The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-01-24
A CARELESS ENGINEER.
A FREIGHT TRAIN DASHES INTO A
VESTlBUlE TRAIN.

sengers Injured Ia the Wreck-Mirscu'
ious ESQ ape from Death.
CoLUN1B A, S. c., Jan. l8.-The dis
obedience OF instructions and the infringe
ment of the State law by railroad engi-
neer yesterday morning at 1888 o'c.ocS
caused railroad wreck that was only
by some miraculous intervention pre-
vented from crushing the lives out ol
many passengers. The engineer Jumped
before the result of his deed was known
to him, for he knew that under the cir
cumstauces car load Of people must
be crushed to death, and the last seen
Of him be was making his way across a
corn field and leaving for parts unknown
II was just at the hour named that
the south bound Washington Vestlbule
limited tram from Charlotte to Coluu.
bia, running forty minutes behind her
schedule, while crossing the Seaboard
Air Lin track at the Chester crossing,
Just north of the Chester depot, was
struck at right angles by freight train
on the Seaboard road running at right
angles to her, and the tail end Pullman
sleeping car, containing thirteen sleep
ing people, was wrecked.
The news Of the accident was tele-
graphed to Columbia and Charlotte Gas
soon as possible, and relief trains were
sent out from this point. The number
OF wounded and injured were exagger.
ated at first, but even when, later IN
the day, the facts became known, it
was found that six persons had sus-
tanned painful injuries. Fortunately,
the accident occurred right al Chester,
and the Richmond and DanV!lle Rail-
road Company's physician, DR.. DeVaga,
was soon on the scene, taking care OF
the wounded.
ALI the passengers on the vestioaie
train who we're awake say thai the train
stopped at the crossing before reaching
| it, as lis required by law. The two roacs
cross in deep cuts. When the passen-
ger engineer, A. E. Williamson, started
of again, to proceed across the other
track, he opened his engine up aud
started off at rapid rate. AS bis loco,
motive came to the cross cut, ne saw the
headlight of another locomotive bearing
directly down upon his trai1, the train
evidently moving at thirty miles au hour.
In order to try and save the lives of the
passengers on bis train, ne jerked his
throttle wide open and endeavored to
clear the coming train. He was literal.
lily flying, but he could not clear the
other track, as his train was long. The
last sleeping Car just had its toward
trucks upon the cross track
when the freight hit it. The
car was moving SO fast and
was so solid that the freight engine did
not crash through, but was turned round
and ran up the Richmond and DauVille
track 10 the direction the vestbule was
going tor some distance. The Pullman
car was broken loose from the rest of
the train and knocked way up on the
Fembankmeat, where it rested on It's
side, badly crushed and smashed. Had
the coach been an ordinary light day
coach, the. freight enelle would have
gone through 1t. and the loss of life
would have been terrible.
ALI the glass n the Pullman car was
smashed, and the tumbled inmates Of
the car, all of whom were asleep when
the crash came, awoke In all kinds Of
positions aud among broken glass and
splinters. The veshbule train was.in
charge of Conductor T. W. Prltchard.
Mr.. Thomas Cothran OF Greenville,
was one Of the passengers. His escape
from instant death was miraculous.
He was sleeping in the berth which
was located just where the freight en-
gine strucd the car. He awoke in a
shower of splinters aid glass.
The list of the injured, as obtained
officially is as follows:
Mrs. F. II. Speers, Pittsburg, Pa,
slight scalp wound.
J.H. Hoffman, New York, wrist
burned.
Mrs. NJ. E. McCarty, Washington, D.
c., elbows burned.
&. D. ,MeLarty, Washington, D. c.,
slightly burned
J.T. Wilson, Pittsburg. Pa, back
hurt.
Pullman Car Conductyr Davis head
slightly bruised.
The injured passengers are being
cared for at Chester by the r. & D.
railroad.
The track was cleared by 3 o'clock
yesterday afternoon, and the running
of trains on regular schedule time has
been resumed.
Some of the employees of the Sea-
board Air L,ne freight say that their
engineer, when he saw the passeser
train crossing the track ahead, reversed
his engnie and did all he could to stop.
Then he jumped, as did the condutor.
From all that can be ascertained, The
freight made no effort to stop at the
crossing, as it is required to do. The
facts seem to be that the engineer was
running behind time. Hs had exactly
two minutes and half to make bis meet
ing point ct the next station, over mile
away, get into q sidetrack and let the
fast passenger Of tie Seaboard Air Line
pass. He knew the schedule of the
vestibule, and knew that she ought to
have passed the crossing iorty minutes
before. Rather than stop and lose his
position by send;Og out hagmau to
wave down tie Seaboard Air Line train,
be took the chances, and began TO run
for the meeting point without paying any
attention TO the requirements in regard
| to stopping at crossings. Nine hundred
and ninets .pine times out OF thousand
be would have gotten through all right.
This seems 10 be the oaly explanation
OF the cause of the accident. It is the
theory, based on what facts they can
get, Of all the railroad men at this point,
and the fight Of Eagiueer Gray seems
TO sustain it.-State.
| 4 Western Horror.
SPOKANE, Wash, Jan. l6.-Au ava.
lauche of snow came dom the noun
tains at Ma.lan. Idaho, carrying every
thing before It. Several miners cabins