The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-10-01
TRAIN FALLS FROM
HIGH TRESTLE
Nine Killed and Seven Injured in
Disaster on Southern Railway.
VICTIMS HORRIBLY MUTILATED

Charlotte, N. u, sept ZS.-W nlle
running at high rate of speed, train
No. 81, on the Southern railway, the
southbound fast mail train, jumped
from a trestle rs feet high, half mile
north of Danville, Va, and was almost
demolished. OF the crew of 16 men,
including mail carriers, on the train,
nine we're killed and seven injured.
The dead are: Engineer Ia. Broadly,
SaItsville, Va; Fireman Clarence
White. Conductor Tom Blair Danvile,
va: J. L. Thompson. Washington,
n c.: W. T. Chambers. Midland, Va;
D. T. Flory, Nolesville. Va; P. n.
Ardanwright. Mount Clinton, Va;
Flasman A. C. Clapp, Greensboro, ~.
c and boy named Thompson.
The injured are: Mail Clerk Louis
W SYicrs. Manassas, Va; Frank +,
Brooks. Charlottesville, Va; Percival
Indanmaur. Washington, d. c.; Charles
F.. Reamos, Culpcpper Va; Jennings
J. Dunlap, Washington. d. c.; NJ. c.
Naupin. Charlottesville, Va; J. Harri-
son Thompson. st. Luke, Va.
All Of the injured men are seri.
ously hurt ard have been taken to the
hospital in Danyille, The recovery Of
Mail Clerk Spiers is not expected, and
other clerks are thought to have re
ceiyed mortal injuries.
The trestln where the accident oc-
Cured is 800 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 a very high rate Of
speed
The engine had gone only about 80
feet on the trestle when it sprang
from the track, carrying with it four
mail cars and an express car. The
trestlc. a wooden structure, also gave
way for a space of so feet.
At the foot OF the trestle Is shallow
stream, with rocky bottom. Striking
this. the engine and cars were reduced
TO a mass of twisted iron and steel and
pieces of spliHtered wood. AS the
cars went down they touched the
sides of the Riverside Cotton Mill,
which is very close to the trestle.
All the dead men were killed in
stantly, it 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 an effort
to jump, and the b, dies of all those
killed were found in NE wreckage of
the different cars to which they be-
longed. Ladies who drove out to the
wreck from Danville tainted at the
sight of the bodies, some of which
we're crushed to a CHASTITY degree. 1t
seemed miraculous that any one should
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. All un-
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.
u 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 it is be-
lieyed that none were lost. Fire, which
appeared in the wreckage shortly af.
ter it occurred, was quickly extin-
sT'sLed by the Danville fire depart.
ment.