The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-10-16
AWFUL RAILROAD WRECK.
A FREIGHT TRAIN RUNS AWAY
-Four Men Killed and One Injured on
the Spartanburg and Asheville Rail-
road-The Mad Rush Down u Mouu-


| MELRosE, N. c., Oct. lO.-Melrose
ill-fated Melrose, has been the scene
vi another disaster which makes the
fourth in her history. At this little
station in the mountains thirteen souls
have perished in railroad wrecks. But
none has ever approximated the hor
rors Of the last.
There were eight persons on extra
No. $50, which was bound for Spartan.
burg from Asheville on Tuesday morn.
ing. Their fate is as follows:
Engineer Ira Broom, killed; body
buried under twelve car loads of coal
ard not recovered at 8 O'Clock tonight.
q. l: York, fireman, killed probably
by suffocation.
d. l.. Allan, brakeman, killed body
horribly mutilated.
| Neill Ewing, railroad contractor
Tor rock work, who was stealing ride
from Asheville to Spartanbnrg; killed.
w. w. Patton, conductor, leg crush
ed and amputated head bruised.
Brakeman John Miller, was knocked
off the train and fell in the creek near
the tank. Sustained slight bruise on
shoulder.
Flagman Painter and stockman
named Daniel Owings, who had load
cab, and escaped without injuries.
Tuesday morning at $3.50 this extra
train, consisting of sixteen cars, twelve
loaded with coal, two with bacon, one
merchandise and one cattle, started
down the Melrose grade. The train
had not gone far before it was found
that three Of the chains which operate
the brakes were broken. The rain had
made the track slick, and without
| brakes the train soon became unmana-
| geable.
Down, down, faster and faster, until
ut the foot of the incline where the
sharp curve was reached, the engine
could hold the track no longer, but
plunged into the bank, and the cars
piled up on top. No stretch of the i'm
agination could picture the scene more
| terrible than this.
Where the engine struck the en-
bankment the cut is about thirty feet
deep. The debris from q dozen box
cars filled this completely, the cars
having piled one on another over the
engine, one heavily loaded being thrown
twenty feet over the engine. The cab
and one box car were unhurt. OF the
others not q whole plank could be
iound, many being 50 thoroughly splin-
tered as not to be recognizable. But
beneath it all were the .poor, unfort-
| unate men.
All day and night cables were placed
around the splintered cars and they
were dragged by engines out of the
cut. 1t was most touching to see the
mothers and near relatives of the mis-
sing mon watching this search, ex-
pectlng to find the mangled corps of a
loved one with each stroke OF the
shovel as the hands banked up the
coal.
The tender was turned Immediately
on top of the engine and loaded box
car shot thirty feet over both. The
wreck of the engine was as complete
as If 1T had been purposely torn up.
Not vestage of the tender could be
found. The entire front was gone,
smokestack, wheels, trucks and every
thing excpet tho naked boiler and
| drivers.
Although the accident occurred at
3:3O, it was o'clock before relief
reached the scene.
| A negro train hand was thrown
from the cars as they camo down and
he escaped with slight injuries. A
cattleman, who had car load of cattle
aboard, was in the cab asleep and was
| '""hShSb oy UllS ouoCh, DuU WAS nOU
even scratched. These two men, with
| the assistance of some of the neigh
bors, eXtricated Conductor Will Pat
ton, who was pinioned beneath shat
| tered box car, with his leg broken, his
skull fractured and internal injuries
He was suffering intense pain and his
leg had to be amputated. There is
some hopes for him.
From the position of Conductor Pat
ton, 1t is evident that he went on top
OF the cars in the effort to work the
brakes. If he had remained in the cab
he would have escaped.
Although the work of clearing the
wreck began early Tuesday morning,
sceno at nightfall, fourteen of the
sixteen cars were still piled on the en-
glne. together with twelve car loads
OF coal and one of dead cattle. But
saddest of all was the thought that
down in that pit, beneath the debris
and wreckage, were at least five hu-
man beings and possibly seven.
The conductor was first found Then
the mangled remains of q rock mason
from Ashevillo named David Ewing,
who was on his way TO Spartanburg
and concluded to "beat his way" not
withstanding the fact that he had 81. SO
IN his pocket. He leaves q helpless
family at Asheville.
1t was a sickening sight to see the
bodies dug out in this fashion, man
gled and torn. Every effort was put
forth to get the body OF Engineer
Broom. His two brothers were there
all night long, expecting as each car
was dragged out that 1t would uncover
their precious dead. For twenty-four
hours these men watched, and while
they saw these bodies removed, and
the coat sleeves and part of the trou.
sers OF their brother at s O'Clock TO.
night although all the cars have been
taken out. there is no other trace OF
Engineer Broom.
AT $3.50 the engine was removed and
the force Of hands put to work laying
track. The first train to cross from
the Asheville side was that in charge
of Capt. Clease, and the passengers
one and all were ready to offer vote
OF thanks that their delay If delay
must come, should have been on {
train commanded by such kind and
thoughtful conductor The grade
: where the train ran away Is four miles
long and averages 100 feet to the mile
The runaway began half mile from
the top.
Let 1T be remembered in this con
nection, that Of Il the mshaps and ac
cidents incident to this 230 feet grad,
to the mile, no passenger train ha,
ever yet sustained an injury.
e.-y--y--
Some months ago the Memphis
Commercial Appeal Offered a casl