Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-12-01
SAM SPENCER MEETS
DEATH IN COLLISION
PRESIDENT of Southern Railwa,
Killed In Wreck.
VICTIMS WERE ASLEEP IN CAR
"reekaes Took Fire and Spencer and
Friends Were Burned Almost Be-
yond Recogntion-Respo Is
Placed on Block System Operator. !

SNtAI@1 Nif1QSk &c
yond Observation-Disclosures l.
Placed on Block System Operator.
The Dead.
President Samuel Spencer, Of tia
city of Washington, d, C.
Charles D. Fisher, of Baltimore.
Philip Schuyler, of New York.
Frank T. Redwood, of Baltimore
ID. w. Davis, of Alexandria, Va.
private dispatcher.
}. w. Shaw, negro, Spencer, n,
c., died i'll I-ynchburg hospital.
An unknown person, whose head
and limbs are burned off short who
Is believed to have been third porter
on private car, who is missing.
The Injured.
William Tonord, porter on Presi-
dent Spencers car.
Lucretia Allen, negro, of DanviIIe
Va, leg broken and amputated be-
low the knee; left arm badly injured
Willis ]. Winston, of New York
leg broken.
Garland Thomas, negro, Green's
boro, n. c., leg broken and badly
bruised.
P. E. Vauls, negro, Waynesboro
Va, badly broken up and bruised.
Coro Logan, negro, Shelby, N. c.,
both legs broken.
Sam Cox, negro, porter on the pri-
vate car. leg broken.
John w. Cruett, Baltimore, MI. =,
the supreme organizer of the Hepta-
sophs, back badly wrenched.
Son Hoglan, negro, badly bruised
leg.
E. A. Merrill, of New York city,
private secrtary to President Spencer,
head and arms burned, hand burned;
will recover.
Preston Bane, address unknown.
Lynchburg, Va, Nov. 30.-Samuel
Spencer, president of the Southern
Railway company, and one of the
foremost men in the development Of
the southern states, was killed in a
rearend collision, in which two fast
passenger trains were involved 10
miles south of Lynchburg, Va, and
a mile north of Lawyers depot. In
the same wreck three of his guests
were killed. Only Mr.. Spencer's
private secretary, E. A Merrill, of
NnU VNrIr fU oP
porters survived the accident.
Mr.. Spencer's destination was
Friendship, N. c., where he was
going on a hunting trip with Messers.
Schuyler, Fisher, Redwood and Mer-
rlll as his guests
President Spencer and his entire
party, as far as is known, were
sleeping when the collision happened
and the probabilities are that all of
them excepting Dispatcher Davis were
killed Instantly. 1t is certain that
life was extinct before the flames
reached them. President Spencer's
body was burned almost beyond rec
ognition, as was that of Mr.. Fisher.
The body of Mr.. Fisher and Mr..
Schuyler were taken from under the
train before it was burned very much
having been singed only slightly.
President Spencers car was attach
ed to the rear of the Jacksonville
train, which was standing still when
struck.
President Spencer was lying di-
rectly under the big locomotive of
the rear train. So great was the
force OF the impact that the forward
train was sent at least 5000 feet
ahead, the locomotive going over and
upon the body of Mr.. 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 lift
Ell up together with it's truck and
crushed the car 40 feet, leaving the
remainder of the car strewn with tons
of baggage and negro passengers,
who were pushed back as the express
car crushed the combination car like
rats. The combination car did not
leave the track and in clearing the
track the express car was hauled to
the siding mile distant on top and in
the debris Is 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.
The wreck occurred ON the crest
of a 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 Sours behind its
schedule, a condition in the grade
there that would have meant a speed
of more than so miles an hour.
| was thought at first that Engi-
neer Kinney, Of Spencer, N. c., who
was in charge OF the engine on the
Atlanta train, was killed, but this
proves to be incorrect. Kinney suf-
fered only a few slight bruises and
cuts, which were dressed and he did
not go to the hospital.
The collision was between train
No. 33, the Jacksonville express, and
train No. 81. the Washington and
southwestern Vest1buled Limited.
The Jacksonville train stopped on the
top of very heavy grade, mlie
north of Lawyers depot, to repair a
slight breakdown, and before, 1t is
said, flagman could get back to pro-
tect the train, the Atlanta train dash
ed into It. The heavy engine of the
train plowei into the private car of
President Spencer, In which he and
his guests are supposed to have been