Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-30
WAS IN THE WRECK.
A sLeepiNo-cAR CONDUCTOR TELLS
OF HIS eRIohTFuL EXPERIENCE.
r,c,de,ss NOTABLY Mr.. n. O Clspper. VINO
wss Ipjssed in she North Carolina
Railroad Disaster.

NY. n. G. Chopper. the sleeping.csi CON
ductor aboard the train which crashed into
Third creek. near Statesvillc. N. c.. on
Thursday morning, arrived In the city yes
terdav and Is quartered at the Exchange
Hotel. where he will remain until he II aole
20 20 to his homo. ut Carlisle, "a. MF.
Chopper was very painfully hurt. being
hruised and lacerated from head to
foot and having his left arm and leg very
seriously spraincd, He gives most ap'
pall,ng story Of the disaster. s A..
when a DISPATCH reporter entered tne
uonnded mans room last night be was in
=" sitting gesture. and his head. lett arm,
left AIDE. back, left hip. and ankle were
bandagod. He greeted the reporter witha
smilo which demonstrated that II cost us
Altar the introduction the reporter
asked Mr.. Cleppcr If he felt sufficiently
strong 10 give a statement OF the occur
renco and the incidents connected there
with.
I'm. cLEprER's STATEMENT.
He very courteously replied:
Il will tell you all that know ABOUT
the disaster. It was. as yon newspaper
fuea have described il. horrible accident.
No words can paint the story as IT really ~.
We were going towards Statesviiie at the
usual rate of speed when, upon the Steep
err, strikinx the trestle. became cogni-
zant that the train wos going downward.
Before had time to think again. sup
moss. was unconscious. remember no
crash of til. bottom. | only know that
when m, senses returned TO me l crawled
ont OF tho dsbris through the top OF the
sleeper at the opposite end from where 1
was seated"
WAS rsRowN TIE LESvrH OF THE CAR.
Continuing, Dir. Clepper said: =" was
sitting In the rear end of my car when IL
went down. Upon reviying from my un-
conscious spell was al the end nearest
the engine. How got there shall never
know, but from ths bruises upon ny boiy
/ must have fallen tho entire length OF Lne
in vas in watsr-l remember that
and remember that crsrled
out through q hole in tho top OF
the sleeper. l was then so dazed THAT |
did not know what had happened. IL ali
seemed like dream.
"Whon reached the ground observed
two or three others coming from among
the wreckage, and We al crawled up tho
side of the embanbhent, where two gen.
temen Law down upon the ground. l say
down upon ior, and had not been there
many minutes when ! became aware that
was badly hurt. My pain was intense Us
was that OF my companions.
REMAINED rHFRr UNTIL DAYLIGHT.
1.-TWO or three who escaped less injured
went to S.atesvillc for succor, but we poor
men on tho embankment could do nothing
TO alleviate the suferings OF those IN the
crushed train. The accident happened at
about O'Clock in the morning, and no aid
could be gotten to those fastened In tho
wreck until daylight.
1--WE saw the dawn of daylight upon tho
heartrendinQ scene which held fast its
dead and dying, and we were powerless x,
assist them. When aid came was carried
away and | knew nothing more except
what have seen In your paper"
az believe ii had been in possession OF
nv right senses would never have gotten
ont Of that wreck alive. Others think the
same In reference to thor escape from
death.
IT WAS MIBACrB.
"Wbat is to me most perploxing mira
Gle" said Mr.. Ciepper, " is that twenty
six persons came out OF that de6ris alive. lt
seems to me that the mere fact that they
were fastened in that cold water-snd u
was extremely cold-would have killed
every one except those who got out imme-
diatelv after the occurrence. am very
thankful that even twenty-six OF us sur
yiye the fearful disaster"
Mir. Chopper il a tall and very handsome
young man. evidently not more than thirty
years of age, He 10 of tho blonde typo
and exceedingly a1able and courteous.
He SAYS that Colonel Beneban Cameron,
who. the papers say. was slightly hurt.
came out of tho wreck unscathod. He
also does not think Auditor Sanderlin's
condition alarming. Both these gentle
men were in the sleeper.
wHAr AN OLD RAuRoADEn THINKS.
After leaving Mr.. clippers room the re-
porter accidentally came IN contact with
an old railroad official who has served in
various capacities for seventeen years and
who is Just from the scene OF the wreck.
This gentleman su.tains the opinion of
General-blanager Green - thai the oc-
currence was caused by tho work OF soma
fcnd in taking out rail a short distance
cas-. Of the bridge and just beyond the
point where the guard-rails began. If
that rail had been taken out upon the
bridge" asserted this gentleman, that
train would never have gone over the tres
tie, for the guard.rails would have held
her."
Then continuing the railroad-man said
" would etake my life that the work of
wrecking that train was done. by an ex-
pert in that business-a man who has had
railroad experience"
"Were the cars all crushed into heap?"
queried the newspaper-man.
"No, sir," was the reply. "Of course
the ends of one or two cars were under
the end. of one or two others, but the
train was practically strung out from bank
to bank across the creek and even extend
Ing up the sides of the hill"
"What Is the condition of the bIidge?"
asked the reporter.
1T is unsecured" was the prompt reply.
II make an open assertion that that tram
never got on tho viaduct."
"What do you think will be the loss to
the company
There Is no telling, SIR" said tho rail-
road mau. ct will be enormous and may
reach In the neichborhood of million dol
lars"