Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-17
COLLAPSE OF A TREsTLE.
A Train Goes Through and Seven
Persons Are Killed.

An awful accident occurred at the county
line trestle, just east of Milton, NC. yester-
day. by which two passenger coaches and
a sleeper were precipitated into the creek
below. distance of sixty feet Killing seven
persons outright and wounding a number
of others. The killed are:
II. Morris. conductor. Portsmouth. Va.
w. r. Ellison. Alton. Va.
j. G.. Davies, a farmer of Baskerville. Va.
w. H. Elan of Durham. N. c.
James s. Lowe. a railroad conductor from
the west, who was passenger.
Thomas Lee. colored. of Winston. N. c.
Francis Jenkins, colored, of Salem, n. T..
lnjured-Mrs. Harvey Giersch of Salem,
" C.. slightly: ]. L. Sizer Of Richmon l. Va,
Pullman conductor. foot mashed and hurt
slightly inside; j: R. Townes. coiored porter
body; Davis, fagman, hurt about head and
face and foot sprained.
The Tre.tie Gives Way.
The train was the regular train bound for
Portsmouth from Danville. After passing
through Milton and going over the trestle,
the engineer. Peyton Tunstall. who says
he was running at the rate of ten miles an
hour felt the bridge giving away. He threw
open the throttle. and the engine tender
and box car got safely over. but the pas
senser car was too late, and the span went
down under its weight, the second pas
senger car and sleeper following. The cars
were shivered into kindling wood, AMI the
escape of any Of the passengers was a mir
acle The water in the creek had risen to
the depth Of twelve or more feet, and ii is
the general belief that the rise had under
mined the foundation of the iron piers,
causing the trestle to settle.
On the train at the time were about six
teen persons. including the train hands,
but only one of the latter-Conluctor II.
Morris OF Portsmouth-was killed, none Of
the others receiving serious injuries.
In the sleeper were Mrs. Harvey Gjersch,.
two children and nurse of Winston, n. c.:
Conductor j. L. Sizer of Richmond. AMI j.
drowned. and the conductor and porter were
slightly injured. HRS. Giersch was on her
way to Lawrenceville. to visit friends The
depot agent at Milton heard the crash, and
Immediately gave the alarm by tollne the
bell. The people turned out, and went to
work at once to rescue the dead and in
jured from the debris.
Incidents Of the Wreck.
Mr.. ]. L. Sizer. the Pullman conductor. in
speaking of the accident, says: II had Just
gotten through with my collections. and
had reported to Capt Morris. who had
passed forward on the train, and was pre-
pairing to retire. when the crash came. For-
tunately. was in the forward end Of my
car. Mrs. Giersch's nurse was in the rear
end OF the car, where she was found with
her head and chest under the water, and
was most probably drowned. as there was
no heavy timber or anything else on her
body that might have caused her death.
The little thirteen-year-old daughter of
Mrs. Giersch. not realizing the LANCER
through which she had passed. said to the
rescuers: Don't mind me. am not hurt,
but please take mamma out.
The dead were removed to the railroad
depot at Milton, where they were kept Until
courthouse the accident occurring on the
Halifax side of the creek. The loss will be
heavy to the railroad company, as the cars
and full span of the bridge are total