The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-03-24
ROYAL
Baking Powder
Is Most Economical
Because IT makes better
and more hea1thf11 food.
BAKING POWDER CO., YORK.
FAST TRAIN WRECKED.
The "FIorida Limited" Runs into an
Open Switch and Is Wrecked in the
Yards In Henderson.

The "Florida Limited" on the Sea-
board Air Line ran into an open
switch here about 2 O'Clock this
morning and was badly wrecked. As
a result one Pullman car burned, two
Others slightly SO at the ends nearest
the burned coach, one passenger
coach belonging to the Durham &
Northern road and two shanty cars
in ashes. Three engines are wrecked,
two of them badly so, and the other
coaches composing the fast train
more Or less injured.
Two box cars standing on the
Durham & Northern track further on
were overturned and thrown on the
main line blocking it. The switch en-
CINE was on spur track nearby and
down this the coaches went while the
engine of the fast mail took another
track leading to Poythress' coal
yard. On this elevated track is where
the greatest wreckage occurred-two
engines, two loaded coal cars, an
empty fiat all being piled up together
The combination baggage and ex-
press car Jared the worst the for
ward end being completely stove in
and shattered. Fortunately no one
was killed and the express and bag
gage agent escaped without serious
hurt.
Engineer c. w. Tucker, of the fast
train, had both legs and one arm
broken. He was found near his en-
CINE, away from the wreck, while his
fireman crawled out from the debris
with only Il slight cut on the head.
The train was in charge of Conductor
Welch and he had only Is passengers
aboard. None of the passengers were
hurt. The car that caught fire from
the overturned Durham passenger
coach and shanty cars adjacent) did
not have any passengers. Five men
were asleep in the shanty cars but no
one was hurt seriously.
HOstler Tom W. Harris and his
helper, Connie Johnson, were at
work on the Durham & Northern en-
CINE when the wreck occurred. After
the arrival of the Durham train they
did some shifting, but had not gone
out on the main line or opened the
switch thereto they contend, and had
Just placed the engine in position over
the ash pit when they were run into.
johnson was under the engine clean
ing out the fire box and Harris was
In the cab when the crash came. The
engine was completely lifted from the
track and knocked to one side, Harris
was hurled he does not know where,
and johnson was found some dis
lance away covered with ashes and
mud, and almost unrecognizable to
his friends. Harris escaped with
numerous slight scratches on the
face and a cut on the neck which had
to be sewed up. Johnson had no
bones broken but is badly hurt in
ternally.
1t was thought that both of En-
9ineer fuckers legs would have to
be cut off, one of them being broken
in five places. A special train was
made up and Tucker and Johnson
were taken to the hospital in Nor
folk. Latest information is that Mr..
fuckers legs will be saved it is
thought, but the result of Mr.. John
sons injuries can only be determined
by time.
The wreck was q terrible affair-one
of the worst in the history of the
road-and how it could have resulted
in no lives lost is a mystery. Had ii
occurred out of town beyond the
reach of the fire department the
whole train would have burned up.
Officials of the road, General Super
intendent F. X. Huger, Division
Superintendent Hix, are here today
Investigating the matter and clear
ing away the wreckage. The officials
are profoundly appreciative of TIT
work of the firemen in saving theil
property from further destruction
and as will be seen elsewhere Majo1
Huger publishes a card to this effect
The cause of the wreck is being in
vestigated and the responsibility vii
be placed if possible At first it looked
like q clear case of carlessness OF
the part of some employe, but fact
have been developed which would in
dictate the contrary. 1t is believed
by the railroad people that they cal
establish the fact that the switch wa
tempered with, either maliciously o
otherwise, by some person not in tn
employment of the Company, an
every effort is being made to detec
the guilty party.