Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1903-08-15
SOuthern's Fast Nail Goes into An
Open Switch Near GastOna, n G
FOUR PERSONS WERE INJURED
Indications That Switch Was opened
BY Some One whose Purpose Was
to Wreck the Train.

mile north OF Gastonia, the engine
and tender and the mail car were a.
most demolished. three other cars
we're deraiied. and four persons we're
injured. These are:
Engineer Zeb Black. OF Spartanburg.
5 c.. who Is badly scaldcd on the
back.
Fireman 81 Earle. OF spartanourg.
$ c.. who is slightly scalded and
bruised.
Postal Clerk o. n. Burchdeld. Of At /
lanfa. Ca. wao is deeply cut and |
bruised about the head and Is internal ,
ly injured.
Postal Clerk ". A. sharpe. % Green
vile. 5. c.. who received cuts on ths
head and had his leg broken
II seems certain that No. 80 vas
wrecked by some person or persons
unknown. who threw the switch and
then extinguished the red light of
or danger.
When the accident occurred 40. IS
was running at high speed on sharp
down grade. Engineer Black states
that ne realized his proximity 90 the
switch OF the sidetrack % the Ozark
/ Mil and .gas conscious that no light
was presented at the switch. Usually
a white light. Sighting safety is
shown az the switch and had been
seen by The crew OF 80. 40. the south
ern's northbound passenger train.
which had passed The switch only a
short while before the accident. but
the engineer on 30. 35. not seeing the
red signal displayed and being conf
dent that this would De the case IN The
switch had been turned. went ahead az
FUN speed and did not know his dan
ger until Re- was already on the side
track.
Before the engineer could apply th'
brakes or make any other movement
the wreck had occurred. The engineer
and fireman were hurled 40 feet from
the engine. and their escape from
death is cosidcred miraculous. ThN
bursting of the boiler. which almos
Immediately followed the derauinE @
/ the engine. caused both men 90 D.
, slalded either Just at the time the
{ ! were hurled from tho engine OF afte
! / they lay In the field close 90 the wreck
! age
, The engine. running for . car lengt
! on the silctrack. jumped the track an
/ came 90 the earth. n mass % twiste
iron ana steel in the depression b'
; tween the main line and siding.
The mail car was Quilted and sphr
tered by its violent impact against Oh
3 engine. Che express car ran over OBJ
d mail ear and iay beside the engine
af. D Mruf
y second class coaches were derall
Z The two Pullmans remained on @
track
T. Passengers on tho train were hurl
here and there in the ears and son
: were pretty badly shaken up. b
10 none were seriously injured. Tn
B, felt the cars shiver just as IL the q
r. gine had struck some heavy body al
e thcn followed The loud crash or d'
roar The cars ran only few fe
IN after the accident occurred.
= Glasses in most ~ the ears Ne
: broken and the lights went out. ,
ding 10 the terror ~ the pass nge
10 Passengers iu most 81 the cars We
'ni able 20 get out without diIhcul
OK though the occupants of the seco
as class coach had TO climb through
windows.
N The engineer and hreman a
e. Postal Clerk Sharpe were found
~. once. but il was some minutes hef'
in the searching party saw Postal Gle
49, Rurchheld who Law under the deor
OF the mail car This car was IKE
=" broken egg she'll. the flooring q
-.- ceiling being iammed together a
IL turned 10 bits OF wood Under all Z
n lay MT Rurchheld. and IL was
di- minutes before the relief party co
'as ! bring him out from the broken Z
ITS ! Der. His escape. also. was miraculo
- He can give no clear account OF W
,ht occurred. He felt the crash and q
p. went down under the wreckage.
ID ing SO protected. however. by
- weight above him that be was
o., lleved from the pressure that m
i'h have come when the express
his shot through and beyond the debri:
ne, the postal car
the Mr.. w. +. Marshall. editor OF
ex- GastOnia Gazette. stated that
had been out 20 the scene OF
,re wreck and had made an invcstigat
=, and ne was assured that No. IS
-. been deliberately wrecked. RE
broken stones by the side Of the Il
indicated that some one had bro
des open the lock of the switch and
en- thrown it. When the switch
thrown the white light which IL
cry played was turned around and the
orm | light was shown. Then the man
He ! wrecked the train put out the
low light. and the death-trap was ready
No | its victims.
5rm Four Negro Children Burned
cam Spartanburg > c.. Special