The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-16

Lohzs community was again shocked
el4erday morning when it became
down that Mr.. Guilford F. Horne. n
LTthe most trusted and oldest employees
~ ,le Atlantic Coast Line, and a resi-
I @ht of this city had been killed in a
4. hck on the Wilmington and Weldon
tilroad a short distance north Of War
q saw. Full details could not be ascer-
dained at first and the train being the
one bound for Wilmington caused
many who were expecting relatives or
friends to come In on the train to feel
great uneasiness. This general feeling
of uneasiness was soon allayed when it
was learned that no passengers were
killed and only two or three OF them
had received any injury whatever.
The wrecked train was s~outhbound
passenger train No. IL bound from
Rocky Mount to Wilmington and due to
arrive here at 1910 a. m. The accident
occurred at S:2@~a- m. at Overman's
siding which is 1~0ut n and a half
miles north of Warsaw. The train was
running on time and is supposed to
have been going at a speed of about
80 miles per hour.
T Little did Engineer Horne realize as
his train glided swiftly down the long
stretch of track just north of Warsaw
that in a few seconds he would meet
death. Hundreds of times had ne pass
cd along this road with his hand on the
Throttle and his keen eyes on the track
IN front OF him. For a third OF a CEN
fury he had guided the iron monster
owe the Wilmington and Weldon road
and had seen engines change from the
-crudest lind to what seems almost per-
lection. The veteran engineer no doubt
felt that quiet sense of ease that comes
to a man when he is doing something
that he has done hundreds of times be-
fore and knows all the while that he is
e. doing his duty.
Suddenly the engineer, whose mind
must ever be or the alert, felt his en-
sgine lurch and in an instant the throt-
tie was closed and the emergency brake
applied, but too late. The mighty engine
leaped from the rails and rolled down
an embankment on the right side Of
me track. Inc HAL ID lOIlO" liS
same course as the engine and also
landed at the foot Of the embankment
and was lying on one side. The tender
had broken loose from the engine when
the wreck occurred and was further
down the track, also a wreck. All the
Test of the train consisting of a second
and first class car and a Pullman car
remained on the embankment. The
cA 49, s0oon6 ofo &C
cars were buried in the ground, nearly
up to the floor of the cars, but only
the front trucks of the sleeper were off
of the track.
What one minute was a rapidly NOV
ing train in perfect order, the next min
ute was motionless and the mighty en-
CINE lying PROSTATE in the mud. Two
lives in this short space of time had
been dashed into eternity. Engineer
Horne and his colored fireman, Sterling
Cheek, of Rocky Mount. were bott
thrown from the cab when the engine
went off of the embankment and then
crushed bodies were found under the
mail car
Immediately after the wreck occurred
the passengers and the other member:
OF the crew aHghted from the train t.
see OF what assistance they could be Il
those whu they knew must be injured
No trace o. the engineer and fireman
could at first Be found Postal Clerl
r J. Hollingsw0rth soon emerged IRON
his car and although he was apparentl.
uninjured. soon after he reached tn
hotel at Warsaw, where he was carried
and the nervous excitement had worl
off. he realized that he was injured an
it is feared that he may have been in
te1nally injured. Martha series an
Movers Williams, two negroes fror
Rowden, who were in the second elias
car were slightly injured. but no h
passengers were hurt.
WRECKING TRAINS ARRIVE.
Messages were sent from Warsaw t.
Wilmington and South Rocky Noun
and it was only a short TIM
until the wrecking trains were at -
scene of the accident. The wreckins
train left Wilmington within nou
from h time the message was receiv
ed notifying the officials OF the wrecl
General Superintendent Royal went 81
the train, accompanied by DR.. Prld
Thomas, the company's surgeon, to IN
scene of the wreck. The first nm
done after reaching the wreck, was Z
get out the bodies of the dead eng1nee
and fireman. After about two hour
work the dead body of Engineer Horn
was taken from under the ma car. hi
body was fearfully mutilated- He ha'
received a blow IN the top of the hea'