The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-08-11
FATAL RAILROAD WRECK.
THE AsHEWLLE SPECIAL CRASHES
INTO A FREIGHT TRAIN.

INTO a FREIGHT JAAN.
Engineer Brissenden and Fireman Brown
Instantly KiIIed-Tbe story of tho Sole
Survivor OF tho Engine Crew-.A Care
less Fiagman and Conductor.
CHARLESTON, IS. g., Aug. "a fatal
and fearful railroad accident occurred
on Friday night at Hop. m, at Ridge.
vile, on the line of the South Carolina
Railway. 1t was one of the most Sc
rious occurrences on the road in some
time. The unfortunate event is sim
cerely regretted and by none more than
by the, fellow-workmen of Engineer
Henry Brissenden and Fireman Yves
ley II. Browne, who lost their lives in
the wreck. Both men must have died
tnstantaneously, and were hardly aware
before the end came. 1t was all done as
IL in an instant. 1t was one of those
unfortunate occurrences to which GRIM
inal blame will, with difficulty, be at
tached to the proper parties. Yet it
does seem, from what has been heard of
the case, that some n on the obstruct-
Ing freight train is in a measure &C
c%Ountable.
From what could be learned -yester-
day from eyewitnesses and others it
must have been o terrible sight. The
through train from Asheyille, coming
to Charleston over the South Carolina
Road, was due at Ridgeville at LAO.
1t is q fast special train. Conductor
n engineer alike had every reason to
suppose they had a clear track. But
alas, such was not the case, a pickering
little red light told them that danger
was ahead, but too late to prevent the
catastrophe, and with a heart-sicken-
ing crash the trains came together.
Engineer Brissenden and Fireman
Browne, who was a visitor on the en-
CINE, thought 1T safer to jump and try
and save their lives, but in so doing
they met instant death, while w. i.
Johnson, the regular fireman of the
engine, rlung to the coal bin and to.
day lives to tell the story of the acct.
dentin which his two friends lost their
lives.
HOW IT OCCURRED.
But how did the accident occur? A
freight train in charge Of Conductor
Sam Herrin and Engineer George S.
0'Brien was going west, towards
Branchville. The through Asheyille
special with Conductor Gilbert and En-
gineer Brissenden had the right of way,
n was running on its fast schedule
on a supposedly clear track. The Ashe-
vile special was due at R%idgeville at
ll.44 p. m. and arrived on time. The
freight train which was the occasion of
the catastrophe arrived at 11.30 p. m.
1t was incumbent on the freight train
to get out Of the way of the regular
passenger train and give her a clear
track. The regulations of the road re-
"fre that the passenger train should
,een given q clear track fully ten
before the schedule time of
nger train. Fireman Browne,
sitting on the box, was the
the red signal Of danger.
in an excited manner,
there Is a red light!' AS
'hnson, the survivor, ex-
Ill on the engine saw
FLICKER1NG REL LIGH
Identical moment. Engineer
Iden, who at the time was sitting
MS box, applied the air brakes.
he1r danger was imminent. Young
Browne was the first to Jump from the
train. lie was soon followed by the
engineer. In a few seconds came the
terrible crash--the trains had collided.
Two lives had been lost. and considera-
bic damage had been done the engine
and rolling stock. The freight train
had only gotten about eight Of its cars
on the switch, and about twenty re-
manned on the main line. About four
OF the freight boxes were telescoped.
Willing hands and anxious hearts were
soon at work looking for the missing.
Young Browne was found near a
switch stand dead. Engineer Brissen.
den was lying near the track between
the cab and tender, in the last agonies.
Both men had
DIED ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY.
Young Browne In jumping must
have struck against the switch stand
and broken his neck. The engineer
was badly crushed about the hip and
body, and no doubt died from internal
injuries received from the jump. Ss
must be remembered thaG .'Old ReYfa-
.bie' lIrisseheen, was making the fast
schedule, and he was running at q
speed OF from forty to forty.fve miles
an hour.
Capt. S. g. Gilbert, the conductor of
the passenger train, was thrown with
considerable force from his seat. He
received q slight injury about the head.
Neither OF the brakemen nor any of the
passengers on the train were at all in
Jured. They were all very naturally
Daily frightened and somewhat de-
moraliZed.
The dead bodies were brought to the
city yesterday morning at II o'clock
and sent to Undertaken Rehkopf's, in
Wolfe street, to be prepared for bu.
rial.
II SURVIVORS STORY.
The fireman of the Inflated train, Mr..
w. Is. Johnson, was perhaps the only
eyewitness to the unfortunate accident.
lie was seen at his boarding honse yes
terday morning by the reporter for the
Sunday News, to whom he gave a con
nected and intelligent account of the
accident. With o pencil and paper he
drew an outlyhe of the situation. The
station he described as being on the
east side OF the side track ON which the
freight ought TO have gone. About
eight cars were on the side track and
the remainder of the train was on the
main line. The collision was at ar
angle. Only the front wheels of the
engine were derailed. "We were,' he
said, about four car lengths from the
station, and the station is about eight
or ten car lengths from the switch
where the accident occurred, before we
saw the tlagman with the red light.
We were at almost the point where we
saw the light as it was a very tlickering
one, The brakes were Immediately APP
piled. / do not believe Engineer Bris-
sender had time to reverse the engine
and Ii he did / do not think IL would
have prevented the collision. Both my