The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-09
TWO PASSENGER TR COLLIDE
NEAR GOLDSBORO.
Both Engines Were Considerably
Were Shaken Up, But None Were
Injured-FaiIure to Obey orders
tn Cause.
Especial to The MeSsenger.)

~ " iS
Southern railway had a wreck this
morning less than a half mile from the
depot. Engineer Harriss, of 107. jump
ed and sustained slight i~njuries. in the
back. Fortunately one of the passen-
gers of either train were injured. A
young man named Elmore from Mt.
Olive saw the approaching train II
jumped. He lost his gold watch.
The wreck occurred between the pas
senger train due to leave here at 1920
and the passenger train from Green's
boro, due here at 100. Both engines
were demolished considerably and were
thrown from the track. Traffic was de-
layed until 100 today. The engines
were not damaged to a very great ex-
tent. The pilots We're broken off and
the front part of the boilers were brok-
en in.
The wreck occurred at an early hour,
but in less than a half hour hundreds
of people We're on the scene. 1t was
first reported in the city hat several
passengers were injured and this aus
ed numbers of people to flock to the
scene in vehicles, hoping to render as
sistance. The place where the wreck
occurred is at the sharp curve just out
SNNO w. k11S ~ POASNO AA4AN ~
a deep cut at this point and it was i'm
possible for the engineers to see each
other until the trains were within a
few yards of each other.
There are several rumors afloat as to
the cause of the wreck and as is usual
with railroad men they refuse to talk
and it is impossible to verify or cons
tradict the rumors 1t is known, how
ever, that the incoming passenger train
had orders to meet the outgoing train
at Grants brick yard, which S just
about one mile from the city. When
this train reached the meeting place,
the crew discovered that a fire last
night at Griffin's brick yard had burn
ed the wires down. The outgoing train
had not shown up and it is supposed
that the incoming crew thought that
the outgoing crew had not received or
ders On that account. Engineer Pepper
sent his flagman out and proceeded
slowly around the curve. Passengers
who were OF the train say that the
fagman was only two telegraph poles
ahead of the engine n therefore the
engineer of 107 could not have seen the
flagman until the two engines were
right on each other.
On account of the wires being down
the crew of the train due to leave here
at 1:30 had not received OrderS at the
regular leaving time and pulled down
in front of the Hotel Kennon to load
the baggage and take on passengers.
When this had been accomplished, the
train went back again to the freight
depot to get orders. Whether or not
they got orders n be fOund out.
In a few minute the train came by the
regular starting point Without stopping
n went on down the road to the place
where the wreck occurred. While the
train was gone to the freight depot, or
ders were received over the Atlantic
Coast Lin wires by wa Of Contentnea
stating that the incoming train had or
derS to wait at Grants brick yard.
These orders were not delivered because
they were received while the train was
passing the telegraph Office. These are
the grounds for the conclusion that the
incoming crew did not comply with their
Instructions, but took it for granted
that the outgoing crew could not receive
orders on account of the wires being
down and sent out a fagman and tried
to get into the city.
There were not many passengers on
either train. Mr.. w. W. r. Simmons
n his family, of Seven Springs, was
on the outgoing train. He says that
the first intimation that he had of the
collision was from a fellow passenger
whose name he did not know. He saw
the approaching engine of the other
train and turned very pale. He settled
himself in his seat and braced himself
against the back of the seat in front Of
him. At that time the crash came and
the women and children began to
| scream. All We're shaken Up, very bad
ly and some Of the passengers were
thrown against the side of the cars.
The engineer of the incoming train
first say the other train and applied his
brakes and reversed his engine. When
the crash came. the incoming engine
was standing still and the driving
wheels were revolving backward. The
other engineer had also applied his
| brakes and reversed his engine, but the
speed at which he was running, tOgeth-
er with the momentus of the heavy
train would not permit much decrease
of speed in so short a distance.