The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-09-03

~ ,1s:e2HW e e' ,''s as s that r pb1S
| C-S.ii = occurred on tht
| T!W =, Western NORTH
! ~, Carolina Railroad
- ID \ at the Bastian via
duct bridge across Third creek, two
miles from Statesville, at O'Clock
last Thursday morning, has never hap
pened in this State before. Below we
give full account of the terrible ca
tastrophe, for which we are indebted
principally to Col. F. A. Odds, the
special correspondent of the Will
mington Messenger:
STATEsvILLE, N. c., Aug. 27.-A
passenger train going west on the
Western North Carolina railroad at 2
o'clock this morning jumped the track
on Third creek bridge, two miles west
of Statesville, and went sixty-five feel
to the bottom. Twenty-three were
killed or drowned, and twenty-five
wounded. The accident was due tC
the spreading of the rail on the bridge,
The wreck did not catch fire. The
people of Statesville have taken care
of the dead and wounded.
RALEIGH, N. c., Aug. 27.-No &C
cident which has ever occurred in
North Carolina approaches in horror
or fatality the one which befell the
western bound fast mail train on the
Western North Carolina railway at the
early hour of o'clock this morning.
The road extends from Salisbury to
Paint Rock, and is owned and oper-
ated by the Richmond and Danville
System. Two miles west of Statesville
it crosses Third creek on viaduct
of iron known as Bastians viaduct,
which is sixty feet high. The train was
composed of six cars, of which one
was Pullman and one the private car
of the superintendent of the road.
Good time is made on this line, which
is admirably equipped, and most Of
the eighty-hve passengers who were on
the train were sleeping soundly when
the disaster occurred.
The train was moving rapidly when
it struck the viaduct. Suddenly there
was a swift and terrible lurch and
plunge and it left the track, going
down the entire sixty feet. The cars
were crushed together in mass.
There was no time 70 get moments
warning of the disaster, and escape by
jumping, and, as result, the engineer,
fireman, baggagemaster, as we'll as the
conductor and porter of the sleeping
car, were all killed. There was wild
excitement; but some of the cooler
persons, even among the wounded, did
manful work to save the wounded and
provide for the necessities of all. As
soon as possible the work of removing
the bodies of the dead and of taking
the wounded from the wreck was &C
lively in progress. These were taken
to Statesville. By noon twenty-four
dead had been taken there as follows:
Perry Barnett, of Asheville, N. G.
Charles Barnett, of Hendersonville,
N. C.
Sam German, of Asheville, N. c.
Engineer William West, of Sails
bury, N. c.
Baggagemaster Hugh c. Linster, of
Statesville, N. c.
Fireman Warren Fry, of Salisbury,
N. C.
And unknown lady.
Julius Phefer, a drummer of New
York.
A porter, unknown.
Charles Weber, of Carson, Conn.
A colored man, unknown.
An old lady unknown.
Mrs. Poole, of Williamson, N. c.,
drowned, but body not recovered.
w. ]. Fisher, of South Carolina,
A white man, unknown.
w. E. Winslow, of Asheville, N. G.
VIM. Davis, of Statesville, N. c., a
one legged man.
]. D. Austin, of Hickory, N. &.
Rev. J. NJ. Sykes, of GAINESVILLE,
Tenn.
Doc Wells, colored, porter of
Louisville, KY.
w. NJ. Mccormick, of Buncombe
county, N. c.
7. Brodie. a drummer of Chicago.
w. NJ. itouston, merchant of
Greensboro.
Lady unknown ticket in pocket
reads Mrs. George Mccormick and
mother, Elmwoods to Alexanders.
Mrs. Faank White of Memphis, Tenn.
Dock Willis.
A colored porter.
Of the wounded there were removed ::
State Auditor George w. Sander
lin, badly out not fatally l., lred.
Five seriously injured were also re-
moved, and five Others slightly in
jured.
Among the latter is Col. Benehan
Cameron, State Inspector General OF
small arms practice, who saved Audi
tor Sanderlin's life.
George Bowley, Of Atlanta, injured
but walked to town.
Conductor Spaugh, hurt, but will
live.
Sleeping car conductor H. c. Clep-
per, head cut, arms and ankles sprained.