The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-26
A RAILROAD SMASHUP
Disaster OH Seaboard in
Edge of Raleigh,
Three Negroes Were Slightly Hurt. Engine and
A Number of Freight Cars Were
Torn Up.

There was a tumble of cars about five
o'clock yesterday morning, when Sea
board Air Line freight engine smashed
into the caboose of the train ahead and
made splinters of FIVE cars.
No one was killed, but three negroes
on the train were injured, none of them
very seriously The engineer and ire
man on the engine that did the smashing,
jumped before the collision came and
escaped injury.
The wreck took place in the edge of
the city limits at the northwest gate
to the States Prison, and in the collision
part of the stockade fence at the gate
was broken down, the bottom of the
eaboose being hurled by the impact of
the train straight at the fence.
The accident was caused by extra No.
csc. i'm charge of Engineer Walter Hard
ing ana Conductor VIII Eatman. which
ran into the rear of No. 6, local freight
train in charge of Conductor Gibbs and
Engineer Garrett. freight in advance
of the local had come into the flock.
and No. 6 was Just entering it, near the
switch leading to Johnston street, when
The collision came.
The engine struck the caboose, tore it
into splinters and smashed up four cars
ahead. AS it struck it Iurched up over
the trucks of the cabooSe and drove for
ward with them some distance, looking
exactly as if it had tried to play leap
frog and had been left on the top of the
jump. In the impact the engine swerved
over and twisted itself across part of
the Southern Railway track, completely
blocking traffic on both the Seaboard and
Southern tracks. The rails were torn
up. and part Of them lay fiat on the side.
Thousands of people visited the scene
during the morning, and the vicinity
looked as if a big camp meeting was
going on, people coming on foot, on
horseback, on bicycles in wagons and
in buggies, while the street cars did a
landonice business.
The engine was badly smashed. The
pilot was torn off and the headlight was
gone, while the cab was splintered and
out of shape. Along the track there was
the debris from the smashed cars.
IL is reported that when Engineer
Harding saw the train ahead that he
put on the air brakes, but that they
would not work. 1t was said last night
that an examination showed that the
rubber tubes had been cut in number
of places.
The men injured were all negroes.
Henry Edwards, of Keyser who claims
to have been a section hand at Aberdeen
and was on his way here to work for
the Seaboard, was cut on the left thigh
and hip. Arthur Williams, of Greenville,
claiming 10 be train hand, was hurt on
the left shoulder and the top of his head.
De Simmons, of Carey, an old man, who
pedGies brush broom and white clay,
was the worse hurt, his injuries being
on the left shoulder and cut on the
side of the face near his left eye. All
three Of the men were on a fiat car
loaded with lumber, and were thrown off
mixed up with the lumber. Simmons
was cared for in tie States Prison, and
the others taken to Rex Hospital. DR..
J. Il. Rogers, the Seaboard physician,
was quickly on the spot after the wreck
and cared Tor the injured.
No train passed till after one O'Clock,
when the Southern, due here at 1913
passed, going east. the disabled engine
being pulled off the track, and lowered
to a temporary track. 1t was later put
on the Seaboard rails and hauled in by
another engine. In the afternoon the
wreckage was cleared away and trans
Z passed.