The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1893-04-05

The happy and beautiful Easter
season was ruthlessly broken in
upon yerterday by terrible and al
most tragic disaster.
About half-past 10 o'clock yester-
day morning 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 la
dies of st. Marys School, accom-
panied by DR.. Smedes and some of
the teachers, were enjoying, holi-
day at the fair grounds their prin-
cipal pastime being the switch
back.
There we're probably fifty young
ladies on the grounds, mostly the
juvenile scholars, including many
of the little daughters OF our best
known citizens. They were riding
on the switch back aud having
happy frolic, their merry childish
laughter ringing out in the beauti-
full morning sun light.
TERRIFIC CRASH.
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
I ground, where they lay in helpless
! agony, cruelty cut and mangled
by the splintered wreckage Of the
\ smashed cars.
SEVEN BADLY HURT.
4 Those who rushed to the rescue
saw as many as seven of the limo
cent little girls lying in state O.
helpless injury, some of then
manned for life, and probably al
\ many more were badly hurt.
= Among those who were injured
{ were as follows:
nd Miss Mabel Green, daughter o
Is; Col. Wharton j. Green, of Fayette
vile, had one limb broken, and tn
: other badly injured, possibly frac
. tured.
r Little Florence Boylsn, daughte
+, of Mr.. James Boylan of this city
had her face crushed in above tn
nose, and sustained the most seriou
We, injury of any of the victims.
on- Little Annie Root, daughter {
NJ, MIR. Charles Root, Of this city, ha
'eA 's one limb broken.
Ins 1ne Little Addie Snow, daughter {
w Mr.. Geo. Fl. Snow, was badly hur
NV at sustaining internal injuries.
hs. Miss Patterson, 13 years old, Wi
the badly bruised and rendered he'll
less by her injuries, but no bon
were broken
DR.. Smedes' two little twin daug
ters, who sat on the front seat
one of the cars, were both terrib
hurt. One of the little girls hi
one or possibly both limbs broke
and the other sustained serio
1.1r len. injuries.
rgia Miss Adele Martinalro, ,OI teOrS
y OF was severely bruised and cut, b
no bones were broken.
As many others were irjurt
49,. though not so seriously.
ts to HEART, RENDING SCENE.
The scene at the point of the c
,nilv ahv lision just after the accident
ates. came known and people began
| flock to the place was most piteo
The manned little girls lay he
lessly upon the ground and tou'
AYH, cd the stoutest hearts with tn
~ cries. Cots were quickly extern
.a rized and they were borne away
ions, % the adjoining buildings.
tions Nearly all the physicians in
T. city were on the ground in an
G. creditably short time and rende
. prompt aid to the suffering. l
Burke and Hubert Haywood, Kr
Z Bobbitt, Rem, Royster and Mc'
y, were among the first to reach
scene and others quickly ca
People came from the houses
joining and every possible aid
[Es rendered the victims
Some of the young ladies v
vs. borne to their homes as soor
they could be removed. Others
taken into the house of Mr.. Ga'
ng. Stafford, superintendent of
g grounds, who threw his doors '
icited. open. Chloroform had to be
'airiIs ministered to some while the br(
limbs were being set
CCu HOW THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
Nearly everybody in Raleig
acquainted with the switch bac
on|ine ) n gravity track, at the fair grou
tory. IT consists OF two parallel tracks,
Ao anu undulating surface, constructe