The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-13
TUESDAY. OCTOBER 10.
PECULIAR WRECKS on THE


Accidents on the Southern railroad
continue. and 1t is having some pc
cuIiar ones OF this kind one occurred
at Lexington Wednesday night and
one at Greensboro Friday night Both
were caused by carelessness of en-
pIoyes. The Lexington disaster, in
which thirteen airs were wrecked,
was the most peculiar one We remem-
Der ever reading of, and was caused
solely by a fiagman losing his head.
when there was no occasion for him
or any one else to make a mental ex-
ertion or raise a finger. and rushing
an engine at full speed into the side
of a moving freight train. The Green's
boro Telegram gives the following ac-
count of this accident:
1T was an Inflated engine that
brought No. % into this city from the
north Wednesday night. The engine
was damaged very little in the wreck
north OF this city, but the extent of
the damage was such that it was nee
essary to send the engine to Spencer.
After all the passenger trains had
passed on Wednesday night d crew
was put on the engine and it was
started to Spencer to be repaired. All
went we'll until Lexington was reach
ed There the engine was placed or
the side track to let a freight train
pass and but for the foolish action Of
Il fiaSman the engine might have
reached Spencer in safety.
when the freight passed the engine
at Lexington the engineer was at the
station and only a f1agman and a ne
gro fireman were on it. The fiagman,
it is said. when he saw the freight
passing thought his own engine was
moving and caught hold of the
throttle. The engine was standing
perfectly still and the throttle closed.
The flagman in his excitement thought
the throttle was open and instead of
closing it pulled it wide open. With
n crash the partially disabled engine
dashed into the side of the freight
train wrecking thirteen cars and also
damaging the engine badly. Seven OF
the cars were said to have been com
pletely destroyed.
THE 1agman on the engine was not
injured, but the fireman, JOIN Sales,
got an arm broken.
at was about three o'clock yester-
day morning when the accident oc-
CURED and nOthbOund passenger train
No. S due to arrive here n few min
utes after seven did not reach here
until after ten o'clock. 1t was then
necessary to pull track several feet
from the regular road bed and make
a temporary track. When the engine
dashed out OF the side track on the
main line it struck the freight just
about i'm the center. Only the pilot OF
the engine was torn off when it left
here. but it is said TO have been bad
~ battered and broken up in the sec
Ond wreck. The same engineer. it is
said. was on the engine in both of the
wrecks"
II Greensboro accident was caused.
as Friday nights dispatches an
nOunced. by explosion of dynamite in
cars. the result of too great cOncus-
sion of box cars in shifting. \ spe-
cial to The News and Observer gives
a fuller account of this wreck as fol-
lows:
Greensboro. y. C. October 9.-Three
terrific explosions at 10 o'clock tonight
threw the citv into alarm. for build
ings everywhere rocked as if the power
of an earthquake was directing the
blow.
1.-The fire alarm located the disaster
on the shifting yards of the Southern
railway in the heart of town. near the
passenger station. In shifting box
cars loaded with all kinds of mer-
chandise Il box of dynamite in one
car was exploded by the ConcuSsion OF
their meeting. 4 second explosion fol-
lowed in q car three lengths ahead,
and a third explosion in one two
lengths removed from the second. The
three cars were shattered like glass.
the other merchandise taking fire
a number of cars on the various
tracks then caught fire. but ut the
peril of their lives from other pos
sible explosions of oil tanks. powder.
cartridges. or more dynamite. the fire
men rushed in. and the railroad force
separated cars - fast rs possible and
prevented a general cOntla grafton Of
the large freight offices and wholesale
buildings.
Five cars LOADED with al kinds OF
merchandise We're totally consumed.
Seven cars and contents We're badly
damaged and the tracks burned in
many places. Rv II o'clock the fire
was under control, there being no per-
sonal casualty"
Il does seem as if there should be
some law regarding the shipping by
rail Of such a dangerous commodity
as dynamite. 1t should not be allowed
TO be transported in ordinary box cars
along with other freight and with
those in charge of the train knowing
nothing Of the deadly contents of the
ears they are handling. At least there
should be sneciaI rules governing run
ming of trains which carry such
freight.