The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-18
CAR RUNS into OPEN DRAW.
AT LEAST THIRTEEN DEAD IN A
VIRGINIA HORROR.

Victims Nearly All Negro Excurs, onists
--Dozcns OF Injured in the Hospitals
There May he Moro Bodies In Sub.
merged Car-Escapes Through Roof.
NORFOLK, Va, Aug. T.-An excursion
train from Kingston. N. c., for Norfolk
over the Atlantic Coast Line, with 100 pas
sengers aboard, ran into an open draw at
the point where the road crosses the eastern
branch Of the Elizabeth River, some five
miles from Norfolk, at 1920 o'clock this
afternoon. .
The first car OF the train, which passengers
agree was filed with people, dived head
first into the draw. which does not exceed
forty feet in width. 1t struck the center
pier and thus displa oed portion OF the roof.
Through this small hole the. half dozen
or 80 persons who escaped drowning
crawled.
The others, as the car stood uptilted,
rolled down into the lower end which was
submerged, and, struggling and fighting
for life, were drowned. Ate o'clock to- might
the number Of dead is not yet known here.
These bodies have been taken from the car:
w. E. Jolly, promoter Of the excursion;
jolly Young, Nancy Purvis. Rossen PEBBLES,
Sidney Thomas David Smith, Mary Jones,
John Marble Weber Ford, Jack Atkinson
Celia Mabery and two unidentified men.
The first two named are white. the others
negroes. Engineer Reigs and 80 negroes
who were injured in the wreck have been
brought to the hospitals here.
A wrecldng crew Is at work tonight
removing bodies from the front car. and
Norfolk County Magistrate Rodman, Is
there prepared to hold an inquest upon the
dead. After nightfall the body Of an un-
identified color9d woman was hanging
half out OF the partially submerged car.
Office OF the superintendent Of the railway
here and purporting to come from him
from the scene grossly understated the
number OF dead and were disputed upon
the arrival here Of tugs sent out to bring
the survivors and the wounded here These
car, said that the car was filled with pas
senxers and expressed the belief that the
dead numbered fifty or more. The nara
tors were negroes, however, and terror
stricken.
Thirteen doctors were sent out to. the
wreck by the company and twenty others
went there to assist. .
Frank Mabry, a young negro, was asked
in the hospital II any we're dead in the
was drowned. ne bho~eu that Cho H8nC
lapel Of his heavy coat was torn of and said
that when he tried to crawl through the
roof Of tho almost submerged car his mother
chung to him, but he shook her of her
death grip carrying away the tough cloth.
Those who escaped from this car swan
about In the river until rescued
The cause OF the accident has not yet
been officially announced. The fireman
Of the train. Alfred Cooper, said that Engi-
neer Reigs, who was making his first run
over the line, was running the train only
about fifteen or twenty miles an hour,
that he apparently did not see the open draw
until close upon It. He then jumped,
ordering the fireman to do the same. The
fireman said that when he pulled Reigs
out OF the water and believed that he was
about to die, the eng ineer said that his
addns signal Was White
when it should have been red
train following the wrecked one closely
had aJ0 white persons aboard II arrived
here safely after reports had !. that It and
not the one with the colored people aboard
people was ahead Of the other train, but
was delayed by about fifteen minutes,
causing the negro excursionists to be sent
c. 81. Morris, conductor of the train.
before reaching the bridge, whether the
draw be open or closed. 7This ia one was
not. he said. "The responsibility for the
accident should be obvious I have moth
ing moro to say.
II is a weird scene tonight, at the draw
bridge, where the dead are being taken
from the wreck. Locomotive headlights
are used to brighten the spot Nearly all
aboard the train lived at Kinston. N. C., or
on the line between that town and Norfolk.
The search for bodies has practically
ceased for the night. The Merritt Wreck
ing Company viii raise the sunken cars
tomorrow. Then and only then will the
number Of tho dead be known. The num-