The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-12-05
Ashes and Twisted Iron.
Columbia State, Nov. /.

The Slate yesterday morning gave all
the details possible concerning the terri
BILE accident which befell the night fast
mail train on the South Carolina and
Georgia road, while en- route from Char
lesion to this city, just about mile be-
low Kingville, station about thirty
miles below Columb bia. But the half was
not told. All that now remains of the
handsome train, which was flying along
the track about 9:45 o'clock on Thanks
giving night, Is little pile of ashes and
some twisted steel and iron. The wreck,
strange as it may seem, entails loss of
$75, 900 on the railroad company. There
was one coach on the train-the first class
car-which was worth $4,000, being the
finest that the company possessed. It
seems q miracle that not a single life
was lost, when the circumstances are con-
sidered. The ugliest feature of the whole
affair is that the wreck was the result of
deliberate attempt on the part of some
fend to throw the train down an en-
the road, for the accident was due to an
open switch, and it was soon discovered
that the switch had not only been thrown
open, but had been wedged SO that it
would remain open.
The place where the accident occurred
was Just where the ''Y" turns off from
the main line leading to the Camden
branch. Just at this point is the highest
embankment on the line of the road. The
train, in charge of Conductor Speisigger
and Engineer Heap, was speeding along
here at the rate of thirty miles an hour,
there being good load of passengers
aboard the frst-class car. The engineer
is very careful man. The engine hit
the open switch and flew the track. It
ran along the cross ties about 25 yards
and then keeled over, rolling down the
embankment and turning completely
down close to his seat and stuck to his
box. That was all that saved his life,
for the combination mail and express
came down on the engine, the xpress
end crushing through the top of the cab
and resting against the firebox, while
the rest was high in the air. The COM
bination baggage and second.class coach
ran half way down, but rested against a
telegraph pole and stopped. The first
class coach was derailed and the air.
brakes falling suddenly by the severance
of the pipes, the lives of the passengers
were thereby saved. Those in the first
class car sprang to the door to see flames
issuing from the cars down the embank-
ment andfspreadng with remarkable ra-
pidity. They had caught from the fire.
box and overturned stoYes. All sought
Immediately for heinjured. All breath
ed easier when they found that the engi-
neer had crawled out with but few
scratches, through hole in his cab, that
Express Messenger j. M. Collins was all
right, and that ali the other occupants of
the forward cars had escaped unhurt.
The express messenger went back into
the burning car and pulled out his safe
and what bundles he could. The rest
was all destroyed. ALL the baggage and
effects were saved. All of the contents
of the mail car was saved. In very few
moments the flames had spread over all
the cars and it was but very little
while before the entire train was destroy
ad