The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-17
ENGINEER BYER's FUNERAL.
Closing Scenes in brave Engineer
Life Career.

The funeral services of the late Mr..
J. r. Dyer, the engineer who was
killed near Hope Mills on Thursday in
a wreck on the Atlantic Coast Llnt
took place yesterday afternoon n I'VE
o'clock at the residence, Halifax ana
Johnston streets.
There were many friends i'm attend
ance and a profusion of beautiful flow
ers testified the esteem and love OF
these. The services were conducted
by Rev. Alfred II. Moment, pastor OF
the First Presbyterian church. Dur
ing the services the choir sang Shall
We Meet Beyond the River" and
Nearer My God to Thee" the beauti-
full solo, lone Sweetly Solemn
Thought" being sung most tenderly by
Mrs. Ernest Martin.
The interment was in the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers lot II
lakewood cemetery, and the pall-bear-
ers were Messrs. b. r. Lacy, G. II.
Beckham, d. NJ. King, b. Kountz, John
Robertson and Ernest Martin.
1t is a coincidence that the lot in
which Mr.. Dyer was buried was Sc
lected by Mr.. Dyer as one of commit
tee at the time Engineer Stuart, killed
i'm a wreck, was buried here. That
burial took place on the 23rd of May,
1903, and at that time Mr.. Dyer stated
that he desired, when his time came,
to be buried next to Mr.. Stuart. Yes
terday his remains were inferred there.
The engineers belonging to Division
339, Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers, which is located here in Raj
eigh, are very much pleased at the
way they were treated by Mr.. w. j.
Coapman, chief dispatcher of the
Southern railroad at Greensboro.
A committee went to Selma to meet
the body of their comrade, Mr.. j. r..
Dyer who was instantly killed in a
wreck on the night of the 18th at
Hope Mills, on the A. G. l.. Finding
that the train with Mr.. Byer's body
would not connect with the Southern
train for Raleigh, they wired Mr.. COap-
man and asked him to order his train
to wait MIR. Coapman at once wired
that he would hold the train, and did
so in such language that he has made
personal friends of the Seaboard Air
Line engineers to man. Just such
acts of thOughtfulness and kindness
draw men very close together and we
see in this case, the employees of COM
peting railroa lines being with each
other in kind words, and words of
praise and gratitude.
The following is a copy of the letter
sent to MIR. Coapman, the chic dis
patcher of the Southern railway at
Greensboro by the Brotherhood, under
date of yesterday, being signed by
Messrs d. M. King and B. II. Lacy,
the committee.
Dear Strive. a committee repre-
senting the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers, desire in behalf of
Oak City Division, No. 339, to express
to you our sincere appreciation at your
holding Southern train, No. 1875, for "A.
c. L. train, No. 40, at Selma on yester-
day.
when our hearts are burdened with
deep grief at the sudden death of a
loyal member, such acts of kindness,
couched in such sympathetic language,
touches us very much.
Brother j. r. Byer's death was a
great shock to us, his friends and
brothers. He was a loyal member of
the order, a sincere friend, a true ant
loving husband. and a fond father.
Your courtesy in waiting for his body
will be appreciated, not only by his
family, and by us, but also by the
great tender hearts of the public.
"These are the sentiment of the en-
tire membership of Oak City Division,
b. of l.. E.