The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-02

4 disastrous collision occurred on
the Seaboard sir Line yesterday morn
ing a 7 o'clock about Is miles north
of Columbia and as a result four are
dead and several injured. The follow
ing Associated Press dispatch was
sert out from Columbia:
"NOrthbound passenger train Nc. 6s
and a southbound extra freight on the
SeabOard Air Line, collided head-om as
miles nOrth of this city at 1880 O'Clock
his morning and as a result four men
are dead and three are injured.
The dead are:
"A. =. SMECK, engineer.
"WLlIAM WHITE. colored fire.
man, Of the freight train.
H. A. PAI1LLO, postal clerk,
O'Steen. FLA.
M c. WATKINS, postal clerk, Put
nam Hall. Fla.
THE injured are:
John Robertson. of Raleigh. the en-
gine6r, and Dan Douglass, the colored
Of t-r passenger train, and
Express Messenger Hinton. Ef .Itlch-
mOnd, Va.
THE freight train was at Rianeys,
with orders to wait for the Florida
Flyer, the passenger train.
ASSOlh ~ NlS -
those on the passenger train. the
wreck was caused by a general mis-
understanding of orders. The regular
passenger train left Columbia one
hour late. The Florida Flyer passed
the freight at Elaney's and it ,is -believ-
ed hat Engineer Smeck, in charge OF
the freight. thought that there was a
clear road ahead. He pulled out of
the siding with twenty cars attached
and Just ahead the passenger'tra1n ap-
preached. It was too late tie stop the
freight, but Engineer Robertson, OF
the passenger train. applled nus All
brakes and the train was brought Up
with q jerk. throwing eVerE one out
Of their seats. 1t was due, to*the nerve
of Engineer Robertson that the ives
Of the passengers were saved. Ilie
mail car was the only one of pas
senger ears demolished. Mail Clerk
H. A. Patilio, was buried under the
Wreckage and instantly k1in7u:
Whenever there is a wreck IN Wtlicfi
a passenger train plays part the poor
mail clerk is otter killed and If II aces
not mean death it il some serious IN
Jury. The wreck of the Seaboaro pas
senger train was but andtf1ef eHahlple
of this kind ;,-
iured in wreck, came e meeting
death q few years since in a wreck d'
rOckinCham. On that occasion q
switch had been left open and NE
train. which was runnlng al Nv
miles ner hour, dashed into 1T. y oou-
BILE header freight vas ~stardlfg ;upotl
the siding and the monster engine OF
he vestibule was hurled down the
into a hollow some
twelve feet below. Engineer ROBERT
son was almost drowned by the water
from the tender when a young inall
who was a passenger on the -
sprang off and pulled him out 1he
engineer received a dangerous llactule
Of the skull and it was many mohliis
before he could resume MS run
An Official Statement.
The following statement was gwen
Put Yesterday by Seaboard ~ohc1afs I'LL
regard to the wreck:
ssTrain No. &c of the Seaboard All
lime was in collision with extra
southbound freight No. 6oo at y! mile
post. four miles south of Blaney,
South Carolina, yesterday morning at
: o'clock. Both engines were de'uol-
ished. So were three freight cars Inc
mail and express combination car
Two postal clerks were killed; also
engineman and fireman or extra 900
Engineman John Robertson n COLT
ed fireman Dan Douglas on tram 90
slightly hurt. No passengers injured,
Cause of accident due to man III
charge of freight train
train No. 66. Men responsible 1Cf &C
cident are old employees and ran oyer
this territory daily