The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-21
THE INJURED IN
SOUTHERN WRECK
Victims of Rotten Ties Di-
saster Improving.
THE ROAD is CONDEMNED
Visitors to the Scene Of The Wreck Speak Of III
Criminal Negligence Which Threatened
the Lives Of The Trembling
Public,

The vitims Of the wreck caused by rot
ten ties on the Southern Railway Tues
day evening were all doing well last night
with the exception of Mr.. Elvin Fleming,
who was said to be not resting so easily
as he was during the day yesterday. DR..
RoysteG is not yet satisfied that he has
not sustained some internal injury Mr..
Fleming is at Mrs Clce Lees, where he
was taken Immediately after wreck.
Sheriff Sharp, of Wilson, is getting ON
splendid1y He came to himself yester-
day morning, and improved steadily all
day. He is still at the hospital
Representative Parker is also still at
the hospital, and still compelled to keep
his bed. but is much improved and rest
ing well last night. There is now no
fear of spinal injury.
The consensus of opinion yesterday even
ing among those who viewed Che scene OF
the wreck was that rotten cross-ties had
caused the rails to spread.
The ties were splintered and broken into
kindling wood, and very many of the
pieces could be crushed in the fingers, so
rotten and decayed was the wood Canes
and umbrella tips were thrust through
many of the broken pieces of cross-ties.
One gentleman said he counted two hun
dred rotten ties from where the engine
first went off the track to where it was
brought up, some two hundred yards
away.
Much indignation was expressed by citi-
zens at the scene of the wreck that the
1 company should permit track to remain
| in the condition it was.
Much praise is due to the baggage man
on the train H. G. Griffin. Although his
ear was torn and he was covered with
bruises, he never noticed himself at all,
but did all he could to help the injured,
and it was good service he did, too. Finally
last night he saw doctor, who took
several stitches in his ear and dressed
the wound.
The baggage master described his SEN
sations as follows "My first sensation
was that l felt the car off the track. l
was holding on to the rod across the bag
gage car door. For a moment / was
going to jump out. Then the car gave
tremendous lurch over to the other side
and l said to myself: IN take what
comes, so here goes and I hung on TO
the rod.
"As soon as l got out Of the car my
! first object was to see who was injured,
and if any one was killed. / found that
the rear door of the last car was iammed
and l could not get in that way. We inn
mediately battered the door in, and en-
/ tered the car to get all the passengers
cut" sHav&&
1t was Mr.. Griffin who got Mrs. Elling-
ton out of the wreck. He directed one of
the colored employees of the road to pick
her up as if she was a child and carry
her out Of the back door. Then he made
two other colored men go after the first
to steady him in case he fell. So she was
i tenderly carried out and made as com
Portable as possible until a carriage could
convey her home.
i Last night it was said. at the house
4 that she was resting easily and that DR..
i Goodwin did not consider ner condition
at all critical, although her hip was dis
located and her shoulder blade fractured.
One theory of the cause Of the wreck.
advanced by railroad men and others, is
that the new heavy locomotives that are
being used on this hne are too heavy for
the track The engine pulling the train
yesterday evening was one OF this class,
known as the "Mogul type
1 Some railroad men, however, insist that
the wheels of the locomotive simple
jumped the track, or that the fanges of
the wheels climbed the rail, in rail
road parlance.
News of the awful accident flew back to
Raleigh in an almost incredibly short time
and by all ways and in every sort Of vehi.
Gle and on foot. the people poured in great
streams to the scene of the wreck.
There raced by Mrs. Ivan Proctor in
carriage, here hurried Mrs. Lee, who had
Just been to the station with her bother
in-law, Mr.. Elvin Fleming, and seen him
'off, yonder hew as fast as hack could
go Mr.. Josephus Daniels. whose two little
boys and brother and niece we're on the
train, and many others, relatives and
friends of people known to be ON the train,
were flying to the scene. The anxiety was
intense, for the stories that came were
meagre but terrible. None knew just
what the extent of the catastrophe was,
and all feared the worst.
Many physicians hurried to the call of
lduty, Dr. Hubert Royster the surgeon Of
/ Goodwin, DR. Joseph Graham, Dr. r. S.
! McGeachy, DR.. j. w. McGee, Jr., ana
perhaps others who were not seen in the
confusion.
When the News and Observer reporter
reached the place. all was quiet save the
voice of little girl crying out in pain
and awful anxiety for her mother. There
lay the four cars, extended down the
slope Of the cut, alongside Of the track en-
bankment The three rear cars were plat
Continued on Second Page)