The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-09-22
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

tawba Junction Wreck Which He
Was INA Night of Terror and
Thrilling Experiences Amid the
Stiffness of the Dead, the GrOans OF
the Dying and the Shrieks of the
Injured
Mr.. F. c. TOepleman has returned
from st. Louis and gives thrilling
account OF the wreck Oh the Seaboard
Air Line Railway near Catawba
Junction, S. C., which he was in, as
stated last week. He was one OF the
few passengers who escaped with
onlv slight bruises. Mr. Toepleman
was asleep in the Pullman at the
time of the accident. He was i'll the
last coach which went through the
trestle a distance of 30 feet rolling
over on one side. The first shock
awoke him and he was conscious OF
what was going on but did not real
ize the awfulness of it until some
time later. The lights in the coaches
went out and the whole train was i'll
total darkness. Mr.. Toepleman was
thrown out of his berth and found
himself standing on the side OF the
coach instead of the floor. After
cropping about for awhile he found a
window above and managed to crawl
out through the broken pane OF
glass. His vest was the only article
of clothing he could find and with
nothing on but this and his paiamas
he climbed out of the coach only to
find himself in a marsh among reeds
and briars and in water he knew not
how deep or when he would step into
the river over his head. 1t was very
dark and not light was to be had.
Amid the groans of the dying and
the calls for help from the injured the
situation can be better imagined
than described. 1t was a terrible
ordeal and one calculated to take
the nerve out of the stOutest heart.
Yet there was GOODNESS and courage
and heroism displayed which showed
the stuff that men are made OF.
Mr.. Toepleman's first thought was
to help the injured. Lights were
finally provided, help came and the
work OF rescue and relief begun.
Omitting much that might be stated
OF suffering and death and harrow
ing scenes and pathetic incident we
give the following. A reporter of the
Atlanta Constitution talked with the
conductor of the i'll fated train who
said:
eff you want to get the real story
faom the coolest man ever say in my
life" said Conductor Chapman, lust
shake han1s with Mr. +. e. Toepleman
of Henderson. n. C., and let him talk to
you, for if any one knows about it he
does. | tried to look after my passen
gers as best could, but he looked after
everybody and he might have been miles
away from the wreck as far as his actions
| were concerned, for he never lost his
presence of mind for minute"
Mr.. TOepleman was seen by the
| reporter. He paid Il tribute to the
coolheaded; timely and thoughtful
conduct of Conductor Chapman and
after relating the story of the acct
dent and the sensation produced
upon him whom- realizing what had
! occurred Mr.. Toepleman continued
Then came the cries of the injured the
| calling for help and moaning and the
sounds of awful suffering. AS soon as
was able to get out of the tangle | was
in | got out and began helping to get
the others out Of the sleeper. Then
tried to get those who We're in the day
coach just ahead out of the wreck 1,
was at this time that | remember hear
| ing the fagman, who was badly hurt
and unable to move, call out from where
he was imprisoned, For God s sake flag
Another Terrible Crash.
1t was no time before there was an
other terrible crash and the engine anG
caboose dropped On top of the wreck
| smashing the sleeper in such a way tina,
| it certainly would have killed any insid,
| if they had not been gotten out. Whe1
| the crash came | knew that no on,
could escape, but happily by this time WI
had gotten all of the passengers out o
| sleeper and most of those out of the day
| coach and these were the two cars strucl
| by the engine and cabOose.
| 81 don't believe it was until then tina
| realized that we had gone through {
trestle, for we had all been SO busy get
| ting out of the wreck Two of the ladie
were suffering untold agonies and
| thought at the time that there must b.
many who were dead and many NOR
| who were dying and that the first thin,
needed was a special carrying doctors
was still helping in the getting of thos
in the cars outside when | called ant
| asked if there was anyone who cOult
hurry back to the nearest telegraph Offic'
and wire for help, which the conducto
said was not far away.
| Then it was that a man rushed up t,
me and said that he was telegraph or
orator, but that his wife was killed.
tried to make him understand first tina
his wife was probably only hurt and il
the next place if he could get doctor o
several doctors there he would be savin,
the lives OF many people and his wifi
among them. If he could telegraph, h
must run to the nearest station and if n,
| one was there break open the door all,
call for help. | saw him or rather fel
him grope his way off in the darkness OF
his mission. | learned afterward tina
when he got to the station, his min,
was so much affected that he could no
| tell his own name. And | also learne,
that his wife was dead from a broker
| neck.
| The wait through the terrible dark
ness was something beyond description
| There seemed to be no way in which w
could help the suffering and especiall
the women, for while it was fortunat
that the lights went out and saved tn
that next train. The freight is due il