The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-10

Details of the Wreck
That no one was killed seems L
have been one of the strange dispense
tons of chance that sometimes protecl
the victims of sudden disaster The
two cars derailed lay, one at the bot.
tom of a steep embankment, the other
with it's forward end lying in the ditch
below and the forward platform hook.
ed by the trucks TO the roadbed above
AS the cars lay after the wreck they
formed almost a right angle, the for
ward car lying almost parallel to the
track, while the rear coach extended
up and down the embankment at an
angle of quite forty-five degrees. The
sight was one which impressively in
Dictated the great force with which the
cars must have struck the, earth after
they had been thrown from the track
The heavy trucks We're buried deep In
the ground, the woodwork of the cars
was splintered, the glass in the win
dowS smashed into fragments. Within
the cars the scene was one of the
greatest confusion. Seats were scat
tered about, the floors were covered
with splinters, glass and debris. The
front coach which, from it's appear
ance. must have turned over twice i'll
it's fall, had the appearance of a
shambler. Pools of clothed blood lay
about the floors, and bloody collars,
ties and articles of clothing scattered
about testified to the injuries which
had been received by the occupants.
1t was in this car that all except three
of the injured passengers were seated.
At the Southern freight depot,
where an office and warehouse We're
transferred into temporary hospital
the scenes weer such as to shock the
oil n nd
with teeth clinched against their fain
waited grimly for their turn to come
at the hands of the four busy doctors
in attendance. While they stitched
and bandaged the bleeding scalps and
cuts of the injured passengers made
up CHASTITY scene which the large and
morbid crowd seemed thoroughly to
enjoy.
Not all the injured could be attend
ed to other than temporarily at the
improvised hospital. Some of the more
slightly injured had their wounds
dressed and continued about their af-
fairs; the more seriously injured were
given such temporary relief as possible
and then sent in carriages to Rex Hos
pital.
The most seriously injured of the
passengers are Flagman Goodwin, who
was severely injured about his head
and side, and. who was for hours in a
semi-conSciouS condition; Mr.. E. V.
Utley, who was fastened head-fore-
most by pile of tumbled seats in the
forward car; James Wilson, who suf-
fered q fractured shoulder and unde-
termined internal injuries; and James
Womack, a colored boy, who is still in
a stupOr from a heavy blow on the
head which it is thought may mean
fracture of the skull. Of these Mr..
Goodwin is being cared for at his home
in the city, while Messrs. Utley and
Wilson and the colored boy Warmack
are in Rex Hospital, as are also Bet
tie Dunstan and Meta Davis, colored.
The Moment of the Wreck.
Mr.. f. c. Furile, conductor of the
train, was standing on the rear plat
form at the moment Wehn the cars
left the track Before ne could secure
a grasp or take time to jump, the rear
coach had dived down the embank-
ment and he was thrown a distance of
fifty feet through the air, falling, how
ever, clear of the wreck and being
uninjured. Mr.. Furile,
despite the fact that he was bruised
and bleeding, Immediately started the
work of rescuing the injured passen-
gers, in which he was aided with great
spirit by the train crew, Drs. Sexton
and McCullers, and such of the pas
sengers as were in physical condition
% assist. Mr.. Furile said yesterday
hat he had gone through six wrecks,
but that he had never before seen a
crowd of passengers who recovered so
quickly from the excitement and who
had acted so courageously and calmly
in the work of rescue.
An amusing incident related by Mr..
Furile is in connection with Bette
Dunston, a colored woman, whose fare
he had just collected at the time the
cars went overheard. Mr.. Furile had
scarcely picked himself up after his
fall when he was approached by Bet
tie. whose face and head were bruised
and bleeding: "Mr. Murile.' said she
'Ah wants NAH five cents change"
Mr.. Jas. Gattis, the engineer acted
with great presence of mind. Feeling
the wrench when the cars slipped
from the track, he looked back and
saw that the two coaches had broken
away and were bearing down the steep
grade upon the engine. He threw
open his throttle to avoid a collision,
the engine jumping ahead and run
ming across the trestle at the bottom
of the valley. 1t was this quick fore
sight only that probably prevctl tied
the loss of several lives
Cause OF the Wreck.
The cause of the wreck is still a
matter of some mystery, although the
most probable explanation is that the
rails spread. This is the stated opin-
ion of Mr.. Kicks, the superintendent
of the Raleigh and Cape Fear, who i.
in charge during the absence of Pres
ident Jno. Mills. An the other hand
employees of the Southern Railroad
are stating that the wreck was caused
by defective flange on a wheel of
the rear truck of the faceward
which, having worn off too
permitted the wheels to drop
into the track. When a reporter visi-
ted the scene yesterday morning the
track had been already repaired, but
there was an appearance of the ties,
and spikes, which Indicated that the
rails had spread, although an exami-
nation of the f1ange in question
showed that it was greatly worn down
its thickness having been reduced
by the constant wear by at least
quarter of an inch.
Although he would make no state'i
ment. it was stated yesterday on good
authority that Mr.. Smell the Southern
roadmaster, went over the track yes
terday morning on his hand-car and
that the rails spread and LETT the