The Caucasian., 1897-01-07
WORK OF TRAIN WRECkERs.
A TRAin OF TINE SEAOoARD AIR LIME
SENT INTO A DITCH sY A
MISPLACED RAIL.

The Wrseh Oeesrr the Raleigh ssd
Asg.ssa Dtsissss- -Ls<ss.ssi,s ssa Care
Of freight Dssssoyed ssd girs.ass
kIiisd h,iasstiy L,i.s -
Wait sss the Ati..ts sesei.i- -n,.ss-
hessds set Upos Their yr.<As-
A frightfui wreck occurred on the
Raleigh auc Augusta division of the
Seaboard Airline, one and \ half
miles west Of Raleigh, NJ /. 80 o'clock
on the morning Of Dec. ~. 4 rail,
which had without question, been re-
moved but . few minute. before by
professional 4 train wr~ck~rs, precipl-
tated freiGh. train No. - into . deep
cut, totally wrecking ten loaded cars
and locomotive, Killing the fireman.
Alexander overly, and seriously
wounding the engineer, John Robert
son.
Seven cars and the caboo.e remain
ed on the track, thus saving from Sc
rious harm, the balance OF the train
crew, Capt Yearly, the conductor; Il.
J. Arendell, fagman and Carter and
Bryan, trainmen.
The evident intention of the wreck
ers WAS TO catch the Seaboard Air
Line Atlanta special, which was due
At about that tiUe, but this train be-
ing one hour and twenty-five minute.
late, the express freight was running
under orders on the Atlanta specials
time
Had this train been on time the loss
Of life would have been horrible 10
contemplate, as the point selected by
the wreckers was adapted 10 that end,
and the careful plans they had laid
would have resulted in q complete
wreck OF passenger train The
wreckers left crowbar and other
tools, with which they drew the
spikes and displaced the rail.
Mr.. V. +. McBee, general superin-
| tendent of the Seaboard AR Line. ar
rived in Raleigh the following morn
ing on his private car. Mr.. Melee
went out to the scene OF the wreck
soon after his arrival and spent the
larger part Of the day there. Mr.. Nc
Bee, like the other Seaboard officials,
is unable to assign any reason for the
wrecking Of the train.
Judging from the fact that there
were only two wreckers and the man.
ner in which they left the point where
the disaster occurred. il is not believ-
ed that they had robbery in view.-ss
Blood hounds were telegraphed for
and arrived in the city "Wednesday Af-
ternOon from Burlington and were i'm
mediately put on the trail. The dogs
followed the tracks in a northerly d.
rection, going through oberlin. They
went distance of two miles TO thick
piece of woods on DOdd's farm. where
the tracks, which were seventeen
hours old, were obliterated by the
rain. Further pursuit had to be given
up.
Mr.. w. b. Hartsoe, of Burlington
the owner Of the dogs, who followed
them on the trail, said that the
tracks were those of two men, and they
we're plainly visible rs far as Dodd's
woods. Mr.. Hartsoe is firmly of the
opinion that the tracks were those OF
white men. They were made by shoes
of Nos. ) and size.
The wrecking force kept constantly
at work at the scene of the disaster
The engine, which was resting hall
way down the embankment, has been
turned over. A temporary track was
built under the engine, which extend.
cd parellel with the embankment to
the top of the slope. In this way the
engine was put back on the track. The
total loss to the company is estimated
at $4,000.