The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-09-29
TRAIN DROPS 70 FEET
Fast Mail on Southern Railway
Wrecked on High Trestle.
NINE DEAD AND SEVEN INJURED
While Running at High Speed Engine
Jumped Track and Carried Five
Cars With It-Bodies Of Victims
Crushed to CHASTITY Degree.

Charlotte, n. c., Sept. 2S.-While
running at high rate OF speed. train
No 81, on the Southern railway, the
south-bound fast mail train, jumped
from a trestle IS feet high. half mile
north of Danville, va. and was almost
demolished. OF the crew of l6 nen,
including mail carriers. on the train.
nine were killed and seven injured.
The dead are; Engineer J. A. Broadly.
Saltsville, Va, Fireman Clarence
White. Conductor Tom Blair. Danville,
Va: J. l.. Thompson. Washington
D. c.; w. T. Chambers. Midland. Va
ID. T. Flory. Nokesville. Va; p. n.
Ardanwright. Mount Clinton. Va;
Flagman A. G. Clapp. Greensboro, n.
c.. and a boy named Thompson.
The injured are Mail Clerk Louis
W. Spiers. Manassas. Va, Frank Il
Brooks. Charlottesville. Va; Perciyal
Indenmaur. Washington. d. c.. Charles
E. Reames. Culpepper Va; Jennings
]. Dunlap, Washington, ID. C.; NJ. [.
Maupin. Charlottesville. Va: J. Harri'
son Thompson ST Luke. Va.
All of the injured men are seri-
ously hurt and have been taken TO the
hospital in Daaville The recovery of
Mail Clerk Spiers is not expected. and
other clerks are thought to have re-
ceiyed mortal injuries.
The trestle where the accident oc-
Cured is 500 feet long and is located
on sharp curve. Engineer Broadly
was a new man on that division OF
the Southern. and it is said he came
to the curve at very high rate OF
speed.
The engine had gone only about 90
feet on the trestle when 1t sprans
from the track. carrying with IL four
mail cars and an express car. The
trestle. wooden structure. also gave
way for a space of 80 feet.
At the foot OF the trestle is a shallow
stream. with a rocky bottom. Striking
this. the engine and cars were reduced
to mass of twisted iron and steel and
pieces OF splintered wood. As the
cars went down they touched the
sides of the Riverside Cotton Mil,
which is very close 10 the trestle.
All the dead men were killed In
stantly. II is thought, and all were
greatly mutilated The skin and hair
on the engineer and fireman were torn
OF by the impact of the steam engine.
Several thousand people were soon
At the scene Of the wreck. No one
on any of the cars had made ali EFFORT
to lump. and the bodies OF all those
killed were found in the wreckage OF
the different cars to which they be-
longed. Ladies' who drove out to the
wreck from DanviIle tainted az the
sight OF the bodies, some OF which
were crushed to a CHASTITY degree. IL
seemed miraculous that any one should
have escaped. for each car falling
with the engine bounded from II 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 All I'M
Official opinions that have been ascer-
tanned 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 broken open and the letters and
packages were scattered. but II is be
lieved that none were lost. Fire. which
appeared in the wreckage shortly al
ter II occurred. was quickly extin-
guished by the Danyille fire depart
ment