The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-30
Body Of President Of Southern
Railway Burned TO Crisp
in the Wreckage
GHOULS SEARCH DEBRIS
FOR MONEY AND JEWELS
Born In Columbus, Ga, Mr.. Spencer
Rose Steadily BY Merit From the
Bottom to the Top of the
Railroad Ladder.

Lynchburg, Va, November 29.-Samue
Spencer president of the Southern Rail-
way company, ard one of the foremost
men in development in the southern
states. was killed this morning at $40
o'clock in a rear-end collision in which
two fast passenger trains were involved,
ten miles south of Lynchburg and mile
north of Lawyers depot.
In the same wreck three of his guests
were Killed. Only Mr.. spencer's private
secretary, Il. ~ Merrill. of New York
city. and one of the three porters sur
vived the accident.
The Dead.
President Samuel Spencer of Washing
ton
Charles d. Fisher of Baltimore.
Phillip Schuyler of New York City.
- Redwood of Baltimore.
ID. W. Davis Of Alexandra, Va, pri-
yate dispatcher.
- Pollock, porter on President spen-
GERS car who died in hospital here.
An unknown person, whose head and
limbs are burned off short, who is be-
lieved to be the third porter ON the pri-
Nate car who is missing. Ills name
cannot be learned
The Injured.
I.ucretia Allen, colored Danville, Va.
+ .rg broken and alnputated below the
k,see; left arm badly broken.
Willis j. Winston, 2s3 East One Hun
dred and Tweuty-seventh street, New
York, leg badly broken.
j. w. Shaw. colored Spencer, n. G.,
fireman badly crushed and both legs
broken.
Garland Thomas, colored, Greensboro,
n. C.. leg broken and badly bruised up
+. e. Vauls, colored, Waynesboro, Va,
badly broken up and bruised
Cora Logan, colored, Shelby, n. c.,
both legs broken.
sam Cox colored porter on the priVte
car. of 6ll First street, west, Washing
ton d. c.. leg broken.
Cruett, address unknown, the
supreme officer of the Heptasophs, back
badly wrenched,
Son. Hogland. colored, Charlotte, N. c.,
badly bruised leg.
Il. A. Merrill New York City, private
secretary to President Spencer, head and
arms badly bruised and hand burned,
will recover.
Entire Party Was Asleep.
President Spencer and his entire party
occupied the rear car on the forward
train. and as far it is known were sleep
ing when the collision happened, and the
probabilities are that all of them, ex-
cepting Dispatcher Davis, were killed IN
stantly. 1t is certain that life was ex-
tict before the flames touched them Pres
ident Speneers body was burned almost
levond recognition as was that OF Mr.
Fisher The body of Mr.. Schuyler was
taken from under the train before 1t was
burned very much, having been singned
only slightly.
President Spencer's car was attached
A., the rear of the Jacksonville train,
which was standing still when struck.
President Spencer was lying directly un-
der the big locomotive of the rear train.
So great was the force of the impact
that the forward train was sent at least
1900 feet ahead, the locomotive going
over and upon the body of Mr.. Spencer.
1Jnitel after the debris burned itself out
and the engine cooled off the bodies could
not be removed.
How the colored passengers in the for
ward car which is known as the Jim
Crow, part of the train, escaped death,
none of them being killed, is beyond ex-
PLANTATION.
on Crest of Steep Grade.
The wreck occurred on the crest OF
steep grade when the Atlanta tram could
NOT have been running more than thirty
a,
mile or two further SOUTH, the number OF
dead might have been frightful, as The
train was about two hours behind Its
schedule condition in the grade there
would have meant a speed OF more thah
sixty miles an hour.
1t was thought at first that Engineer
Kenney of Spencer, n. C., who was IN
charge of the engine on the Atlanta tram
was killed, but this proves to be Moor
rect Kinney suffered only few slight
bruises and cuts, which were dressed,
and he did not go to a hospital.
Mr. II. b. Spencer. the sixth vice presi-
dent of the Southern railway, was a
passenger on n northbound Southern train
which reached the scene of the wreck a
few minutes after it occurred. He spent
several hours therc until the charred re-
mains of his father were taken rom un-
der the locomotive. and then he came 70
this city with the remains of his father
and the rest of his party. The coach
containing the corpses was side-tracked
in the yard above the city. Caskets were
procured for them.
Caskets Placed In Prlvat, Car.
These were placed in the private car of
President Stevens of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railway, who was passing through
the ~s'v With his family, the car having
bee use by President
Ste he one containing
ren ere attached to a
lat and the remains
Ne caskets while the