The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-30
THE WRECK ON THE SOUTHERN

The news which flashed over the
wires yesterday Of the appalling acct
lent on the Southern railroad caused
one universal shock to and created
CONSERVATION in every section of the
country. There have been railway &C.
cidents heretofore in which the death
list was much greater and which were
attended with greater horrors; but be-
cause of the fact that the president
of one Of the great railway systems of
the country was killed by one of his
In trains added to the horror of this
disaster.
We believe this is the second in
stance only in the history of railroading
in the United States of an accident
in which the president of a railway
company was killed On his own road.
The other similar accident occurred
near our city and is remembered by
the older inhabitants of Wilmington
the killing of Mr.. William S. Ashe.
president of the Wilmington and We'll
don railroad, while returning to his
home near Rocky Point on a hand car.
Like most railway collisions, the one
of yesterday was due 10 some ones neg
lect of duty. On a part of the road
where the block system was in use,
a telegraph operator allowed a follow
ing train to rush upon the one ahead.
His signal showed there was still a
train on the block; but he failed to
hold the second train and it rushed
upon the forward one, carrying death
and destruction.
Mr.. Spencer was recognized as one of
the leading railroad men of the coun-
try. For ten years he had been at the
head of the great Southern railway
system, that under his splendid man
agement had reached out into the south
and west, extending it's lines through
a large and rapidly developing section
of the country. Under his wise and
able management the system had made
wonderful strides and had done and
was still doing a great work in building
up the waste places of the south.
Through his fostering care towns and
factories were %springing up all along
it's lines; agricultural lands were in
creasing i'm value; immigrants were
ri establishing homes and the whole area
of country through which it's lines ran
was increasing in prosperity and
wealth. His sudden taking off will be
a calamity to the system and to the
country which its lines served. A
southern man., his heart was filled with
the desire to build up the south. He
realized hat this could best be done
by judicious management of the rail-
roads ramifying that section, and the
policy Of his administration was 10 in
crease the wealth of hat section,
knowing that that also meant increased
earnings for his company. But put
ting all this aside, the death Of Mr..
Spencer, with the attendant circum-
stances, was horrible III the extreme
and q terrible shock t, the hundreds of
persons throughout Il whole country
who knew him in his official capacity
IT as personal friend end acqrantance.
What a Thanksgiving day yesterday
was to the beloved ones cf his family
While millions of American citizens
We're preparing to spend a day Of pleas
ure and in giving thanks for the many
blessings vouchsafed to them by the
God OF love, those h%eartbroken pecp.e
suffering the agonies CT their
fearful bereavement so suddenly and
80 fearfuTly brought upon them. May
that God Of love comfort them in their
sorrow and give them that consolation
which can come to them only through
His love and fostering are