Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-09-03
TESTIMONY FOR THE JURY,
EVIDENCE THAT A RAIL WAS
TAKER UP.

what Men saw VINO Were Early
at the Third Creek Disaster and
Noted More or Less Carefully
the situation.
The following from the Raleigh Chron-
cls is part OF the evidence taken before
the corouor's jury at Statcsville, as it
was taken down by the clerk ot The Jury,
Mr.. A. ID Watts.
VA. ELIASoN TESTIfIES
Got to wreck between and 10 O'Clock,
saw the cross-ties up to the bridge at the
town end and also tn. LIS aud timbers
torn off of the bridge track they were as
good as | ever saw except the spiking OF
the fish bars, till you get to within forty
feet Of the bridge; from there on the ties
were rotten and should not have been in
any track. The ties on topof the stringers
were detective in size, defective i'll spacing
and were completely rotten.
HENEHAN CAMERON TESTIFlES:
When ! got to the top Of the viaduct |
noticed all the rails were gone When
reached this side Statcsvlle the rails
were living parallel with the track but
not on the croSs-tcs this was a little be-
fore 3 clock tie rail was detached from
the rest OF the track and straight, lying
parallel with the track but outside OF the
ends OF the croSs-ties.
/. NJ. TROUTMAN TESTIFIES.
am foreman OF section on the A. T.
& o. railroad and also the S. & W. rail
road Mr. Scales, the depot agent, sent
me out with force to the wreck: we got
there about 6 O'Clock; had lever car
and tools with me; did not draw these
spikes nor did any Of my force draw
them. Ono cud Of the rail was on the
crosS-ties the Othcrcud on the ground;
10 kcd as it the far end was thrown
there bv the cars; the taps could not b,
taken OF without tools; examined the
spikes; they bad been drawn bv crow.
bars.
u. NJ. HOWARD TESTllIES.
Got to wreck about daylight, lust be-
fore sun.up; about : o'clock came over
the bridge, the rail was lying just as It
laid there; saw several spikes laying hN
the detached rail off the crOSS-tics; lOOkcl
as il freshly drawn bright on the side,
near the head; they must have beer
drown with crowbar.
II. T. CAMPBELL TESrlFIES:
got to the wreck about Q o'clock;
examined the detached rail- think IL,
bolts had been drawn, but think this wa
done after the accident. The ties or {
considerable portion of them were rot
ten; think it was the last car whlCi
caused the wreck; think it jumped tia
track. Had the timber been sound
think the chances are that the trail
would have passed over the bridge; ex
amned the cross ties down at the wrecI
and they were badly rotten.
COL. 5. A. SHARPE TESTlFlEs
Got to wreck about half past p, M
opposite from where they were wnrkin.
on the bridge there were any quantity q
rotten timbers. cross-ties and Stringers
some of them almost entirely rotten
YOU could kick them topirces They pu
back the same old ties which lConSlderc
pretty rotten.
w. 6. WRIGHT TESTlFIES;
Got to the wreck about 7:3O O'clOC
the morning OF the accident; the cross
tics had not been taken up found thes
two bolts right where the iron rail wa
detached from the balance of the tracL
the nuts were Just behind the second 81
or cross-tie from the joint; they were no
on the bolts. He exhibits bolts an
nuts. The attention OF the jury va
called to the fact that the threads wei
fresh saw some spikes; saw tor sever;
ties that all the spikes had been draw
out or driven down even with the top
the cross-tie. took the bolts because
saw that the train had been wrecked
The spikes were driven up on the side;
think the wheel OF the car drove thcl
down; the ties where | picked up the'
bolts seemed to he sound; the dctacht
rail was of the track LAYING on tt
grass; some of the timbcrs OF the brids
were not sound; saw the marks ot II
car wheels inside the place where the d
tached rail had lain.
ABE sTEELMAN TESrIFIES.
Got to the wreck fifteen minutes aft
three o'clock; Allen Mccullough we
, with me; have been section hand, b.
quit on account of sickness; at the secol
Joint from the bridge the rail was turn,
off the crosstie at the far end | did n
notice whether this end was off or not;
- examined the detached rail and saw TIL
the spikes had been drawn; | could S
the marks of the clawbar on the fan
OF the rail; it was thirty feet long al
eliectly stright; all the ties from the d
Joint III the rall to where you came
the sawed ties were in place and unbI
ken, except one Joint moved Just litt
| found a bolt where the tap had been;
was fresh when Allen and came ba
from breakfast; when we came back {
posite the tool house of the section
found that a claw bar was leani
against the left hand side OF the dc
and wrench was standing on the otl
It side and looked as il they had been
Gently us,1i.
wAYNESVII.LE LAND SAI.E