The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-16
THE HOPE MILLS WRECK
THRILLING DESCRIPTION BY A PAS
.SENGER ON THE TRAIN
President Meserve, OF shaw Univer-
sfty, Describes the Sensation, and
Gives a Graphic Accountofthe Awful
Calamity-He Proposes a Monument
for Engineer Frank MCGOWAN and
subscribes $50 Towards 1t.

seneer on train No. 7S, which was Will
fuIIv if not maliciously, wrecked on
hast Saturday at noon at Hope Mills,
on the Atlantic Coast Line, seven miles
from Fayetteville. President MeServe
arrived in Raleigh Sunday and yester-
days News and Observer contains the
following thrilling account of the dis
aster as related by him:
AT 11:15 a. m. last Saturday L TOOK
the ~northbound Coast Line express
train at Elrod en route to Raleigh AS
/ entered the passenger coach L recog-
nized Rev. S. j. Porter, pastor OF the
First Baptist church of Fayetteville,
and took a sea- by his side. We had
been chatting about th~ree-quarters OF
an hour when there came succession
of shocks, a slackening of the speed of
the train, and finally after a shock Sc
verer than the others u a came TO
a ~standstill. The few seconds thas
elapsed between the first shock and the
stopping of the train seemed ages.
There was a heavy strain upon our
car, and it seemed as though it would
be snapped asunder and the heavy
Pullman car in the rear come upon and
crush us. a kind Providence, however,
was with us, and no one in the car re-
ceiVed even the slightest injury.
Just as soon as the car stopped 1
rushed out and ran forward, and saw
ait a glance lit was a disaster of great
magnitude. The engine and the three
orWar cars were badly wrecked.
There was a terrible noise of escaping
steam. and my first thought was for
the enginee and fireman The accI-
dent occurred on a curve in a deep cut,
and there was no assistance or any
kind that could be rendered except by
the train men and passengers. The
engine Law bottom up and turned so
that the forward end of the boiler was
lying towards the rear of the train.
The pilot, both ~sylinders, headlight
s~moke-Stack, Sand-boX, bell, steam
dome, whistle and cab were entirely
gone. The forward car, which was a
postal, was badly broke up and one
en- dthrown up on the high bank.
The baggage car, which came next, and
then the express car, were also thrown
from their trucks and badly used up:
Captain Howell, who has been for
twenty-three years r~ailroading and
who never before had a person injured
on his train. took charge of the relief
party and was calm, cool and self-coi-
lected. Rarely would you find a man
under the trying circumstances so self
possessed. He was not III n least
ratified, and should receive from the
railroad company a hearty
for his coolneSs and good judgment
Frank MCGOWAN was the engineer, and
Marion B~rockenton, colored, the fire
man; both live in Florence, y {. n
SIdnCG dI lit "ISCh leu US ~ 10VA 10y
much in doubt about finding the en-
gineeer and fireman alive. Presently
there was discovered almost an in
describable mass of humanity. 1t was
piled out of the ruins, II proved 10
be the engineer, who was terribly in
jured. There were several cuts about
tn had. and his collar bone, left Shout
der blade and several ribs were broken.
He was in great agony and covered
with sand, mud and blood. As no phy-
stefan was on the train he was placed
by sympathetic hands upon mattresses
taken from the Pullman car, and COW
cred with blankets. The passengers
did everything that could possibly be
done in dressing his wounds and trying
to make him comfortable.
ut was found that the freman's
head was badly injured and his right
leg broken below the knee. He was
also tenderly cared for, and when the
relief train came from Fayetteville l.
few hours later, both the engineers and
fireman were taken in charge by DR..
McGougan and removed to Fayette-
willie. The engineer died from his in
juries at 8 o'clock Sunday morning.
The fireman is doing we'll, and in a few
weeks will entirely recover. Much
credit is due the local physicians from
Hope Mills who came as o as they
We're summoned.
Two of the mail clerks were injured
somewhat, and one of the lady passen-
gers in the Pullman car had her head
bruised by the sudden stopping OF the
train. Had it not been for the GOODNESS
and bravery of Engineer MCGOWAN 1t Is
more than probable that the loss OF life
would have been large. and those who
escaped with their lives crippled fol-
life.
THE accident was caused by some
miscreant tying with d handkerchief a
railroad spike to one of the rails. When
+hz opoina Strr1oE the SniRp II was chi
in two and the engine derailed. The To-
connective ran five or six hundred feet
along the ties, then turned aside and
plunged into the bank and the cars de-
tached from the engine rushed on fol-
a few rods and hen were badly smash
ed. The engineer could have jumped
and probably saved his life, but he
he stuck to his post. calmly, cody and
bravely, applied the air-brakeS and
gradually reduced the speed before the
final shock came. and thereby saved
the passengers behind him from death
or mutilation-
1T was n of the worst wrecks hat
L have ever seen and, as I looked 1t
over, / could but motive h a protec-
ton, at such a trying time, the modern
coupler and buffer on the platform of
passenger coaches afford. Everything
was done by the railroad company
that possibly could De done 10 contri-
butte to the comfort of the wounded
and to properly care Tor ana Ior"aru
the belated passengers. The company
was in no wise responsible for the acct
dent. and al once had the Cumberland
county bloodhounds put upon the track
of the miscreant. although without
success. He is known. however, n if
nc yet apprehended. will soon be in the
clutches of the law.
Franz McGowan'S calmness and
bravery, air brakes and the perfection
of modern passenger coach construction
saved our lives. I understand that the
engineer, who leaves a widow and two
children-one IL years and the other Is
years of age. carried heavy life inSur-
ance, and those dependent upon him
will be we'll care for. 1 learn also that
the fireman, who had been running
with Engineed MCGOWAN for nine
y years. has a sick wife with a child IS
DAYS old. He himself is a man Of good
character. / believe every passenger
on the train will be glad to contribute
IN a Suhstantial memorial 20 Frank