Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-10-02
Nine KILLED
near DANVILLE
In Wreck on the Southern Railway
Fast Mail Train Jumped
Track on TrestIe
SEVEN OF THE TRAIN CREW ESCAPED
Engine and Four Cars Plunged Sew
enty-hve Feet to Water Below.
Train Was Running at Fast
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Train No. 81, operating between New
York and New Orleans, the fastest
train on the Southern railway was
wrecked just outside of the city limits
of Danville, Va, on September q. The
train left the track just as the engine
was entering upon high trestle that
spans creek north of that city. The
trestle is on a steep grade and curve.
1t is supposed definite information be-
ling unavailable on account of the death
| of the engineer and conductor) that
| the train was running at an unusually
high rate of speed, and that the flange
on the wheel of the engine broke when
the curve was struck.
| The engine, followed by three mail
and one express, ran somes distance
on the trestle, plunging along the cross
ties, and falling seventy-five feet to the
water below.
| Of the sixteen men who composed the
train crew, nine were killed and seven
hurt.
Engineer J. A. Broadey, of Saltville,
was found some distance from the en-
lgine, and lying in the water of the
Icreek, dead.
| ]. Thomas Blair, of Spencer, N. c.,
1.-THE conductor, was also killed. His
body was among the first to be recov-
cred from the wreck.
The dead among the railway mail
clerks are.
i w. S. CHAMBERS, of Midland.
JOHN L. THOMPSON, of Washing
ton, D. c., clerk in charge.
| d. p. FLOkY, of Stokesville.
| P. M. ARGENBRIGHT, of Mt Clin-
ton.
| FIREMAN KNAPP.
| An unknown fiagman.
| Railway Postal Clerk Lewis W.
Spies, of Manassas; Frank G. Brooks
of Charlottesville; Percival Inder-
lmauer offs Washington; Charles E.
Reains,s of Gulpeper; Jennings J. Dun
lap, of washington N. G. Maupin OF
| Charlottesville, and ]. Harrison Thomp-
son, Of St. Luke, were seriously in
jured.
The scene itself baffied description.
| All of the coaches were piled one
upon another in the utmost confusion.
All of the cars except on were battered
| Into kindling; The engine itself was
buried in the bottom of the creek. The
one car that remained on the track
| broke through the trestle at the final
plung, making gasping hole, and de
laying traffic on the road.
| 1t is said that the engineer on the
doomed train was running mail trail
for the first time.
There were many eye witnesses tt
the tragedy. The track at this poin
| is lined with houses on. either side, an
women and children in many instance
: were sitting on their porches when tn
) wreck occurred. Many of them stat
l THAT their attention was attracted t
t the train by the high rate Of speed a
e which the train was running.
e Two small children were playing TN
der the trestle at the time of the wrecl
The heavy train plunged to its de
struction within few feet of then
They were both thrown down an
!. somewhat bruised, but not seriously in
Ijured
Mail clerks of the Richmond an
h Charlottesville division, and from IN
y Greensboro and Atlanta division, Wer
i sent in on special trains to assist i
: rescuing the mail. The mail pouche
d were considerably torn and scattered
It but the mail was in fairly good con
! dition. considering the magnitude Q
d the wreck.
The express matter suffered mos
It This matter was almost torn to piece,
e Among the express good were sewers
i crates of canaries. These birds wei
it not at all injured and were Singh
g when taken from under the wrecke
y car
e The railway official are unable to al
!. count for the accident, except on til