Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-11
Mr.: eARRIs,s REPORT.

Railroad commissioner, c. w. Garris,
who investigated the situation at
Fishing creek trestle last week, has
given out report, the following syn
opsis of which was published in the
Columbia Record Of last Wednesday:
II found that the remaining trestle,
consisting Of about fifty feet, contained
unsound timber, but I did not find
more than two consecutive crossttes to
be worthless, or entirely: decayed. A
part Of the under structure I found In
"a condition Of decay. The trestle lies
along tangent where the spreading
of the rail Is quite unusual. I exam
ined all the truck wheels that I saw
and found them intact save one which
was Of the four under the front ,ef, the
engine, the. fange on one Of these was
broken off for about twenty inches,
and 1t was pointed out to me by the
superintendent that the fragments OF
this wheel were gathered up about
fifty feet to the rear Of the point
where the engine lay. The remainder
of the trestle with the cars which
were total wreck were burned before
l reached there"
After calling attention to the fact
that although the commission is requir
the 5000 miles Of railway In the state.
a thorough inspection of all these would
require all Of the time Of the COM
mission, Mr.. Garris states that 1t
would be ridiculous for the board to
attempt to guarantee the public
against accidents owing to defective
construction. Mr.. Garris In closing
says:
responsibility known to me as legal
lied one, and that Is for sufferers to
avail themselves of their right in dam
age. It would be, indeed, a poor pro-
lection to our people II the o. K Of
this commission should exempt any
railroad from the consequences Of Its
acts Of negligence.
But to return to the matter direct
ly under discussion, I must report to
you the feelings Of the people in York
county. I found 1t so intense that none
were willing to discuss. the catastrophe
that Of defective construction. I visited
the sick rooms of the wounded at Rock
Hill and found the patients wounded
in this wreck in the care Of trained
nurses and under the eye Of the best
medical talent obtainable. It was a
sight that I am sure would stir the
deepest sympathies Of the human heart.
I saw mothers by the side Of sons late
ly the pride Of their lives, but now In
the agony Of premature death; wives
at the sides Of stricken husbands, and
one and all with the choking conviction
that their loved ones were the victims
of inf1delity on the part Of trans
portation company who had promised
safe conduct.
"Of course, accidents will happen
everywhere, and so serious often as to
take the life Of some ones loved ones.
and the consequences will pass from
the memory Of all save "a loving few"
The legislature has not seen fit to con-
slider this Office with such favor as to
provide US with means to protect the
public In the smallest measure beyond
our own services. But we owe 1t to
the public to do what we can to guar
antee protection. Therefore, I recon-
mend: 1st. That We employ an expert
bridge engineer to inspect carefully the
trestles and track Of the South Caroli-
ma and Georgia Extension Railroad
company. I'd. That we summon to this
office, at the earliest possible date, the
officials Of the Southern railway direct
ly charged with this portion Of the
road, for the purpose Of making inquiry
Of them into causes Of this wreck.
3rd. That we make inquiry generally
into the operation Of the Southern rail-
way, because Of the complaint against
them, and because the tendency OF
their operation appears to minimize
local interests in the interest Of what
is commonly known as through inter-
eStS"