The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-10-23
TERRIBLE. Death.
THREE GOOD MF~ MEEF FIERY
fI,. ENDS.
A Head End Collision on tho Florida,
Central and Pcniusular Railroad.
Three Men burned While Rescue
Was lu Sight. <.

ouo ci tbe most ttFrlDie5 r8llroau
wrecks to DO recorded in South Caro-
lima occurred Wednesday morning on
the Florida Central and Peninsular
Railroad whereby three men were
burned to death and two more injured
by reason of q head end collsision
which occurred on that railroad Mt
five minutes past three O'clock on that
morning.
No. 50 running South, it appears.
was, according to orders, to meet No.
36 coming North, Mt Swansea. The
crew of No. 35 misunderstanding the
orders went past Swansea, and as the
sequel proved to death and destruc-
tieu but q few miles below that sta
tiop.
No. 35, the Southbound train, is =
connection of the Southern Railroad.
1t waits in Columb.a for the Southern
train and left yesterday morning one
hour and forty five minutes late. It
ran on orders and one of the orders
was that it should pass No SO, the up
bound train at Swansea. But the order
was misunderstood and the collision
resulted with loss of life.
AS Il result of the Misunderstanding
three men are dead, and horrible
death they met with.
From what could be lear ned the men
met death bravely and coursgeously.
Though they pleaded for their life, yet
seeing that rescue was impossible they
met their fate like men. /!
/. Whe n the trains come together the
engineers jumped and saved their
lives. The firemen did likewise aud
none of them received any injuries. /
When the two trains came into COLI
sion. running ut high rate of speed,
naturally it was case of great COLI :
sion.
The tender Of tho So1thbound train
telescoped into tho baggage and ex-
press ear and completely demolished
it. In this car were Mail Agent l.. A.
Thomas and express and baggage
agent w. d. Lines. These men were
not killed, nor indeed does it appear
that they wore fatally hurt by the col
lission, but they were shut in by the
debris so that they could not get out
The uninjured soon saw the difficulty
In which their friends were put and
the crews OF both trains soon began the
work of rescue. The flames were
rapidly spreading and the uninjured
worked with might and main. Thomas
and Lines. pinioned by baggage and
express, were not dead, but as the
flames gradually grew towards them
they piteously cried for their res
cucrs to hurry. /
These worked with might and main
and cut through the car So much as to
DO able to catch Thomas's hand. They
tried to pull him out but could not do
1t. For Gods sake save me-" the
poor man cried, but, do all they could,
the rescuers could not get him ont.
The fro was burning too fierce, and
amid the Mortified cries of Thomas
and Lines. tho rescuers had to stand
back and see them burned to death.
There could be no more horrible thing
than that-for friend to see another
slowly roast to death. The fire was
beyond control then, but the crew
never wavered in it's attempt to save
other property. With all their work
the baggage and express car, the mol
car and the second-class passenger cor
we're destroyed.
Flagman Ulmer was standing be.
tween the second class car and the
baggage car. He has not been !ourd
and is supposed to be buried in the
burncd debris.
The NortEhound train was not badly
| Injured except tho demolition of the
engine. AS soon as the collision oc-
Cured Mr.. l.. G. Farmer, express
| agent, jumped. He received an in
Inry OF the leg, but nothing serious
With him was n man named Price,
who was making his first run. He
jumped with Mr.. Farmer and received
bad break in the back of the neck,
but nothing serious resulted.
So far as can be learned the acci-
dent was owing to Misunderstanding
of the orders of tho crew of No. 35, or
the Sonthbound train. 1t appears that
they received the word "Swanscu" for
Sweden" and went passed the first
named station, and thus the collision
occurred. From what can be learned
the Sonthbound crew is ut fault for tho
collision. Conductor Taylor aud En-
gineer Petit seem to be responsible
for this Misunderstanding of orders.
Conductor Perkins son and Engineer
} Bell seemed to be running according
TO orders.
Fireman Nickle tells thrilling
story OF the death OF Messenger Lines.
AS soon as the accident occurred Fire
man Mickle rushed to the rescue OF
those who were ahout to be killed. He
went to the rescue OF Lines and
Thomas. He found Lines alive and
he cut his way to him, but could not
save his friend. the fire. bainp too hot