Evening star., 1903-09-28
NINE PERSONS KILLED
Horrible Wreck on Southern
Railway Yesterday.
ENGINE JUMPS TRACK
GOES DOWN EMBANKMENT DRAG
GING FIVE CARS
Company officials Unable to Explain
Cause Of Accident-Vice Presi-
dents Statement.
ENGINE JUMPS TRACK


South-bound train No. 81 of the Southern
noon at 2:3O o'clock and fell through ths
Stillhouse trestle short distance north q
Danville. Va, on the Virginia Midland di
vision of the system, and without a mo
ment's warning the entire train was pre-
eipitated to the bottom of the ravine. abou
Fifty feet deep, and practically demolished
Nine persons were killed and seven other,
were badly injured. one probably fatally.
The dead are: Engineer J. A. Broadly
Saltsville, Va; Fireman A. j. Clapp, Greens
boro', N. c.: Conductor J. Blair, Danville
Va; Mail Clerk ]. l.. Thompson. Washing
ton, D. c.: Mail Clerk s. Chambers, Md
land, Va; Mail Clerk D. T. Flory. Midland
Va: Mail Clerk P. N. Augenbright, Mount
Clinton, Va: Flagman J. s. Moody, son OF
Mail Clerk Thompson.
The injured are: Mail Clerks Louis w
Spiers, Manassas, Va; Frank E. BROOKS
charlottesville. Va: Percival 1ndenmauer
Washington; Charles E. Reames, Culpeper
Va: Jennings ]. Dunlap, Washington. d
c.: M. C. Maupin, Charlottesville. Va, and
]. Harrison Thompson. st. Luke, Va.
The train was bound for New Orleans
La, and was known the southern mai
express. 1t left Washington yesterda!
morning at o'clock, carrying local and
northern mail for southern points. 1t was
made up of four mail cars and one express
car. The run from Washington to Dan.
vile ordinarily consumes about six hours
AS No. 81 is a mail train it is required
to keep to the schedule as closely as pos
sible. Its speed yesterday was not above
the ordinary. and as 1t approached Dan
vile Engineer Broadly, who lost his life
reduced the speed to about thirty miles ar
hour, required by his orders.
Just north Of Stillhouse ravine the track
takes a sudden turn. This curve had beer
passed and the train was approaching the
trestle. When within a hundred feet from
the trestle the engine jumped the tracks
and ran along the cross-ties. AS 1t was
about to pass onto the bridge the engine
careened, striking the wooden supports OF
the bridge structure. The impact was ter
rife. Four supports each thirteen feet
long were greatly weakened and gave way
under the weight of the engine.
The engine fell through the opening. fol-
lowed by the five cars, and landed in the
mud at the bottom Of the creek. The en-
gine was partly buried by the weight OF
the cars which fell on top of 1t. Although
the engine was not badly damaged. the
cars were reduced to great mass OF
broken wood and twisted steel and iron
Wreck Takes Fire.
When the cars struck the bottom of the
ravine the mail bags from the mail cars
were torn to pieces and letters and par
cells flew in every direction. The wreck
age Immediately took fire. but the flames
were extinguished before they gained any
headway by the fire department of Dan
Vile. Va, which had been summoned
No mail, 1t is thought, was destroyed. The
contents Of the express car were scattered
about in great confusion, and were practi-
caIly destroyed.
Several thousands of people quickly gath
cred and began the rescue work The
bodies of nine persons, who had apparently
suffered instant death, were found AS
these were beyond human aid the rescuers
turned their attention to the injured. They
were quickly placed stretchers and re-
moved to the hospital at Danville. In the
meantime Superintendent Coapman and a
large force of men arrived at the scene of
the wreck from Danville The superin-
tendent took immediate charge and directed
the work of recovering the bodies The
bodies of the engineer and firemen were
found beside the engine, showing that they
had made no attempt to jump the train,
went down. The bodies of the mail clerks
were found under mail bags and other por-
tions of the debris.
Mail Clerk Spier is considered to be the
most seriously injured, and no hope is en-
tertained for his recovery. He sustained
injuries to his spine and head. All the
other clerks reported to have been hurt are
expected to recover
The Traffic Blocked.
AS soon as the rescue work had been COM
pleted Superin fndent Coapman and his
force began to clear away the wreckage,
which completely blocked traffic over that
division Of the system until this morning.
The mail sacks and loose mail were gath
cred up and placed in a secure place. All
the debris of the cars was cleared away,
but 1T was impossible to pull the engine
from the mud. While the clearing work
was in progress the trains were sent on by
way of the Norfolk and Western and the
r., F. and P. lines.
The entire damage to the trestle was re-
paired by S:45 o'clock this morning and
trains moved over it at 9:10 o'clock. The
movement of the trains during the time the
repair work was in progress was directed
by the officials of the general offices in this
city. They We're called to their offices i'm
med1ately upon the receipt of the news of
the wreck. The local officials of the COM
pany are at an utter loss to determine the
cause of the wreck, but say this will be re-
vealed when the engine is raised They
are certain however. that the accident was
not due to fast running
Vice President Finley's Statement.
Vice President Finley of the road this af-
ternoon made public the following state
ment:
The train consisted of two postal cars
one express car and one baggage car for
the storage of mails The trestle is very
little damaged. as the train jumped the
tracks about forty feet north of the trestle
on sound track, in good line and surface
and proper gauge. The trestle was in first
class condition, and was so we'll braced that
the engine and train falling on the outside
of the curve knoked down the outside posts
and left the others standing. Eye witness
reports that the train was approaching the
trestle at rate of speed of thirty to thirty
five miles per hour. The loss of life and the
personal at ta6
The cause of the accident is being investi-
gated. The trestle Was promptly repaired
and the first train passed over it at 9:1O this
morning.
Engineer Broadly was an old employe of
the Southern railway, and served many
years on the division on which he met his
death yesterday. He was about fifty five
years of age. Mail Clerk Thompson, who is
named among the dead, was a resident of
this city. He resided at II 18th street
northeast. and WAS thirtY-siX years of age