The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-12-05
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, December 5, 1906.
SPENCER
KILLED WHILE ASLEEP
While Train Stood Still Big Passenger
Engine Dashed into Rear End and
Ploughed Through-Body Was Burn.
ed Almost Beyond Recognition.

Gu AltiluSt Deyu!Iu neGu9'i'I'oi'.
Lynchburg, Va, Nov. 29.-Samuel
Spencer, president of the Southern
Railway Company, and recognized as
one of the foremost men in the de-
velopment of the Southern States, was
killed this morning at 6:10 O'Clock in
a rear end collision in which two fast
south bound passenger trains were in
volved 2 miles north of Lynchburg and
mile north of Lawyers depot. In
the same wreck three of his guests
were killed. Only Mr.. Spencer's pri-
vate secretary, E. A. Merrell, of New
York city, and one of the three port
ers survived the accident.
Mr.. Spencer's destination wa 8
Friendship, N. c., where he was 60
ing on hunting trip, with Messrs.
Schuyler, Fisher Redwood and Merrell
as his guests.
President Spencer and his entire
party, as far as it is known were sleep
ing when the collision happened and
the probabilities are that all of them
excepting Dispatcher Davis were kill
ed instantly. It is certain that life
was extinct before the flames touched
them. President Spencer's body was
burned almost beyond recognition, as
was that Of Mr.. Fisher. The body of
Mr.. Schuyler was taken from under
the train before it was burned very
much, having been singed only slightly
President Spencer's car was attached
to the rear of the Jacksonville train,
which was standing still when struck.
President Spencer was lying direct
ly under the big locomotive Of the
rear train. So great was the force of
the impact that the forward train was
sent at least $50 feet ahead, the loco
motive going over and upon the body
of Mr.. Spencer. Until after the debris
burned itself out and the engine cool
ed off, the bodies could not be removed.
The impact drove the combination
car forward and the express car lifted
up together with it's truck and crush
ed the car 40 feet, leaving the re-
mainder of the car strewn with tons
of baggage and negro passengers who
were pushed back like rats as the ex-
press car crushed the combination
car. The combination car did not
leave the track in clearing and the
express car was hauled to a siding a
mile distant on top, and in the debris
of the combination car. How the
negro passengers in this compartment
which is known as the ''jim crow"
part of the train, escaped, none of
them being killed, is beyond explana-
tion.
The wreck occurred on the crest of
steep grade, when the Atlanta train
could not have been running more
than 80 miles an hour, if as fast. Had
it been a mile or two further south,
the number of dead might have been
frightful, as the train was about two
hours behind it's schedule, there being
a condition in the grade there that
would mean a speed of more than go
miles an hour. It was reported at
first that Engineer Kinney, of Spen-
Ger, N. c., who was in charge of the
engine on the Atlanta train was kill
ed, but this proves to be incorrect.
Kinney suffered only few slight
bruises and cuts, which were dressed
and he did not go to hospital.