The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-14
WRECK ON THE SOUTHERN
Train Plunges at High Speed From
Trestle Into a Stream.
MAIL COACHES ARE DEMOLISHED

Ont Of Crew Of Sixteen half Score
We're Killed and the Others Injured
Locomotive and Cars, Dashed Upon
Rocks, Crushed Into Pieces-Tragic
Scenes Attended the Accident.
Charlotte, N. C.-While running at a
high rate Of speed train No. 81, on
the Southern Railway, the south
bound fast mail train, jumped from a
trestle seventy-fve feet high, half a
nile north of Danville, Va, and was
almost demolished. OF the crew of
sixteen men, including mail carriers,
on the train, nine were killed and
seven injured.
The dead are: J. A. Broadly, Of Salts.
Vile. Va, engine driver; A. G. Clapp,
of Greensboro. NC, fireman; J. T..
Blair, of Danville, Va, conductor, and
]. L. Thompson, of Washington, D. c.;
W. T. Chambers, Of Midland, Va; D.
T. Florry, of Nokesville, Va; P. N.
Ardanwright, Mount Clinton, Va, mail
clerks; a fagman named s. ]. Moody,
of Raleigh, N. c., and boy Of twelve
years, son Of J. L. Thompson. The ex-
press messenger, w. F. Pinkney, re-
mained uninjured.
The injured are: Louis W. Spiers,
Manassas, Va; Frank E. Brooks,
Charlottesville, Va; Percival Inden-
mauer, Washington; Charles E..
Reames, Culpeper, Va; Jennings J..
Dunlap, Washington, D. c.; NJ. G..
Maupin, Charlottesville, Va, and J..
Harrison Thompson, st. Luke, Va,
mail clerks.
All of the injured men arc seriously
hurt and have been taken to the hos
pital in Danville. The recovery Of
Spiers Is not expected and other clerks
are thought to have received fatal in
juries.
The trestle where the accident took
place is 500 feet long, and is located on
q sharp curve. Brodie, the engine dri-
yer, was a new man on that division
Of the Southern, and it Is said he went
to the curve at high rate of speed.
The engine had gone only about fifty
feet on the trestle when it sprang from
the track, carrying with it four mail
cars and an express car. The trestle,
q wooden structure, also gave way for
a space Of fifty feet.
At the foot Of the trestle is a shall
low stream with rocky bottom. Strik.
ing this the engine and the cars were
reduced to q mass of twisted iron and
steel and pieces of wood. AS the cars
went down they hit the sides Of the
Riverside Cotton Mill, which is very
closato the trestle.
Several thousand persons were soon
at the scene Of the wreck. No one on
any Of the cars had made an effort to
Jump, and the bodies of all those killed
were found in the wreckage of the diff
ferent cars to which they belonged.
Women who drove to the wreck from
Danville tainted at the sight Of the
bodies. 1t seemed miraculous that any
one should have escaped death, for
every car completely collapsed after
striking the rocks at the foot Of the
restle. The express matter in the eX-
press car was practically destroyed
except six crates of cananry birds.
NOue VI luc Dlluo NOS uul L, luOuSu lue
crates were in the thickest of the de.
bris.
All unofficial opinions agree in giving
only one cause for the wreck-the high
speed Of the train on the sharp curve.
The train was running about an hour
behind time. 1t is believed that tile
engine driver, being unfamiliar with
the road, did not take into considera'
ton the danger Of coming on the curve
with such great velocity.
The mail bags in the mail car were
torn open and the letters and packages
were scattered. but it Is believed none
is lost. Fire, which appeared in the
wreckage shortly after the accident,
was quickly extingushed by the Dan
vile Fire Department.
In loss of life it was one of the most
serious wrecks that have taken place
on the Southern. 1t Is the third time
that fast mail has been almost en-.
tirely demolished.
The ill-fated 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 the two points, the train be-
ing made up Of an express car and
three or four mail cars.
rcacucpe pecouc moroourn