Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-10-03
PLUNGES OVER TRESTLE|
Engineer, Fireman, Conductor, Mail
Clerks Killed.
NINE DEAD AND SEVEN INJURED.
Fast Mail and Express From New York for
New Orleans, Raining at High Speed,
Jumps the Track on Tres!Ic Over Creek
Near DanviIle, Va, AMI Locomotive and
-Four Cars Fall IS Feet Iuto the Water.

Charlotte, N. C. Especially While
running at high rate of speed train No.
81, on the Southern railway, the south
bound mail, one of the fastest regular
trains in the world. jumped from tres
tie Is feet high half mile north of
Danville, Va, and was almost de-
nolisl1ed. OF the crew of 10 men. in
Guiding postal clerks, on the train, 9
were killed and 7 injured
The express messenger, w. F. Pinkey
was the only person Oil the train that es-
capped uninjurcd.
All of the injured men are seriously
hurt and have been taken to the hospital
in Danville. The recovery OF Mail Clerk
Spies is not expected, and other clerks
are thought to have received mortal III
juries.
The trestle where the accident occur
red is 500 feet long and is located OH a
sharp curve. Engineer Broadly was a
new man on that division of the South
ern, and it is said he came to the curve
at very high rate of speed.
The engine had gone only about 50
feet OH the trestle when it sprang from
the track, carrying with it four mail cars
and an express car. The trestle, a
wooden structure, also gave way for a
space of so feet.
AT the foot of the trestle is shallow
cream with a rocky bottom. Striking
this the engine and the cars were re-
dtlced to a mass of twisted iron and steel
and pieces of srlintered wood. AS the
cars went down they touched the sides
of the Riverside cotton mill, which is
very close to the trestle.
All the men on the death list above
were killed instantly. it is thought, and
their bodies were mutilated by the fall.
The skin and hair OF tho engineer and
fireman were torn off by the impact of
the steam engine.
Several thousand persons from Dan
vile went to the scene Of the wreck sool
after it occurerd. No one OH any OF the
cars had made an effort to jump and
the bodies of all those killed were found
in the wrcckage of the different cars to
which they belonged. Ladies who drove
out to the wreck from Danville tainted
at the sight of the bodies, some of which
were crushed to a CHASTITY degree 1t
seemed miraculous that any living being
could have escaped. for each car falling
with the engine bounded from it and
completely collapsed after striking the
rocks at the foot of the trestle.
All the express matter in the express
car was practically destroyed, except six
crates full of canary birds. None of the
birds was hurt, though the crates were
in the thickest of the debris.
Unofficial opinions agree in giving
only one cause for the wreck-the high
speed of the train on the sharp curve.
Train No. 81 was running about an hour
behind time. 1t is thought that the
engineer, being unfamiliar with the road,
did not take into consideration the dan
ger of coming on the curve with such
great velocity.
The mail bags in all the mail cars were
torn open and the letters and Packages
were scattered. but it is believed none is
lest. Fire which appeared in the wreck
age shortly after it occurred was quickly
extirguished by the Danviile Fire De-
partnlert.
In loss of life this is one of the most
serious wrecks that has occurred on the
Southern, and it is the third time that
the fast mail has been almost entirely
demolished. 1t will probable take sew
eral days to repair the damage to the
treetle