Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-12-06
In a Railroad Accident
Near lynChburg, Va.
SAMUEL SPENCER,
President of the Southern Railroad
Co., and Six Other Men We're
Hurled Into Eternity.

Lynchburg, Va.-SamueI Spencer.
president of the Southern Rail-
way Co., and recognized as one of
the foremost men in the development
of the southern states, and six other
persons were killed Thursday morning
in rear-end collision between two
fast passenger trains ten miles south
OF Lynchburg and a mile north of
Lawyers depot. Philip Schuyler, a re-
tired capitalist, of New York. was
among the killed, together with other
guests of Mr.. Spencer. Only Mr..
Spencer's private secretary, E. A. Mer-
r1ll, OF New York, and one of the three
porters survive the accident. The
dead
Samuel Spencer, New York City.
Charles d. Fisher, of Baltimore.
Philip Schuyler, of New York City.
Francis r. Redwood, of Baltimore.
ID. w. Davis, of Alexandria, Va,
private dispatcher to President Spen.
Ger.
William Pollard, negro porter on
President Spencer's car, who died in
a hospital here.
An unknown person, whose head
and limbs are burned off short, who is
believed to be the third porter on the
private car, who is missing. His name
cannot be learned
Mr. Spencers destination was
Friendship, N. c., where he was going
a nnnung trip with Messrs. Schuy-
Ter, Fisher, Redwood and Merrill as
his guests.
Ten persons, seven of whom are ne
groes, were badly injured. 1t is be.
lieved all will recover.
The collision was between the Jack
sonville express and the Washington
and Southwestern vestibule limited
both southbound. President Spencer
and his entire party, as far as is
known, were sleeping when the COLI.
sion occurred, and the probabilities
are that all OF them excepting Dis
patcher Davis were killed instantly. It
is certain that life was extinct before
the flames touched them President
Spencers body was burned almost be.
yond recognition. as was that of Mr..
Fisher. The body of Mr. SCHUYLER was
taken from under the train before il
was burned very much having been
singed only slightly. President Spen.
GERS 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 train was sent $50 feet
ahead, the locomotive going over and
upon the body of MIR. Spencer. Until
after the debris burned itself out and
the engine cooled off the bodies could
not be removed.
The impact drove the combination
car forward and the express car lifted
up, together with it's trucks, and
crushed the car for 40 feet, leaving the
remainder of the cars with tons of
baggage and colored passengers, who
were pushed back like rats as the ex.
press car crushed the combination car
The combination car did not leave the
track and in clearing the track the ey-
prDss car was hauled to a siding
fiile distant on top 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
explanation.
Several cases were reported i'm
which persons ransacked the wrecked
cars for plunder. Some of the passen.
gers are said to have participated in
this and a large amount of valuables
We're obtained
f. NJ. Curtis, Of jamestown, -. Y.
who was passenger on tn. Jackson
vile train, saw one negro porter go
through a lady's grip. He saw him
throw away such things as were of no
value to him and appropriate those
things that he wanted. Mr.. Curtis de-
clared he would have billed the porter
If he had had something to do it with.
New York.-Samuel Spencer, presi-
dent OF the Southern Railway
Co, who was killed in the wreck near
LynchDurg, was a resident of Wash
ington, but his business Headquarters
were in this city. He was one of the
most prominent railroad men of the
United States and for nearly 20 years
had been at the head of one or more
great railroad enterprises. Mr. Spen-
Ger was president of the Baltimore &.
Ohio Railroad Co m 1887 and 1888 and
later was appointed receiver for the
Richmond C Danville Railroad Co. and
for the East Tennessee, Virginia &
Georgia Railway Co. He was a MEM
Der OF the rapid transit commission Of
this city from 1891 to 12et. He was SO
years old.
Philip SCHUYLER. who lost his life in
the wreck, was member of one of the
Oldest and best known New York fami-
lies.