The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-04-06
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
NEAR RALEIGH.

Untimely Disaster
Many of Them
Seriously In
jured.
From the Ne,rs and Observer of yes
terday we take the following account
of terrible accident by which num-
Der Of happy school girls were pain
fully and seriously hurt. When the
news of the sad affair reached Hender-
son Tuesday afternoon, vague and I'M
certain as it was, great excitement
was created, as it was known that a
Henderson young lady was among the
party of gay holiday pleasure seekers.
The main particulars Of the unfortu-
nate affair are as follows:
About half past 10 O'Clock yesterday
morning a courier came dashing into
the city from the State fair grounds,
and brought the news that there had
been heart rending accident there.
A large number of the young ladies
of St. Mary,s School, accompanied by
DR.. Smedes and some of the teachers,
were enjoying holiday at the iair
grounds, their principal pastime being
the switch-back.
There were probably fifty young
ladies on the ground, mostly of the
juvenile scholars, including many Of
the little daughters Of our best citizens.
They were riding Oh the switch-back
and having happy frolic, their merry
childish laughter ringing out in the
beautiful morning sun light.
One car was started from the end of
the tracks next to the grand stand and
| had proceeded short distance when
| the other car was started from the
| other end by Mr.. A. F. Bowen, who
was in charge Of the switch-back. He
meant it to 90 on the other track but
when it had left his hands and struck
the switch or frog, to the horror of all
it jumped to the wrong track and shot
like an arrow down the rapidly sloping
track to meet the other car coming in
the opposite direction on the same
track. Every heart stood still and the
blood chilled in the veins, for the
awful crash which was coming was
foreseen by everybody, and there was
no human means Of averting the
disaster.
All at once the innocent glee was
turned into heart-piercing screams OF
agony. The two cars of the switch
back had collided while both were
running at a fearful velocity and
nearly a dozen manned and stunned
little girls were hurled out upon the
iron tracks and upon the ground, where
they lay in helpless agony, cruelty cut
and mangled by the splintered wreck
age of the smashed cars. The cars
met at the lowest point of the track
where both had attained their highest
velocity and momentum, going at the
rate of railroad train. The crash
was followed by grinding of wood work
and cries of agony. A view of the
telescoped carriages showed that the
end of one had been broken off, and
thrown back upon the other, SO that
the iron axle was exposed and damned
against the opposite car.
Those who rushed to the rescue saw
as many as seven Of the innocent
little girls lying in a state of helpless
injury, some of them manned for life
and probably as many more were
badly hurt.
The two little daughters of DR..
Smedes and their cousin were sitting
upon the front seat of the car, the end
OF which was crushed back, and the
place Oh which they were sitting was
literally smashed into kindling. 1t is
a miracle that the little ones escaped
alive. The two carriages being made
Of very light wood made the wreck
less serious than if they had been
heavier.
There were twenty-four persons on
the two cars, two Of them little boys.
The names of the injured were as
follows: Miss Annie Root, of Raleigh,
leg broken; Miss Mabel Green, of Fay
etteville, leg and collar bone broken;
Miss Annie Gregg, Of Texas, several
bad bruises; Miss Bessie Patterson, of
New Berne, ankle severely sprained;
Miss Adele Martiniere, of Georgia,
bruised; Miss Sadie Johnson, of Ashe-
vile, wrist sprained and bruised; Miss
Clinch, teacher at St. Mary's, bruised;
Miss Florence Boylan, of Raleigh,
head and face daddy cut; Miss Addie
Snow, Of Raleigh, severely bruised;
Miss Helen Smedes, st. Mary's, double
fracture Of limb; Miss Mary Smedes,
St. Mary's, badly bruised.
The following were on the cars but
not hurt: Misses Sallie Kenan, Mary
Calder and Carrie Davis, of Whining
ton; Miss Nell Hardin, of Fayetteville;
Miss Lila Tucker, of Henderson; Miss
Katharine Boylan, of Raleigh; Miss
Margaret Smedes, of St. Mary's; Miss
Sadie Root, Of Raleigh; Miss Frances
Hodgson, of Norfolk; Miss Turner,
teacher at st. Mary's; Master Rufus
Boylan and Master Jesse Devanor. of
| Charleston.
At latest accounts last night the
condition of the suffers was in each
case as favorable as could be expected.
Little Florence Boylan probably sus-
tanned the most serious injuries and
her case was considered the least hope
full. 1t was, however, thought last
night that if she survived the night her
condition would be less precarious.
The Misses Smedes were doing well as
was also little Annie Root. Adde
Shows injuries are not now considered
serious and she is doing well. Miss
Green was also doing as we'll as could
be expected under the circumstances
and the condition of all is hopeful.
At midnight the condition of Flor
ence Boylan was very low and the pos
sibilities of her survival were consid-
cred very doubtful. One of Mr.
Smedes's daughters who has been un-
conscious ever since the accident is
thought to have conclusion Of the
brain.
RncklenA> Arnica Salve