Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-23
70 KILLED IN A WRECK
On the Seaboard Air Line Near
Hamlet, N. C.
"a PERSONS ARE INJURED
Collision Between Freight and Pas
senger Trains.
FOUR TRAINMEN LOST LIVES
The Fatality Was Due Failure of the
Express to Receive Orders
at Rockingham.
OUR TRAINMEN LOST LIVES

RALEIGH, N. c., July 23.-A collision
between freight train and a regular mail
train on the Seaboard Air Line at $40
Hamlet, resulted in the death of four of
the trainmen and sixteen others and in
jured twenty-four
, The bodies OF the dead are being prepared
for burial at Hamlet and. Rockingham
while the injured have been. removed to
Charlotte and placed in the hospital there
The wreck was due to the failure of the
regular passenger train to receive orders
at Rockingham.
The freight was an extra, and was south
bound from Raleigh to Monroe. It was
manned by Conductor Hunter and En-
gineer Bundy of this city. Conductor
Hunter is not reported hurt and Engineer
Bundy is very slightly injured
The mail train was No. A, running from
Charlotte to Wilmington This train was
in charge of Conductor John D. Bowen,
formerly of Raleigh, and a brother of
Capt. j. ]. Bowen of the Southern Express
Company here. He was slightly injured
Engineer Frank Lewis of Hamlet, Fire
man Thomas Hill of Hamlet, Baggage
master H. s. Byrd of Wilmington and Por-
ter Wat Began of Wadesboro. of the crew
of this Inflated train. were all killed. The
baggage car and the second-class coach on
the passenger train were demolished, and
eight cars Of the freight were derailed,
and some of them piled upon other cars
and crushed to pieces.
Mystery Over Order.
Why the order was not given to the
passenger train at Rockingham is not
known. and will be Investigated by the
superintendent of the road. 1t is said here
that the operator at Rockingham is an ex-
perienced man, and has been a faithful
and careful employe of the company for
several years.
When news of the disaster reached here
last night Superintendent jerks went i'm
mediately to the scene He has not re-
turned to Raleigh. A train was made up
and the injured conveyed to Charlotte as
soon as they could be taken from the wreck
Caskets were sent from here and other
points to Hamlet and Rockingham to re-
ceive the bodies of the dead.
An Official Statement.
NORFOLK, Va, July 23.-The following
official statement concerning last nights
wreck on the Seaboard Air Line railway
between Hamlet and Rockingham, N c.
when score people were killed, and
more than this number injured as the re-
suit Of head-on collision between a.
passenger train bound from Rutherford,
near Charlotte, to Wilmington, N. c.. and a
freight train bound from Hamlet to Monroe
N. c., was given out at the Office of Presi-
dent Alfred Walter OF the Seaboard in
Norfolk today:
Regular local passenger train No a.
running from Rutherford to Wilmington
coliided with extra southbound engine 63s
about four miles west OF Hamlet at $40
D.. m Sunday .Juiy %
AT IL noon today July %, 1t Is known
at the presidents Office that eight white
people and twelve colored people have been
killed and five white people and nineteen
colored people injured. 1t Is possible that
there may be others.
"On account of wires having been knock
ed down by the accident 1t has been i'm
possible to get correct lists of the killed
and injured.
The accident was caused by failure Of
operator at Rockingham to hold No. A for
the extra freight train"
The following partial list of the dead and
injured was given out at the Office OF Presi-
dent Walter:
Dead-H. S. Byrd. baggage master, living
near Wilmington; Frank Lewis, engineer.
of Hamlet; Tom Hill fyoznaal- OF Hamlet
Tom Jones of Rockingham, four unknown
negro women, one unknown negro child,
four unknown negro men, three other un-
known negro persons.
Injured: White-J. ID. Bowen of Raleigh,
conductor of train No. A, slightly injured;
]. L. Lear OF Rockingham. e. A. Carter OF
Rockingham, e. s. Birmingham of Rock
ingham, ]. o. Bundy, engineer of freight
train. Negroes-Nannie Leek, Bette Nc
Fadden of Hamlet. George Morgan OF
Rockingham, Cicero Thomas OF Laurin-
burg, Oscar Lee OF Hamlet, Cert Hanton of
Hamlet, Richard Douglas of Bennettsville,
May Douglas Of Bennettsville. Ivor Oxin-
dine of Lumberton, Frank Scott, residence
unknown; jun Odom OF Gibson. N. c.; Lix-
zie Bowman of Hamlet, N. c.; two un-
known babies, one unknown woman ana
one unknown man.
At the ofice of President Walter 1t was
stated that the list OF dead given above was
incomplete because the wires had failed
and that the complete list Of both dead and
injured would be given out as soon as they
were had here 1t was also stated that the
dead had been carried to Monroe, where un-
dertakers from Hamlet and Raleigh were
preparing the bodies Tor burial. All the IN
jured. 1t Is stated officially. have been car
ried q Charlotte.