Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-04

stantly afterward I saw the second
class car lurch forward and downward.
Then felt my own car sinking. Invol-
unfairly I stood up and siezed the seat
in front Of me with both hands. Pres
emily there was a terrible jolt, as we
struck the ground, and I was thrown
forward and downward, but although
somewhat dazed did not lose my foot
ing. The passengers were tossed about
every -which-way for q moment, and
there was frenzied yelling and shout
ing that almost unnerved me. Just
why did I hardly know; but shout
ed out: Don't be afraid ladies and
gentlemen, 1t is all over low, and I will
take care Of every one Of you. Just
come this way got out through
that big hole in the rear Of the car, and
helped down some Of the ladies and
several men. Then I saw that there
were several men who had been knock
ed insensible, and I begged those men
that had not been hurt to assist me
with them. They paid no attention to
me, and 1 went on with the work as
best l could until help came from the
outside"
Mr.. w. A. Bolin lives near by the
trestle and was one of the first to come
to the rescue. He said: II was at my
house and was looking at it as 1t pass
ed. There was loud swapping Of tim
bers, followed by a crash, and the
whole train disappeared. I went down
Immediately to give the people such
relief as could" ALI Starnes, a Me-
gro, was also early on rhe scene. He
and Mr.. Bolin got there about the same
time and he said that so far as he was
able to see Mr.. Williford was the only
passenger who tried to help the other
passengers or who tried to help Mr.
Bolin and himself.
Mr.. Ed Turner, the conductor, was
seen at the Parish hotel about two
hours after the wreck. He said that q
lady had gotten on the train at Tirzah
and she made up his twentieth pas
senger. He had just gone into the sec
ond class coach to collect her fare, and
the crash came just as he had proceed
ed about three seats up the aisle OF
the car. He realized what had hap
pened and when he saw that he was
still alive, he began to try to get out
He succeeded, but how, he did not
know, and unable to stand he procur-
ed assistance by which he was ena-
bled to get to the track above. He
got on a dump car with one or two
others and came to Yorkville.
D. F. Dukes, expressman, says that
he was alone in his car when the train
went down. The heavy trunks were
piled all about him; but it was in such
way as to leave him space in which
he could move about. After a little
he saw a hole that looked like 1t was
about big enough to admit his body
and which he was able to crawl
through.
Mr.. w. S. Peters lives within short
distance Of the trestle and was one OF
the first to reach the scene after the
disaster. Mr.. Peters story was in ef-
feet as follows: "Mr. Wash Bolin and
I got there about the same time, as did
also Misses Emma, Nellie and Jennie
Russell and Lucy Watson. There
was also ALI Starnes, Milas Miller and
Harvey Collins. Mr.. T. L. Carroll was
lkL 20 fn
brought a crowd Of hands with him
1t is hard to describe just what took
place; but I must say that the work
of those young ladies was something
worth mentioning. 1t seemed as II
they were everywhere at once, and
while we were taking the injured out
the ladies were giving them attention
Here it was washing a face, there CIV
ing water, and there rubbing an in
jured limb. I never saw the like, ex-
cept that it was in the way a Mr.. Will
liford, a passenger, worked. He show
ed us what to do and seemed to be
two or three men in one. Whenever
he got a chance he would look to the
injured and give some poor fellow q
swallow Of whisky or water. Two or
three of the injured passengers went
away seeking their own comfort and
he cursed them as towards. I never
saw such a man. Messrs. Slaughter
Johnson and Hall were carried out of
the car insensible and for sometime We
thought the first two were dead. They
were revived through the efforts Of the
young ladies, Mr.. Wllliford and 9TH
ers Of the party"
The bodies Of the mail clerk, the en-
gineer and the fireman were among the
last recovered. The mail clerk was
completely buried In his car, and could
be gotten at only with the help Of axes.
His body was badly cut and bruised
and there was no reason to doubt that
he was killed instantly. It was the
same with the engineer and fireman.
Covered up as it was with debris from
the baggage car and broken timbers
from the trestle, the contents Of the
cab could only be guessed at; but as
nobody had seen or heard Of the es-
cape of the engineer or fireman there
was no reason for hope in their be-
half.
After scores Of willing workers had
almost exhausted themselves in their
efforts to rescue the living, DR.. A. Y.
Cartwright, who had been doing his
full share from the beginning, made a
short address in behalf of attempting
the still heavier task of moving the de-
bris about the engine; 1t was like this:
Men. there is danger that this pile of
tjr,ohar faka fire and there ia q