Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-09-11
HURLED FROM 4 BRIDGE.
4 Passenger Train Falls Eighty
Feet Into a Creek.
Over a Score Killed and Many
Seriously Injured.

A dispatch from StatesVille. y. c., saws
The most terrible railroad disaster that
has ever happened in North Carolina oc
CURED on a recent morning at Boston's
Bridge, which crosses Third Greek, two miles
west of this place.
The westbound passenger train on the
Western North Carolina Railroad (No. g.,
which had passed Statesviile on time (at Il!
A. M, was hurled from the bridge, dis.
lance of about 100 feet, the engine. tender,
baggage and second-class car, the first-cIass
coach, the Pullman car and the private car
of Superintendent Bridge all going down into
the creek.
The train was composed of bs Cgage and
mail car, second and first class coaches. Pull
man sleeper and Superintendent Bridges
private car. Daisy. The sleeper, which was
from GoldsbOrO, usually contains h good
number of passengers from Northern points,
and last night was no exception.
The run to Statesvlle was made on time.
distance of twenty-five miles, but just at
ter leaving StatesvilIe there is a higt
stone bridge spanning Third Creek, anc
down into this creek plunged the
entire train. distance of at least
sixty-ive feet, wrecking the whole train anc
carrying death and destruction with it
Twenty passengers were killed outright
nine seriously injured, and about twenty
badly bruised and shaken up.
Eight was dismal and to add to the horror
of the situation, the water in the creek was
up 1t was only through the heroic efforts
of those who had hurried to the scene OF
the wreck that the injured were not
drowned.
The accident was caused by the spreading
OF the rails. The bridge was not injured and
trains are running on schedule time. Twenty
dead bodies are now lying in a warehouse at
Statesville. The injured are having the best
of care at private houses and hotels.
A drummer named George Brawley, from
Atlanta, and one or two other passengers
who made their way from the wreck alive
came to town and gave the news of the dis
aster. The town was soon aroused and
citizens and vehicles fastened to the scene of
the wreck and began the work Of rescue.
Some of the passengers had crawled from the
car windows, and were perched on the tops.
The cars were cut open, and as many OF the
passengers as could be found were dragged
out dead, dying and some alive and others
mortaly injured.
By daylight 1000 people were on the
ground. The dead and injured were brought
to town, the injured comfortably quartered
at the hotel and private houses, where they
could receive medical aid. The dead were
laid side by side in a long row on the floor
of a large tobacco warehouse, where the
bodies were identified and tagged.
1t was impossible to say on the morning
after the accident how many were killed and
drowned. Up to twenty-five minutes past
I've o'clock twenty dead bodies had been
taken from the wreck and the second class
car had not been reached, which is partially
under the water. Twenty-Five is not an
overestimate OF the number killed.
DIR. Skies, who was killed, had just been
assigned to missionary work in China, and
was to have left for that country on Septem-
Der 26 next. He was married.
The Moores, who were killed, are promi-
nent in literary and social circles, and are
we'll known throughout the South. They
were returning from summering in the
Blue Mountains.
The train fell from the north side Of the
track. The engine lies on the embankment
on the west side of the creek, the first class
car on top of the second class and Superin-
tendent Bridges car partially covers the
sleeper
1t is supposed that as the engine was rum
ming forty miles hour on down grade, 1t
struck the bridge and the rails spread. The
ends of the ties are rotten at the approach,
and this was probably the cause Of the acct
dent