The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-07-27

shock. And the wreck was not The
only trouble he had for yesterday
morning his small son, who had been
sick for some days, died.
INJURIES OF CAPTAIN BOWEN.
not as serious as at first thought but
it will be several days before the full
extent Of his injuries can be asceT-
sained. He had come through The
train taking up the tickets Of passeD-
gers who got on al Rockingham and
had just reached the rear end Of Tls
first class car and had just turned 10
20 toward the front Of the train when
the crash came. He was hurled On
top OF a seat and his left hip struck
the seat with great force His head
was also hurt where he struck the
floor. His injuries were not so serious
but that he thought of the safety OF lie
passengers Immediately after the ac-
cident and at once began 10 give
orders as to what should be done and
to see that the orders were carried ou'.
He came TO Wilmington yesterday
afternoon on the train due a. 12:i5
but which did not reach here anul
about ) o'clock. He has many friends
in this city and they will be exceeding
ly glad TO learn that he escaped with
injuries that were no more serious.
SPEED THAT THE TRAINS WERE
GOING
The passenger train must have been
going at a speed not far from sixty
miles an hour for il was running late
and there had been some comment
about the speed. 1t is understood that
one gentleman who was holding his
watch in his hand a few minutes he-
fore the accident endeavoring to see
how fast the train was going, asked
how many telephone posts II
took to the mile Some said thirty-four
and others thirty-two. His reply 'tas
that he did not know how many it took
but that the train was passing thirty
two posts per minute.
The freightsfrOm what can be learn
ed. was not making over thirty miles
per hour.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
1t is said that the passenger train
should have waited at Rockingham fer
the freight which was running as first
section of No. 80, and was given right
Of way over the passenger train. In
stead the operator gave the eastb0und
train white board and the train pro-
ceeded to its destruction and the ioss
of more than a score of lives.
SIXTY PASSENGERS AT ROCKING
HAM
At the town of Rockingham sixty
passengers boarded the train and 'he
majority of them were negroes. There
were comparatively few white people
on the train, in the first class car there
being about twenty-five. Sunday IS a
great day for the negroes to travel and
the trains are generally crowded with
them.
MOTHER AND CHILD UNDER THE
DEBRIS
One of the passengers happened to 50
into the second class car after the ac-
cident and peered under the debris in
the front end There he saw a colored
woman sitting in an upright position,
but she was perfectly still and the
gentleman believed her to be dead. It
was some minutes before any effort was
made to get her out and then it was
found that she was alive but stunned
In her lap sat a little child which was
not hurt in the least.
CLEAR MONDAY MORNING.
At II o'clock Monday morning til"
track was cleared and the first train
to pass was the one from Charlotte
bound for Wilmington. In very short
time after the accident the Wrecking
trains were at work on the wreck.
Most Of the injured were got out at
once but some were not taken Oul
until yesterday morning. The total
number OF killed, including two that
have died since the accident, was
tWenty-three.