The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-18
A TERRIBLE DISASTER
The Reports as to the Number Killed
and Injured are Conflicting, but
That the Catastrophe is One of the
Worst That Has Ever Occurred on
the Line is Shown in the Dispatch
fspeeial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Norfolk. Va, Aug. 17.-Twelve are
known to be dead and many of the
thirty injured are expected to die as Il
result OF = coIOred excursion from
KinstOn, n. c.. running into an open
draw over the western branch of the
Elizabeth River at Bruce, nine miles
from Norfolk today, on the Atlantic
Coast Line railway. All of the vic
Tins of the catastrophe are negroes
with the exception of the engineer of
the train and the excursion promoters.
The exact number of casualties cam
not be given at this time, because the
work of search for dead and injured
is still in progress. Then, too, some
of the injured are in serious condi-
ton in Norfolk hospitals, and it is
highly probable that the death list
will be increased tonight.
The officials of the Atlantic Coast
thorough investigation of the cause of
the wreck and experimenting the
search for dead and wounded. No
statement as to the result of their in
quiries will be given out tonight.
The list of known dead at this hour
is as follows:
w. E. jolly, promoter of the Kin
Ston excursion.
Jolly, young nephew of the above,
of Ilinston.
Colored dead:
Rosson PEBBLES.
Sidney Thomas.
David Smith.
Mary Jones.
John Marbie.
weber Ford.
Jake Atkinson.
Nancey Peryis.
The injured as far as can be learned
at this time are:
Whie-S. b. Reig, engineer; G.. II.
Forbes GreenvilIe, N. c.
At $50 tonight the wreckers We're
still at work fishing the dead from
the first submerged coach. One wo-
man could be seen hanging from q
window. 1t is generally believed that
there are many - lies remaining in
the submerged coach. Fifteen or
twenty surgeons from Norfolk and
Portsmouth are at the scene doing all
they can for the injured, and the obi
Gals of the road under Superintend-
ent Woooten were also active in the
relief of all who were injured. County
magistrate Rodman was at 6 80 on the
scene and it is likely that he will con-
duet the inquests in the matter.
1t was said at the office of the Gen
eral superintendent of the Atlantic
Coast Line at $50 o'clock this even
ing that that office had only been no
titled of seven dead in the wreck with
some 25 or 80 injured. 1t was furth-
er said. however, that all of the dead
in the first submerged coach may not
have been gotten out and that there
may be other dead in this coach.
Six hundred and fifty white ex-
cursionists who arrived here at three
thirty o'clock over the Atlantic Coast
Line also narrowly escaped the fate
of the dead and injured victims of
the negro excursion. A delay of fif-
teen minutes that held the Rocky
Mount excursion. which was preced-
ing the other by schedule placed the
Kinston section in the lead by special
orders from train dispatcher. with the
result that the latter was the one TO
plunge into the draw
Reasons assigned for the awful oc-
currence are various. Ignorance of
orders or direct carelessness on the
part of the engineer of the lll-fated
train or negligence of the train dis
patcher or the keeper of the railroad
draw over the river are all alleged TO
be the cause, which is not yet if it
ever will be verified with any degree
of certainty.
Many of the employees of the road
place the responsibility Of the accident
on the bridge tender. They claim an
unwrittene order. if nothing else as
prompting this Judgment. Sailors en-
pioyed on the tug Pinner's Point es-
timated the number killed as exceed
ing 100. Seveen of the dead have
been sent to an undertaking establish
ment in Portsmouth.