Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-03-30
DEATH In A CHASM.
A Train From New York to Flor
ida Falls Through a Trestle.
About Thirty Dead and More Than
Two Score Injured.

At $40 Saturday morning the first section
Of the south-bound West Cuban fast mail
train crashed through the trestling just after
crossing Hurricane River, Blackshear,
Ga, IS miles south of Savannah on the
Savannah, Florida and Western Railway.
The accident was caused by broken rail
under the baggage car. The baggage car
got of the track about a quarter of a mile
before it reached the bridge at Hurri-
over the bridge. Immediately on the
other side there Is trestle several hundred
feet in length. When the baggage car struck
this trestle work it gave way, and the entire
dropped through The train consisted of a
combination car, three baggage cars,
smoking car, one coach, two Pullman
sleepers, all Of which were thronged
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. This private
car, which the only one not broken to
pieces, was occupied by President Wilbur,
of the Lehigh road, his family and friends,
who survived the shock. When the
CINE reached the bridge over Hurricane
Creek, which is thirty feet high and
500 feet in length, speed OF forty
miles per hour was being made. When it
struck the trestle the front axle Of the bag
gage car broke down, and that car, followed
by the balance of the train, jumped the
track, knocking the trestle down, and the
whole fell into the creek. The engine and
shore safely. In the creek there only
three or four feet of water
The scene at the moment after the wreck was
heartrending. The lower coaches were we'll
nigh smashed to pieces Fortunate were those
passengers to whom death came instantly.
Every coach was filled, and hardly passenger
escaped without some injury. The cars were
piled on the top of each other and smashed
into splinters, and the cries of the frightened
and injured passengers arose from the
mass. Messages were sent to Superintend-
ent X. q. Fleming, who Immediately wired
to WaycrOSs and Jesup for physicians. A
wrecking train was made up in the yard
right away, and Doctor William Duncan,
the road physician, and a large force
of men started for the scene. An hour later
another train was made up. 1t carried out
physicians and an additional force of men
and collins.
Nineteen dead bodies were taken from the
wrecl; as soon as help could be obtained. The
passengers were taken out and as far pos
sible removed to the hotels in WaycrOSS
Others went to Blackshear, and subse-
quently were carried TO Waycross. The hotels
were turned into hospitals, and the good
women of the town of Waycross turned out
en- maSSe to attend upon the wounded and
dying. Six of the wounded died shortly after
reaching WaycroSs and others are fatally
hurt Numerous surgical operations were
performed and at 1 o'clock in the morning all
had been attended to.
The fourth car was occupied by Mr.. and
Mrs George Gould, son and daughter-in-law
was not complete wreck. The end of the
last car was telescoped into Mr.. Gould's
car, but was almost intact. 1t con-
tanned twelve persons, comprising Mr..
Wilburs party. One son was killed, and
Mr.. Wilbur himself was seriously hurt.
Two other sons were injured and others in
the car more or less hurt, except a little
daughter of Mr.. Wilbur, who escaped with
out injury. Mr.. and Mrs Gould were not
seriously injured, although Mr.. Smith, the
conductor of the car, was instantly killed, his
body being mangled almost beyond recog-
milton. Great credit is due en-.
gineer WEIGH, whose presence of
mind saved still greater disaster. AS
and finding the baggage car on fire extin-
guished the flames, and thus averted that
terrible destruction that usually follows
cidentS of this kind. He then fastened back
to the rear end of the train to flag the second
section, only ten minutes behind. Word was
sent to Patterson, a small station few miles
north of the scene of the wreck, and the
train was stopped.
''There were three fortunate things which
no doubt leSSened the terrible list of casual
ties. That portion of the trestle directly over
the stream on the north end of the trestle
did not fall, and the cars were piled into a
dry place. In wet weather the whole place
is overfiowed, but at the present time the
stream is confined to narrow bed. The fire
was put out before any harm was done, and
the weather was clear and pleasant"
The total number of killed was thirty and
over forty were more or less injured, several
of them fatally.
OF the killed twenty were white and ten
colored. OF che wounded ten are ladies,
twenty white male passengers, and six are