thirty-five or
| lOIJN IIlllt Detll. III WUultt nave IidC 10 RO
| down. Mr.. Wilbur said that he thinks the
| Minerva" is the heaviest passenger car
| that has ever been built and with its outfit
and passengers weighs at least fifty tons
| Abiding to the account that it was an
| $50, 900 car, he said the idea was prepos-
| ferrous No such expensive car had ever
| been built, and it will not cost over 81, 500
to put it in order again.
Going back again to the causes of the &C
InYl.
| road man, that the accident was an I'M
avoidable one. He did not say it because,
| as a railroad man, he wanted to excuse
| railroad companies for accidents happening
| on their lines of road, but as a practical
man knowing the condition Of the bridge
| and trestle and having a practical know
| ledge of what must be the result when such
a heavy car is derailed under such circum-
stances. No matter if it had been the finest
/ steel bridge in the world it would have been
shattered.
THANKFUL FOR THEIR SAFETY.
While he had the misfortune to lose a
brother by the accident, his party has
reason to be thankful that the fatality was
not greater. None of the others We're seri-
| ously injured. Mr.. Wilbur said there is no
truth in the story of robberies at the wreck.
| The people Of Blackshear took precaution-
airy measures in time, and they deserved
credit, he said, for it. His party lost moth
| ing. II might be that articles lost in the
wreck were afterward found after the sur
| veillance had been removed, but until the
wounded and killed had been taken away
he felt sati fed that no attempt at robbery
| had been made, or would have been sue
cessful if attempted.
Mr.. Wilbur inquired for three Savannah
Schoolmates who attended the Sing Sing
! IN. " Military School when he was a stu
dent there. Tie named the young men as
Messrs An ierson, Har9ee and Helmlen,
and sgniticd a desire to meet them and re-
new the old acquaintance and friendship.
| The mother of young Anderson, Mrs George
! w. Anderson, called ON the party yesterday
| afternoon at the Pulaski.
In closing the interview Mr.. Wilbur said
| that it is not trUe that the Minerva was de
rallied year ago while his father was on
| his annual Southern tour. An accident to
| the locomotive caused the stoppage of the
| train. That was all there was in that
story.
| THE SISTERS GO TO wAYCRoSs,
Two Sisters of Mercy from ST. Joseph's
| lufrmary, left last night for Waycross by
| request to minister TO some Of the sufferers
there. who desire their mnistrations To
! such an app al these sefsacrificing women
never have hut one answer. They hasten at
the call of the distressed. no matter what
the inconvenience or peril.
ANOTHER ONE DEAD.