Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-12-01
SPENCER LOSES LIFE.
President Of Southern Railway Has
Tragic End.
KILLED IN COLLISION
some Friends Accompanying Noted
Railroad Man on Hunting Trip
and Two Negro Passen-
gers Also Dead.

| Fasf WV DaHlNft
Spencer. president OF the Southern
railway. and one OF the foremost rail.
way officials OF the country; three OF
his guests. Charles u. Fisher OF BaltI.
more. Md; Philip Schuyler Of New
York City. and y. !. Redwood OF Balti.
more. who were accompanying Mr.
Spencer on an outing: Private Dis
patcher ID. W. Davis OF Alexandria,
Va. as well as two negro employees OF
the road were killed and ten persons
were injured as result OF rear-end
collision between two fast southbound
passenger trains Of the Southern rail.
way at Lawyers. Va. eleven miles
south OF this city.
Passenger train No. 80. TO the rear
OF which Mr. Spencer's car was al.
tached. had stopped 20 repair a coup
ling. when the engine OF train No. 81
dashed into the forward train. plow-
Ing It's way through the car occupied
by Mr. Spencer and hls party. who In
all probability were asleep al the time.
causing the death OF all the occupants
except =. A. Merrill Of New York City.
Mr.. Spencer's private secretary. To
add 10 the horror % the disaster the
car which suffered the force OF the
impact caught fire. the body OF Mr.
Spencer, 9s well as several OF the 9th,
ers Of the 'arty. being burned almost
recognize
Mr Eu4r 90 uvau % raafNavf ~ Ngaob
ington. but his business headquarters
were at New York City. lie was one
/ Of the most prominent railroad men
OF the United States. and for nearly
twenty years had been az the head OF
one or more great railway enterprises.
Al the time OF his death. In addition
70 the southern. he was president and
/ a director In the Alabama Great South.
/ ern Railway company. the Cincan.
7 natl New orleans and Texas Pacific
/ Railway company. the Southern GeOr.
gis and Florida Railway company and
/ the Mobile and Ohio railway He was
also a director Of the Central Railway
OF Georgia. the Chicago, Milwaukee and
So. Paul Railway company. the Erie
Railroad company. the Northern Pa
cific company and other corporations.
| Mr.. Spencer was president OF the Bal.
timore and Ohio Railroad company in
1857 and lsSS. and later was appoint.
ed receiver for the Richmond and
Danville Railway company. and for the
East Tennessee. Virginia and Georgia
Railway company. He was a member
Of the Rapid Transit company OF this
| city from 1891 10 1894 Mr. Spencer
was born In Columbus. Ca. In lSi7.
and was educated In the University
/ OF Georgia and the University OF Nir-
! ginla. In 1872 he married Louisa Wv
/ ian Benning az Columbus, Ga.
Mr.. Spencer's railroad career had
a most humble beginning. When he
/ left the University OF Virginia In 1863
after taking a course In civil engineer.
I ing. be entered the employ OF the Sa.
vannah and Memphis railroad and
was assigned To work as road man
with a surveying crew. In the sue
/ ceeding three years he worked gradu.
/ ally up 90 the position OF prIcipal as
| sistant engineer OF the road In lSi2
I he left the Savannah aud Memphis and
became CLERK 10 the superintendent OF
/ the New Jersey Southern railway. and
a year later became assistant super.
! visor of trains for the first division
Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
I In lSs he became superintendent OF
I transportation OF the Virginia Mid.
I land railroad. and year later was
made a general superintendent OF the
I Long Island railroad The end OF an.
other year found him assistant 10
the president OF the Baltimore and
Ohio one year later he was acting
general manager OF the Transohio al.
visions OF the same road, and In the
next six years he became successive.
ly third vice president. second vice
president and first vice president He
1 was elected president OF the entire
system In 1857. retaining the position
for one year. A few months after his
retirement from the presidency OF the
Baltimore and Ohio be became asso.
ciated with the firm OF j. Pierpont
/ Morgan & Co. and he assumed the a..
rection OF that company's railroad en-.
/ terprlses. From that until the mo.
ment OF his tragic death he remained
one Of the commanding figures in the
/ railroad world
AZ the city hospital all OF the in.
/ iured persons are reported 20 be dolns
nicely All are expected 20 recover.