The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-30
KNEW IT TOO LATE
Tried to Stop Train With a
Telephone Message.
Train Dispatcher Knsw if Seaboard Trains Met
Without Seeing a Wreck Was Abs--
Iutely Certain.

Had there been a telegraph station open
between yass and Southern Pines the
terrible accident on the Seaboard on
morning might have been averted.
Stewart, with his light nglne reached
Vass. having passed the northbound pas
senger tram 3S before reaching II and
at VaSs took the siding While No. 5, the
northbound fast freight rushed by. He
may have taken this for No. ., the local
freight. or have entirely forgotten that No.
Is was coming his way on schedule time
with the rlght-of-way.
Stewart was running without orders
and was expected to avoid all schedule
trains. 1t Is reported that he told the
operator at Vass that he could reach
Southern Pines before he met &C, the
passenger for Richmond, and that another
train was behind him and pushing aim.
It is evident that he had no idea that
there was a train leaving Southern Pines
Just before he pulled out from Vass.
Stewart made no mention OF No. 6, the
cperator at Vass recalls, and was gone IN
a hurry. The operator gave the train
dispatcher in Raleigh word that Stewart
had left Vass at 1902 and just before
that word from Southern Pines came that
No. 6 had left that point at 10 O'Clock.
The train dispatcher knew at once what
that meant, and this was that the trains
must be stopped, or that II they did not
see each other In time before they met
a wreck was certain.
There is only a temporary WIRE at
Niagara, and there was no one there to
order the first train IN to stop and get
out of the way. There was telephone
connection, however, and an attempt was
made to get a message through on that.
but it was too late.
The only hope was that either Engln-
; eer Wall or Engineer Stewart, or some OF
the crew, might see the other train be-
fore it was too late. But here fate was
against this, for the fatal COLLISION oc-
Cured in a cut on a curve, the engines
being right at each other before either
was seen by the other. Then came the
crash and death to four.
It was 1912 when the COLLISION took
place. Stewart had run ten minutes from
Vass and Wall had come twelve minutes
from Southern Pines. At either point
telegraph instruments were clicking III
frantic haste telling of the impending ca
tastrophe, but between these two points
there was no little instrument at work
to save the Inflated men.
UUJl lH6 I1tWS CdlAC CHlb liLN
been a collision the momens were those
of suspense in the train dispatchers' office
in Raleigh. and at the offices in Southern
! Pines and Vass, from which the two
trains. flying at each other along the long
lines Of steel, had pulled out, with the
men aboard all unconscious OF the terror
that lay ahead.
The wreck had not been cleared AVA
yesterday, but enough of this had been
moved to get out the body Of Charts
Brewer, which was taken to Sanford. 4
Temporary track of twenty five yards has
been built around the wreck IN the cut
and over this the trains are passing.
No. "a, going north, was the first tran
to pass after the wreck. 1t reached Raj
eigh at 4:3O yesterday morning and met
mo. 81 going south here.
Fireman Wright was reported as get
ting along well yesterday. His escare
was miraculous and he has but few bruises
and sears to show he was in the terrible
catastrophe.