The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-09-20
i Terrible Wreck on tile air Line.

this time on the Atlanta and Charlotte
branch Of the Richmond and Danville, in
charge Of Superintendent Dodson, and is
accompanied by loss Of life. An ugly
feature OF Il is that, as far as can be dis
cover d, the wreck was caused by some
3fend, whose Intention was to wreck the
train. This wreck and the one which
Asheyille and Spartanburg branch, will
cost the system not less than S75,GO0, q
very heavy loss in these hard times.
The story of the wreck was obtained
from railroad man who was passenger
on the train from Atlanta yesterday
afternoon.
The ill-fated train, gravel train No. 40,
bound from Atlanta to Charlotte, was to
pass Seneca City, this State, shortly after
o'clock. It was in charge OF Engineer
George f. Roberts Of Blacksburg, one Of
the most reliable men on the line. Els
orders were to pass all stations along this
portion Of the road. About $50 o'clock
the train came laundering down the
grade leading to the new Courtenay cot
ton mill, 81 miles north Of Seneca City.
At this point there Is q switch. The
switch had been reported all right, bat
some one had been there and in some way
thrown 1t open. It was too late for the
engineer to do anything when he saw his
danger. The train went through the
open switch and was transformed into q
complete wreck.
They were both, found some distance up
the road. The fireman was picked up
without serious injuries. One of the
brakemen was pretty badly hurt.
The train was loaded with negro work.
men, nearly all Of whom in some mira
culous way escaped. One of them had
his arm crushed so that it had to be am
putated and 1t is not thought that he will
live.
Engineer Roberts seems to have brave
" remained at his post and evidently
made no attempt to jump.
He was crushed and pinned beneath
the engine, where he was slowly scalded
to death. He did not die till 6:45 yester-
day morning, after enduring horrible
agony. His body is said to have been
literally roasted By the escaping steam.
Before he died he regained conscious
ness for short time and said that when
he came down tho track the white signal
at the switch Indicating that it was closed,
was burning all right. When be got near
the switch he saw it open, but did not
have time to succeed in reversing his
engine. He saw good many negroes
along the road and believed that it was an
attempt to wreck the northbound fast
mail, which was due In half an hour.
This fast mail was about to pull away
from Seneca City and would have gone
into the wreck, but one Of the men from
the ill-fated train ran down the track and
stoDped il inst in time.
The locomotive is said to be a total
wreck, and the freight cars composing
the train were badly smashed.
The remains Of Engineer Roberts will
be taken to his home for interment.
The wreck Of the Richmond and Dam
vile freight, which broke away on
Thursday night last and tore down the
Saluda mountain grade, seems to have
been one of the worse wrecks that has
tenn. TIE officials Of the road, who have
been at the scene Of the wreck sinceits
occurrence, returned to the city yester-
day.
Althoug'. Superintendent McBee and
his men had but small corps Of work
ers, the breaka were closed by yesterday
at noon and the first train since the acci-
dent got through at p. m. 1t has been
remarkably fine work to get the trains
through.
A high embankment was torn away
fora distance of 300 feet and costly stone
cniyert caved in. Along both sides OF
the track for considerable distance is
scattered splintered cars, trucks, flour,
meats, dead cattle, coal, etc. The train
composed Of nine cars became unman-
ageable, for some reason, when it first
began the descent. There were several
cars loaded with cattle. AS soon as the
engineer and trainmen realized that they
could not control the train they jumped
and thereby saved their lives. The con-
ductor and one trainman were the only
persons to remain aboard. The conduc-
tor worked the brakes of the cab while
the trainmen lifted out the pin which
attached the cab to the runaway train.
Together they stopped the cab before the
danger point was reached. The rest OF
the train continued in its mad career and
as the engine and cars few round the
curves the cars would topp!e over one by
one till at the bottom the en- mbankment
and tunnel gave way and the wreck was
complete. The engine and nine cars
composing the train, were totally dsmol-'
ished,- Co L1nabta STATE. Sss<