The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1904-09-13
WORK OF WRECKERS
FrlghtfuI Disaster 0vertakeS
Train on Seaboard.
GOES THROUGH TRESTLE
Four People Killed and Thlrty.fve
tlurt-Engne and caboose, Fol-.
lowing cIose Behind, Crash
INTO the First Wreck.

INTO the First Wreck.
A special from Portsmouth, Va,
says Shortly after o'clock Friday
morning train No Al, on the Seaboard
Air Line railroad, consisting OF an OK.
press car, a mail car, two day coaches
and q Pullman sleeper was deralled
and went through a trestle just south
Of the Catawba river, South Carolina,
and 22 miles southwest of Monroe, N.
c.. followed by the wreck of freight
engine and caboose some ten minutes
later, which tumbled in on the wreck.
age before 1t could be Ragged, result.
ing in the death Of four persons and
the injuring of thlrty-fve others.
The dead are 70. Y. Barksdale, en-.
gineer; Mrs T. F. Black, one unknown
lady and I'D Roberts, eolored, Are.
man train Al.
The majority of the injured were
colored passengers
At the Offices of the Seaboard Air
Line in Atlanta It was stated that
Immediately after the receipt of the
news of the accident special train
with wrecklng outfit and doctors start.
ed from Monroe to the scene OF the
wreck The dead and injured were
removed to Monroe.
j. M Barr, president Of the road,
said that there was evidence of ma.
licious attempt to wreck the train, q
number Of rail joints having been
found disconnected. He gave the fol.
lowing details.
President Barr's Statement.
Train No. Al was In charge Of Con
ductor Richard West and Engineer
CASTOR Mears. The wreck occurred
at the trestle just south of Catawba
river, South Carolina, and % miles
southwest OF Monroe, N. G. The en-.
CINE passed over the trestle and went
down the embankment killing the col.
ored fireman, Ed Roberts, and serious.
~ iniuring Engineer CASTOR Mears.
"A light engine and caboose, run.
ming as No 10, In charge of Conductor
Chapman and Engineer e. Y. Banks
dale, which train was passed by No.
Al short distance east Of the point
where the accident occurred, ran into
the damaged trestle and on top Of the
passenger train, resulting In the death.
of the engineer of No. 10, the fireman
OF the passenger train and Mrs. Blaok |
and an unknown lady passenger
Two Pullman employees, six rail-
way employees, one mail clerk, one
Southern Express Company employee
and twenty-three passengers we're in
jured."
The wrecked train was running
about 40 miles an hour when the tres.
tie, which is about 400 feet long, span.
ming a meadow near the Catawba rlv.
err gave way. The engine and cars
passed over, but we're drawn back.
ward into the abyss and upon the
other cars, the light engine and cab.
Dose, which was falling, piling in on
top Of the train of wreckage.
CASTOR Meares, the engineer OF the
passenger train, escaped with some
bruises and painful scalp wound.
He said that just before the engine
had swept entirely clear of the trestle
he felt II sinking, but the impetus
carried the engine and cars across ex.
cept the frst-class passenger car and
the Pullman, clear of the yawning
gulf which was left when half the
bridge collapsed, but the engine and
cars were swerved from their course
to the right, tearing the rail loose
from its fastenIngs and hurting the
entire train upside down over an EN-.
bankment to the meadow, about 80
feet below.
A scene horrible beyond description
The accounts of the survivors
are terrible. When the train went
crashing over the embankment, every
light went out, passengers were thrown
heads over heels against the sides of
The coaches, bleeding and bruised.
AS the scrambling and shouting
went on In the dark, above the noises.
brakeman, with his head half way
out a window, was heard to shout:
my Godl The freight train is com.
ng upon u.s."
In less than a minute the freight
'ngine and caboose came whlzzing
'long the tracks, struck the open
pace where the bridge had fallen AMI
'lunged its way through the passen,
Ter cars.
TREASURER LOCKED IN SAFE.
outhful Highwaymen Get Avyav \vlto