The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-09
HURLED FROM A BRIDGE.
A Passenger Train Falls Eighty
Feet Into a Creek.
Over a Score Killed and Many
Seriously Injured.

4 dispatch from Statesville, n. c.. SAYS
The most terrible railroad disaster that
has ever happened in North Carolina &C.
Cured on q recent morning at Bostons
Bridge, which crosses Third Creek, two miles
west Of this place.
The westbound passenger train on the
Western North Carolina Railroad NO. W.,
which had passed Statesville on time lat l ~
A.. NJ, was hurled from the bridge, dls-
tance of about 100 feet, the engine. tenoer,
baggage and second-class car, the hrst-class
c1sch ihe Pullman car and the private car
of SUPERINTENDENT Bridge all going down INTO
the creek.
The train was composed of baggage and
mail car, second and first class coaches. Pull
man slee per, and Superintendent Bridges
private car, Daisy. The sleeper, which was
from Goldsboro usually contains good
number Of passengers from Northern points,
and last night was no exception.
The run to Statesville was made on time,
distance Of twenty-five miles but just at-
Ter leaving Statesville there is q higo
stone bridge spanning Third Creek, anc
down into this creek plunged thi
entire train. a distance OF at leas;
sixty-fve feet, wrecking the whole traln AM
carrying death and destructlon "itn ~
Twenty passengers were Kllleo otIrigatt y
nine seriously injured, and ABOUT twenty
badly bruised and shaken up. r,
The scene at the wreck was awful. Ihe
NIGHT was dismal, and to add to the horror
of the situation, the water in the creek was
nm. It was only through the heroic enort;
NJ those who had hurried to the scene o.
the wreck that the injured were no'
drowned.
The accident was caused by the spreading
nj the rails. The bridge was not injured and
trains are running on schedule time. twenty
dead bodies are now lying in warehouse az
StatesviIle. The injured are having tne oes'
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 ahye, We
came to town and gave the news Oh tse US
aster. The town was soon aroused sut
citizans and vehicles hastened to the scene OF
the wreck and began the WORK OF rescue
Some Of the passengers had crawled from tht
car windows and were perched on the tops
The cars were cut open, and as many Oh tne
messengers as could be found were dragge1
out dead, diving and some alive ana otners
mortally injured. A.,
oround. The dead and injured were brought
to town, the injured comfortably quarterea
at the hotel and private houses, where tney
could receive medical aid. The dead wer'
laid side by side in long row on the moor
of q large tobacco warehouse wnere tn'
bodies were identified and tagged.
It was impossible to say on the mornlnl
after the accident how many were xllie1 am
drowned. Up to twenty-five minutes pas
five o'clock twenty dead bodies had oesl a
taken from the wreck and the second clas
car had not been reached, which IS partiall!
under the water. Twenty-Five IS not al
overestimate of the number killed.
DIR. Skies, who was killed, had just beer
assigned to missionary work In emma. an
was to have left for that country on Sepee"
ber 3 next. He was married.
The Moores, who were killed, are prom
nent in literary and social circles, ana q, ar
we'll known throughout the South. Inc
were returning from summerlns III 'n
Blue Mountains. A.,
The train fell from the north SIDE OF tn
track The engine lies on the embankmen
on the west side of the creek the nrs1 clas
car on top Of the second class and superb
tendent Bridges car partially covers 10
II is supposed that as the engine was ruI
ming forty miles an hour on down grade,
struck the bridge and the rails spread. In
ends of the ties are rotten at the approach
and this was probably the cause OF tns acc
dent.