The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-10-21
BURNED ALIVE.
TIE FEARFUL DEATH OF BAGGAGE
MASTER LINES.

An Appalling Disaster on the South Bound
Railroad Near Columbia Wednesday,
Caused by AN Engineer Misunderstand-
ing His Orders.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Oct. 15.-In quite
desolate looking spot near Swansea
within few yards of the mile post
marking the distance of % miles from
Columbis, in the early hours Of yes,
terday morning two ponderous nogul
locomotives, pulling fast trains, the
ore from the north, the other from
the south, exercising all their great
motive power, made greater by the
momentum, like the maddered bulls
If Spain, crashed into one another.
The sound awakened people residing
in the town half mile away. Imme,
diately following the crash came the
sound of Kissing steam mingled with
the cries and means of the injured.
But worse was to come. Those who
escaped from the Inflated trains, crop
ing in the dark, soon saw flames be.
gin to break forth from the mass Of
WI eckage, casting a glare over the
scene of destruction and then came the
pitiful appeal ''for God sake, some
hcdy save me-" It was the voice of
Baggagemaster Lines OF the South.
bound train. He was uainjured, but
was pinned fast in his burning car.
No human efforts were of any avail
In saving his life. The horror-strick-
en- passengers and trainmen were
forced to stand to one side and see him
burned alive-see his left arm burned
In two, the lower half dropping before
death came and he sank down to be-
come charred mass. AS a net re
suit CT the horror three men were
burned up completely, their remains
1lling about a half peck measure and
consisting merely of whitened pieces
of bones, while the Florida Central
apd Peninsular system sustains loss
of about SIS, 900 on its rolling stock,
lae express and baggage. OF course
Cd, but none seriously.
The death of the baggagemaster was
one Of the most horrible on record in
this State. And, strange as it may
sound, the casualty was caused by
one of the most careful conductors
and one OF the most experienced and
expert engineers in South Carolina
nistakiog the train order reading
Sweden" for Swansea. The engi-
neers and 6remen of both trains had
only 8 moment to act when the crisis
came. Both trains came out of curve
cut directly upon one another. Both
engineers applied the emergency
brakes and reversed their engines;
then they and their fremen jumped
out into the darkness. They went
down, down, down. It was fully 35
feet to the ground at the foot of the
high embankment between the two
curves. Neither OF the four men were
seriously injured. Their escape was
miraculous.
The wreck proved to be one of the
worst that ever occurred in this State.
~%Both the trains were what are known
as Flyers, and they meyer lose
moments time. The locomotives were
twin Rogers moguls, which were or
dered especially for the handling of
the fast trains, and were exhibited at
the Atlantis exposition. They had 19
inch cylinders and had 6-foot driving
wheels. All that remains of the wreck
at present are these two locomotives.
They are still On the track, but one IS
buried several feet into the other, the
boiler of the latter being stretched and
spread like the mouth of a lead pipe.
0f course the machinery has been rip
ped from both engines. The iron mon
sters are alone upon the top of the
embaukment, all else having been
either burned up, moved away or has
been reduced to ashes and twisted iron.
I went to the scene of the wreck with
Railroad Commissioner Thomas on
special, and herewith I give 3 hasty
sketch of the iron combatants as they
stand. Mir. Thomas states that the
wreck is the outcome of gross careless.
ness and the railroad commissioner
will proceed to investigate and punish
the guilty parties to the fullest extent
of the law.
The following were killed and their
bodies cremated:
William B. Lines of Jacksonville,
Fla, baggagemaster.
j. E. Ulmer, a native of Michigan,
aagman.
L, A. Thomas of Tennessee, mail
agent.
Conductor Perkuson of train Sc,
knee hurt slightly.
Express Messenger Farmer of train
,3e, leg severely sprained by jumping.
Engineer Bell of train SO, back
Wrerched in jumping.
Baggagemaster Palmer of train SO,
painfully injured about side and face.
Extra Express Messenger Price Of
train Sc, painful cut about neck and
back wrenched.
kiah Dent of Columbia, fireman Of
lrain SO, leg badly sprained in jump
ing.
Charles Michael, colored, of Colum-
bia, fireman train Sc, leg sprained in
iumping.
Several others were more or less
haken up, but no one else was in
.jured.
OF the killed but little is known
here. Mr.. Lines had a brother, it is
saio, living in Georgia, and mother
and TWO sisters living in Jacksonville.
Mr.. Ulmer mas been engaged in rail
road work in this section for quite a
tine. He had been in several wrecks
before. Practically nothing is known
of Mr.. Thomas in Columbia.
Train 35, which should have left
Columbia at 81 a. NJ, for Jackson
vile did not get away until 2:lS, as is
shown by the register at the dispatch
er's office. Train So should have
reached here at 4:55 a. 10. It was
about 4;20 that the startling intelli.
gence came into the dispatcher's office.
Immediately a special train was made
up, Southern switch engine being
used and DR.. Earle was walked up.