The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-04-28
WATCH HAD STOPPED
and Crew on nuty Forty Hours Be.
fore the Wreck,
Made It Possible for the Wreok Near
st. Georges on the South
ern to Have Occurred,

Forty hours on duty without sleep.
That was the condition of the train
crew which handled the freight train
wrecked at Badham's on the morning
of April End These facts we're
Brought out Tuesday at the hearing
before the railroad commission. There
we're several witnesses examined, and
the members of the commission
questioned them closelg, particularly
Mai. Earle.
According to the evidence given be-
fore the commission, the crew had
been on duty 20 hours and 40 min.
utes without meal-without even a
sandwich, 1t was stated-when the
train arrived at KiDgville and the
crew was asked II 1t could take the
Grain on into Charleston. 1t is said,
however, that this is not condition
but a very unusual case.
Freight train No 155 left Rock
Hill at 2. AS on the afternoon of March
81, although the crew had been called
at IL o'clock and had been ON duty
about three hours before the train
started. The train was II hours late
getting to Camden, reaching that
place at 3 a. m. After shifting at
Camden for three hours the train was
delayed on account OF being run into
by train on the Northwestern rail
road, which necessitated quite a long
wait. 1t was 05 p. m, April l be-
fore the train reached Kipgville, after
having been out from Rock Hill over
"a hours, and the crew had been on
duty 20 hours.
At Kingville the members of the
crew were asked by the train dis
patcher at Charleston II they felt like
taking the train on into Charleston.
AS it was Saturday afternoon and
they wanted TO spend Sunday in
Charleston, and as the train had
been delayed many hours already and
their declining to take 1t into Charles.
ton mighJ cause the freight to lie
over until Monday morning at King
Vile, the crew decided to go on with
it. At Kingville they got something
| to cat for the first time since leaving
Rock Hill. But 1t was not until IL
p. m. that the train pulled out of
Kingville.
Arriving at Orangeburg the mem
bers OF the crew we're asked by the
operator at that Office II they could 20
on to Charleston, and they replied
that they would. This was also the
answer to the inquiry from the opera
tor at Branchville. When the latter
operator asked the conductor where
he would pass the passenger train,
the latter replied at ST. George he
thought.
The collision with westbound pas
senger No Is occurred one and one
half miles west OF ST. George between
4:30 and 4:4O a. m Conductor
Stanley said yesterday that he had
thought that the trains would meet
at r evesville, two miles west OF
Badham.
J According to his account, when the
freight struck the switch at Reeves
Vile and went on by, he locked at his
watch and saw that even If the pas
seuger were five minutes late the
freight C uld not make B,dhan
which Is a mile west OF ST. George.
Accordingly he sprang oub OF the cat
10 flag the engineer. There were 39
cars on the train, and the two last
we're not supplied with airbrakes
When he had climbed over these he
came upon II 1t car loaded with all
kinds OF debiiS, and before he cculd
pick his way over the car the collision
came. 1t was foggS morning and
tie two trans C.uld not seo each
other, it seems.
The passenger train had no orders
to look out for the extra freight, it
was stated yesterday, and the extra
freight. knowing the passenger S
schedule, was not given very definite
Instructions as to the passenger, bur
had careful orders to watch out fur
the passenger train from Columb bia
which was following. The passengcv
train was three minutes late, show.
ing that had the engineers watch
been right he would have stopped at
Reevesville.
Those who lost their lives were
L. M. Conlon, engineer of the pas
senger A. II. Reed, engineer of the
freight John Adams and Thomas
Johnson, cOlorcd tiremen Of the pas
senger and the freight respectively !;
81. II. Stokes, white brakeman of the
extra freight. Engineer Reed did
not die Immediately, and before
death admitted that his watch was
half an hour slow. Had his watch
been correct 1t Is probable that there
never would have been any collision,
for he would have been forewarned,
but no doubt he thought be bad
plenty of time to make ST. George
when he looked at his watch.
Conductor Stanley and Engineer
Reed compared watches at Kingvi lie,
and there was but ten seconds differ
ence In the time. But when the con-
ductor went to the dying engineer
and looked at his watch he saw that
1t was half an hour slow. There is
no way to account for this exec Of
that the watch stopped In the engi
neers pocket, and he was too tired 10
observe it, but afterwards wound IL
mechanically without removing 1t
from his pocket. The loss of time
was % minutes.
Among the witnesses examined yes.
terday were Supt Heether OF the
Charleston division; Conductor Stan
ley OF the ill-fated freight; @. II. Mar
low, the tlagman of the regular pas
seneer; @ II. Mallard, baggagemaster,
who was the first to reach Engineer
Reed, and the following operators.
Landlord Of K'Dgvllle, Hair Of Branch
Vile, Agnew Of Charleston and Izlar