The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-03
aE.AII.ROAD HOR ROR.
THE GREATEST IN THE HISTORY
OF THE STATE.

The greatest railroad horror in the
history Of North Carolina occurred al
B1stian's bridge on the Western North
Carolina railroad near Statesville at ,
O'Clock last Thursday morning. i. was
at Third creek two miles west OF States
Vile. The trestle from which the tram
! f.Uis 60 feet high The train was moving
about thirty miles per hour and It was
thrown from the tre.lle carrying the iron
from the railroad track with 1t.
1h2re were y persons killed outright
aud IS wounded OF those killed five
were railroad employees and seventeen
were passengers. The daily papers have
been almost full Of the details every day
since the disaster, and it would fill our
columns to print what has been said by
single daily paper. There were passen-
gers killed and wounded from several
states, quite number otthem being from
| this State. Several towns in the State
| have presented scenes Of great sadness ID
consequence Of the frIghtful accident.
Among the killed and wounded were
| Mrs. Theodore Pool and daughter OF
| Williamson. Neither was killed out
right out Mrs Pool was seriously injured,
and htr dau n e., though herself painfully
| injured, held her mother head out of the
| water until her own strength gave out,
and she was compelled 10 let her mothers
head drop into the water and hear her
81, a
no power to savs or help.
Auditor Sanderlin and Col. Benehan
| Cameron were IN the wreck, and Col.
| Cameron was the first to 60 two miles to
Statesville and alarm the town and break
| the news Of the awful fate of the gay
passengers who had left the town an hour
before. The oodles Of the dead and suf-
fering were brought to Statesyillo and
cared for tenderiy. All the town closed
business for day and paid attention only
to the dead and the distressed.
Those who visited in person and at
tempted to describe the sickening scene
said that it beggared all powers Of descrip
ton.
Auditor Sanderlin was very seriously
hurt but will recover.
The darkness OF the nigh lent additional
horrors to the awful wreck and the scene
will never be pictured as it really was.
There are various theories as to the
cause Of the wreck. The railroad attOr-
neys have been looking into the matter
and various statements have been made
before the inquest, Some think that the
train was wrecked by professional who
had drawn spikes flom the track and
thus arranged for the wreck. Others
think that it was caused by some def.
cheney ID the cross-ties.
Whatever the cause, the like has never
been known in North Carolina before,
and the people Of the whole State join in
honing that speedy justice may be visited
upon the proper persous. We trust that
we may never be called upon to chronicle
another such calamity.
LATER Monday the jury in the case
rendered the following verdict:
THE jury tiud from the evidence and
our own personal examination that the
above named (namlng the killed) persons
came to their death by the wrecking of
the train on the Western North Carolina
railway bridge over Third creek in Iredell
county, n. c., Thursday morning, Aug
%, 1891; the said wrecking of the tram
being caused by loose rail, the bolts
and spikes of the same having been taken
out by some person or persons unknown
to the jury with tools or implements
belonging to the said railway company,
which said tools or implements by gross
negligence on the part Of said railway
company were left in an open shed, &C
cessible to every passer by.
We also find that several of the Gloss
ties at and near the break in SAID railway
track where the said loose rail was dis
placed was unSound and shonld have been
replaced, and that the superstructure On
the bridge was in part defective and
unsafe.
Further, that the high rate of speed
maintained in running trains over this
bridge deserves and has the ccnsuIc ard
condemnation Of this jury.
p. 9. Carlton, foreman; Geo. +. Shep-
herd, J. Stephany, j. U. Lambrecht, N.
{. Williams, J. S. Ramsey, jurors; G..
W. Clegg, coroner.