The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-07-27
AWFUL WRECK ON THE SEAbOARD::
( TWENTY THREE LIVES WERE LOST

dark at $50 but the night or the
accident il was cloudy and a mist made
it get dark early. When the passen-
gers rushed from the cars the air was
rent with screams and shouts OF per-
sons calling for help. The lamps in 1he
first and second class cars still burned
and the light from these cars cast a
wierd glow over the ghastly scene.
Men and women could be seen in the
wreck writhing in the agony of death
and many not hurt rent the air with
their walls. Negroes, ever emotional,
under these conditions, became alntos-
bereft of their reason. Some shouted
and prayed, others ran around wiring
ing their hands and from the crushed
cars came the means of the dying.
In the first class car no such scenes
were enacted as all the passengers
were white Several of the passengers
were ladies. They kept their selfcOn;rol
wonderfully well and after the first few
minutes when they realized that all
danger was past they did all they could
TO be of assistance. Conductor Bowen
was thrown ON top of a seat, being
injured about the hip, but was not
rendered unconscious. His first thought
was that the train would catch on fire
and there was indeed grave danger of
this as the splintered cars were next
to the fire box of the engine, the tender
having been entirely demolished. He
called for some one to make all effort
TO keep the train from catching on
fire and at once Judge w. B. Council,
of Boone, who was en- route to LUMBER
ton 10 hold court. made his way over
the top of the wreckage to the front or
the train. There he noticed small
blaze and quickly getting upon the
ground he got some wet sand and man
aged to put out the fire. In few min
utes more it would have been beyond
control and the dying and wounded
would have been cremated
EDITOR ACTED AS FLAGMAN.
Only a few minutes after the crash,
some one in the car called out FOR;
every one in the first class car to get
out; that another train was coming.
Captain Bowen, who was near the door,
stopped the ladies in the car who WeTeI
making for the rear door They Werei
told that no train was coming and thel
con ductOr then got down the two lampsI
from the rear of the train and sent
two men up the track several hundred,
wards with them. Not knowing howl
far the men had carried the lamps and
thinking that it might not stop a train
if they were merely placed on the track
he requested Mr.. S. T. Ashe, editor ofI
The MeSSen ger, who was a pasSengeri
on the train. if he would 60 up ,hel
track and see that a train was Tagged
If one did approach. The editor rel
mained up. the track acting in thlsl
capacity of f1agman for between cnei
and two hours.
SEATS WE'RE USED FOR COTS.
The work of rescuing the wounded
was begun a few minutes after rhel
wreck occurred Strange to say, the!
negroes did practically nothing tOwardi
getting out the injured nearly all of II
being left to the white passengers who
worked heroically to get them out
and had they been white they Couldl
have put forth no greater exertion to
give them aid. Seats were taken from
the cars and placed along the centre
of the track in rear of the passenger
train and the dead and wounded placed
upon these. From the rear door Of the
first class car the light extended n a
narrow gleam up the track and 10 2p-
proach the car from the direction Of
it was indeed Il ghastly
sigh. Along the track lay the dead
and wounded and just beyond them the
mass of twisted iron and splintered
coaches AS soon as arrangements
could be made the wounded were sent
10 Charlotte and the negroes who were
killed were carried to Rockingham and
the engineer and baggage master to
Hamlet. Physicians were sent for from
all Of the nearby towns.