Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-25
OLD MAN SAVES
50 FROM WRECK.
PLIES AXE AMONG DEBRIS OF AT
LANTIC COAST TRAIN WITH
THRILLING EFFECT.
New Engineer Failed to See Faded Dan
ger Flag and Runs Excursion Train
Through Open Draw.

Norfolk, Va, Aug. 1S.-Up to 1890
O'Clock this morning there were only
twelve known dead taken from the
wreck of the Atlantic coast line rail-
ways Kinston and Greenville, \. c.,
excursion train, though there are eighty
Of the colored excursionists yet missing
and the probabilities are that the bodies
of many of these will be found in the
bottom of the river after all dragging
has been completed.
At noon divers went to the bottom of
the river at the scene of the wreck and
found a carload of dead men. women
and children, these being the victims of
the first car behind the engine. The
ends of this car dropped out as it was
raised by derricks this morning.
The report was later said to be prob
ably incorrect. though the statement
might yet be verified. The belief pre-
vailed, however, that many bodies were
still at the bottom of the river.
Aged Man Saves Thirty-fve Lives.
]. Thompson, aged 60 years, a farm
er and father of Cleveland Thompson.
rushed with an axe to the scene of the
wreck and, leaping twenty feet to the
top of the second coach, cut a hole in
the top of the car and rescued thirty
five people just before the ear dropped
into the water.
The Merritt and Chapman Derrick
and Wrecking company raised the two
submerged cars, but as they did so the
ends fell out of the cars and what dead
We're there in went to the bottom Of the
river with debris from the interior of
the coaches.
The river was dragged today and it
was expected a number of bodies will
be taken from the water before night.
The latest victims to be found was an
unknown colored man and unknown col
ored woman. These bodies were taken
from the water this morning.
But One White Person Killed.
The only white persons known to be
dead up to this time are w. e. jolly,
the promoter of the excursion and his
young nephew, Edward Forbes.
Nearly sixty of the 1859 excursionists
have come to Norfolk either slightly in
jured or bruised. There were twenty
three injured at the hospital, with twelve
known dead, which at noon left between
seventy and eighty of the excursionists
yet missing. and It was believed that
large majority of these were at the bot
tom of the river.
Red Danger Flag Faded.
The Atlantic coast line officials have
given out no statement, but Cleveland
Thompson, an eyewitness says that the
''small danger" flag which was placed
on the track to warn the approaching
Kinston train that the draw was open,
though formerly a red flag, had faded
almost completely white from the con-
slant use during the last five years.
1t was Engineer S. B. Regis first run
over the Atlantic coast line to Norfolk,
and he did not know that he was ap-
preaching a draw. The faded danger
flag, it is declared, was so small that
the engineer did not see it until just be-
fore he reached the trestle leading to the
draw. His train, which was moving
thirty-fve miles an hour, could not be
stopped in time. The small unseen dan
ger flag is said to have been only 100
yards from the trestle, which is a short
one.
Tug Almost Gets Caught.
The tug for which the draw had been
opened was just in the act of passing
through when the train dashed into the
water. The tug reversed her engines
quickly and just avoided being caught by
the engine.
Cleveland Thompson declares that En-
gineer Reig remained by his engine up
to the very last and did not jump, as
first reported. He went down with the
engine and was badly injured about the
head and body. He is now in the Sarah
Leigh hospital here and may recover.