The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-02

Charlotte, n. c., September 27.-While
running at a high rate of speed, No. 81.
the Southern railways southbound fast
mail train, Jumped from a trestle IS feet /
high, half a mile north of Danville, Va, |
this afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, and was
almost demolished. OF the crew Of six
teen men on the train, nine were killed |
and seven injured.
The dead are: Engineer j.. A. Broadly, |
of Saltville, Va; Fireman Clapp, white |
Conductor J. T. Blair, of Danville. Va; |
and Mail Clerks ]. l.. Thompson, Of
Washington; w. I. Chambers. of Mid
land, Va; D.. 7. Flory, of N~okesville, |
Va; P. N. Ardanright, of Noun Clin- |
ton. Va; Flagman S. j. Moody of Raj |
leigh, and a boy u years old the son
lof j.. L. Thompson.
The express messenger, w. F. Pinck-
lney, escaped uninjured.
The injured are: Mail Clerks Louis
NV. SpierS, Manassas, Va; Frank E.
Brooks, Charlottesville, Va; Percival
l1ndenmauer, Washington: Charles E.
lReames, Culpepper, va; Jennings J.
dunlap, Washington; M. G. Mauphin,
charlottesville, Va, and J. Harrison
Thompson, st. Luke, Va. All Of the in
Ijured men are seriously hurt and have
lbeen carried to the hospital in Dan
willie. The recovery or Mail Clerk
lSpiers is not expected, and other clerks
lare thought to have received mortal in
l~juries.
The trestle where the accident oc-
lcurred is 500 feet long, and is on a
lsharn curve. Engineer Brodie was a
lna~E-1 ~ ~ ~ {ho ry,cs of %ho So,,fh
fern. n it is said that he came to the
lcurve at a very high rate Of speed.
The engine had gone only about fifty
fleet on the trestle when it sprang from
tine track, carrying with it four mail
cars and an express car. The t~restle,
a wooden structure, also gave way for
a space of fifty feet,
At the foot of the treStle is a shallow
Ibranch with a rock bottom. Striking
this the engine and the cars were re-
lduced to a mass Of twisted iron and
steel and pieces of splintered wood. AS
1.-THE cars went down they touched the
lSideS of the Riverside Cotton Mill,
(which is very close to the ~trestle.
All the dead men were killed instant
lily, it is thought, and all were greatly
mutilated. The skin and hair on the
engineer and fireman were torn off by
the impact Of the steam from the en-
lgine.
Several thousand people We're soon a.
the scene of the wreck and rescued the
lbOdieS from the rebris. No one on any
iof the cars had made an effort to jump
and the bodies of all those killed were
found in the wreckage of the different
cars to which they belonged. Ladies
lwho drove out to the wreck from Dan
willie tainted at the sight of the bodies,
Some of which were crushed to a ghast-
lily degree.
1t seemed miraculous that anyone
should have escaped, for each car fall
ing with the engine bounded from it
and completely collapsed after striking
the rocks at the foot of the ~trestle. All
the express in the express cars was
practically destroyed, except six crates
full of canar birds. None of the birds
Iwere hurt. though the crates were III
the thickest of the debris.
All unofficial opinions that have been
iascertained agree in giving only one
Icause for the high speed
lof the train on the sharp curve. No.
lSI was running about an hour behind
time and it is thought that the en-
Iglneer, being unfamiliar with the road
Ibid not take into consideration the dan
ger of coming on the curve with such
lgreat velocity.
The mail bags in an the mail cars
were torn open and the letters and
packages We're scattered, but it is be-
Ilieved none is lost. Fire which appear
ed in the wreckage shortly after it oc-
lcurred was quickly extinguished by the
IDanville fire department..
In loss of life this is one of the most
serious wrecks that has occurred on
the Southern: and it is the third time
that the fast mail has been almost en-
Itirely demolished Within the last
twelve months the same train ran into
q large rock on the track near Lex
lington, n. c.. the engine was ruined,
ICars We're Quilted and several lives were
Host. A few months ago the fast mail
Istruck a freight train head-on near this
:, lcitv and was again almost demolished.
On account of the wreck all traffic on
the central and northern divisions or
the Southern will be affected. 1t Will
take several days to repair the dam
=. lage to the trestle. The Southern is ar
:, ranging to run it's southbound trains
lover the Norfolk and Western from
IL~ynchburg via Burksville to Danville:
new trains being made up at that
Iplace.
The Inflated train was the regular
mail train which carried mail from
eastern points to the west and south
west. coming over the Southern rail
way from Washington to Atlanta. No
: passengers were carried on the train
between these two points, the train be-
ing made up Of an express car and
three or four mail cars.
The time card of the train calls for a
fast schedule. and stops are only made
flor a change of engines.
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
Washington. September 2S.-Vice
president Finley. of the Southern rail-
way. today made the following state
, lment regarding the accident to train
;, mo. 81, in the vicinity of Danville yes
lterday:
1.-THE train consisted of two postal
lcars, one express car, and one baggage