The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-29
KILLED IN WRECK.
President Samuel Spencer Dies
on Own Road.
Passenger Runs Into Rear of
Special.
OTHERS ARE DEAD.
General Manager Davis One of
the Victims.
Regular Train Allowed to Run
Past Block.
Operator Held Responsible for
the Disaster.

Lynchburg. Va, Nov 29-President
Samuel S~encer of the Southern rail
road system who was en- route to the
south, was killed this morning in a reaI
end collision at Lawyers. ten miles
south Of Lynchburg The private car
in which he was riding was struck and
split open by the colliding Ioc~~7ative
1t Immediately caught fire and the body
Of Mr. Spencer was burned almost be
yond recognition. In the car with him
were Philip Schuyler of New York City,
Mr.. Spencer's private secretary. Merrill,
and his private dispatcher. d. w Davi7
of Alexandra. Va Operator Davis was
crushed and died in fifteen minutes Mr..
Schuyler was instantly killed but his
body was not burned before it was res
cued by passengers. Engineer C. Perry
who was on the rear train, was killed
Private Secretary Merrill was injured
but the nature of his injuries has no.
been learned He Will be brought 10
this city about noo@- Twelve or tnlr-
teen passengers, most of them negroes
were injured, only one of whom Is
thought to be fatally hurt.
Eight negroes are in the city-hospital
here having arrived at II o'clock Thf
collision was between train NO. 33, the
Jacksonville express and train NO. 81,
the Washington and Southwestern yes
tibuled limited The Jacksonville train
stopped on the top of a very heavy
grade, a mile north of Lawyers depot,
to repair a slight breakdown, and be-
fore it IS said, ffagman could get
back to protect the train, the Atlanta
train dashed into it. The heavy engine
OF the train DieWed into the private caI
Of President Spencer in which he and
his guests are supposed to have been
sleeping
Immediately the private car caught
fire. The wreckage was pied arouuu
oh ra10
human hands to be consumed Every
piece of woodwork k on the engine was
burned and the monster machlne
stands there torn andMtw iSteds and Will
have to be pulled down the embank
ment. as it is useless 1t was under
the locomotive that the burned BODY OF
President Spencer was found II Is
evident that Mr.. Spencer was killed m
stantly and that he did not suf1er lhe
tortures Of being burned
Spencer Lived in Washington
New york Nov 29.-Samuei Spencer.
president of the southern Rallroa9 Rallr.Sl com go /.
train on the Southern railway near
Lynchburg. Va, today was a reSloelll - l
Quarters were in this city He was one
Of the most prominent railway H. i3eA an OF OF
the Tinted States and for nearly ~ years
had been at the head OF one or more
great railroad enterprises Al the time
Of his death. in addition TO the southern
he vas nresident and a director in the
AIabana Great Southern Railway com
CINCINNATI
Pacific Railway company, tlS W eIsol : { H %
Southern and Florida Railway company,
and the Mobile and Chic Railroad com
pany- He was also a director OF tne Ceu-
1ral Railway OF Georgia. the Chlcago,
Milwaukee and St Paul haiiway nI,lios5,, con- the
Northern Pacific company and other cor
NJ Snencer was president of the Bal
tfnore and Ohio Railway company IN 1891
and 1855 and later was appointed re
ce5ver for the Richmond and Danylle
and
Rfnia and Georgia Railway company He
SS-ss a member of the Rapid Transit com
Iaission of this city from 1891 to 1884,
Mr.. Spencer was born in Columbus, Ga,
II, iS57 and was educated in the University
of Georgia and the University OF Nlr-
IN 1872 he married ouisa Vivian Ben
ming at Columbus, Ga.
DISPATCHER Davis was alive when ta-
ken from under the Wreckage. tie was
crushed about the lower portion of the
body and was conscious until the end
He asked that word be sent to his
wife and child. The death Of Mr.. Davis
was touching. He stated to his rescuer
that he knew that he was dying and
knew that the end could not be far off.
place your finger on my mouth" he
said. 1T feels so cool and good"
He pleaded with the gentleman, who
was also a passenger on the train not
TO leave him, and for ten minutes this
man stayed with him until he saw that
nothing more could be done for him.
one of the worst phases of the wreck
was the heartless manner in which a
few passengers and some of the at
taches. especially some of the porters
OF the Atlanta train, ransacked the
wrecked cars for plunder.
F. NJ Curtis of jamestown. n Y.
who was a passenger on the Jackson
VILE train, saw one negro porter go
through a lady's grip He saw him
throw away such things as We're of no
value to him and appropriate those
things that ne wanted Mr.. Curtis de-
clared that he would have certainly
killed the porter if he had had some
thing to do it with
Not a few passengers engaged in
this ghoulish business, ana large
number of vaIuables and much money
which was scattered about the wreck
ed trains was taken
MI Curtis, who was on his way to
High Point N c., on a business mis-
efo1 was the hero of the hour It was
claimed bv some Of the fellow passen-
gers that to his work and generalship
belongs the credit Of the rescue of a
dozen persons who would have perish
81 but for his efforts Several per
sons not seriously wounded were taken
-,srt from the two cars that We're burn
ed and six passengers were takeh from
the ornbinatfon coach of the forward
+rain rThev were literally covered with
heavy baggage which had been thrown
through the light partition between
their portion of the car and that set
anart for the baggage They were
hadiv hurt. most of them having brok-
~ legs some of them both legs brok-
~ and one or two with fractured
skulls All Of them have numerous
cuts and bruises but the physicians at