The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-12-06
A TERRIBLE WRECK
President Samuel Spencer Ia.
stantiy kaled
SEVEN DEAD; FIFTEEN KILLEg
In . Wreck Which Occurred Il Miles
South Of Lynchburg Thursday
Morning, Train No. 81 Ran Int
Rear of No. SO.

burg.
At the general Offices of the South
ern Railway the following statement
has been issued:
"Southcrn Railway passenge:
train, No. 81, left Washington Wed
nesday night late, by reason OF the
congested holiday traffic. about 6:3o
at Lawyer, Va, on a ~ortion of the
road protected by TIE block. system:
the trara-was stopped for slight re-
pairs to the couplings. Passenger
train 81, following 80, and being Civ
Ell a clear block, ran into the rear u:
80 resulting in a serious wreck.
sour present advices indicate the
collision was probably due to the
negligence of the operator IN allow
ing 81 to pass the block.
President Spencer and party o'
friends were ia the officer s ear at
the rear of 50 and the reports are
that President Spencer was. killed
and several of the party seriously in
jrred."
Watt Davis, special train dispatch
err for the Southern, is among the
killed.
President Samuel Spencer Of the
Southern Railway system, was en-
route to the South on hunting trip.
The private ear in which he was rid
ing was struck and split open by TIL.
colliding locomotive. 1t Immediately
caught fire and the body of President
Spencer was burned almost beyond
recognition.
In the car with him were Philip
Schuyler OF New York Spencer's prl-
vate secretary. Murrill and Private
Dispatcher D. w. Davis of Alexan-
ORA. Operator Davis was crushed
and died in Is minutes. Schuyler
| was instantly killed, but his body was
not badly burned before it was res
cued by passengers.
Engineer c. Terry who was on the
rear train was killed. There is an.
other man among the killed whose
name cannot be learned
Private Secretary Merrill was
wounded but the nature Of his i'll
| jaries have not been learned.
Twelve of fifteen passengers, most
or them negroes, were wounded, only
one of whom is thought fatally.
The heavy engine of the train pillow
ed into the private car of President
Spencer, in which he and his guests
were supposed to be sleeping. Imme-
dlately the private car caught fire.
Wreckage was piled around the en-
CINE as though placed there by hui
man hands to consume it. Every por-
ton OF the wood work on the engine
was burned and the monster machine
stands there torn and twisted and
will have to be turned down the en-
bankement as it is useless.
| President Spencer was born in Co.
lumbus, Ga, In the year lS47, and
was educated at the universities of
Georgia and Virginia.
In 1872 he married Louisa Vivian
Benning, at Columbus, Ga.
Work of Fiends.
One of the worst phases of the ac-
cldent was the heartless manner in
which few passengers and some Of
the attaches, especially some Of the
porters OF the Atlanta train, ransack.
ed the wrecked cars for plumber.
r. M. Curtis, of jamestown, N. Y,
who was a passenger on the Atlanta
tram, saw one negro porter 90
through. a lady's grip. He saw him
throw away such things as were of
no value TO him, and appropriate
those things that he wanted. Curtis
declared that he would have killed the
porter if he had had anything to do
II with.
Not few passengers engaged in
this goullsh business, and a large
number of valuables and much money
which was scattered about the wreck
ed trains was taken.
curtis. who was on his way to
high Point, was the hero of the hour.
1t was claimed by some Of his follow
passengers that to his work an gener-
alshlp belongs the credit of the rescue
OF a dozen persons who would have
persisted but for his efforts.
The combination coach. second
from the engine, was crushed. 1t was
here that eight negroes among the
wounded were hurt, Lacretta Allen.
coiored, of Danville, died on the CD.
Grating table.
Other injured are:
| Willis J. Winston, New York, leo
badly broken.
). ". Shaw, Spencer, n. c., badly
crushed and both legs broken.
Garland Thomas, Greensboro. N.
c.. leg broken. and badly bruised up
| P. R. Valus, Waynesboro, Va,
badly broken up and bruised.
| Cora Logan, Shelby, n. c., both
legs broken.
William Pollock, New York, badly
scalded. leg broken, both arms brok.
en-, HOPELESS condition.
Sam Cox, Washington, leg broken
| All these are negroes.
The list of the dead now appears to
be eight as follows:
| President Samuel Spencer.
| Phillip c. Schuyler, of New York.
Frank T. Redwood, of Baltimore
Md.
Charles D. Fisher, of Baltimore
Md.
Dispatcher D. w. Davis, of Alex
aHdria, Va
Engineer Terry.
Lueretia Allen, negro, who dice
OIL the operating table.
| One woman, probably negro, wht
| waS Eiilad n,,tr;rhk