The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-10
BOILER EXPL LODES
On Locomotive While the Train
Was in Slow Motion
TWO MEN ARE KILLED.

The Accident Occurred on the Ashe.
vile Line of the Southern Railway
Near HillgiIt, N. C. The Accident
Was Not Due to Low Water. Tie
Big Engine Was Blown Into Scrap
Iron.
The explosion of a locomotive ON
the Asheville division, brief account
of which was published, was most
unusual as well as most shocking
casualty. The Asheville, Gazette
News has the following account Of
the explosion:
The remains of Engineer George
Lauderback, one of the victims of 4
terrible accident near Hillgirt, on the
Asheville & Spartanburg line of the
Asheville division, about Saturday
midnight, when the boiler OF engine,
No. 62S bl. " up with frightful re-
suit, were shipped to Augusta, Ga.
for interment. The remains of Fire
man w. M. Kemp, the second vic
tim of the accident, were sent to-
Gambler, ten miles from Asheyille,
where the interment occurred.
The frightful accident cast
gloom over the railroad boys of the
division. The remains of the two
trainmen were brought here and CIV
en- in charge of Browns undertaking
parlors, where the bodies were pre-
pard for burial. During the morning
many trainmen and others visited the
undertaking establishment. The ac-
cident was the one topic of conversa-
ton, while much speculation was in
dulged in relative to the cause OF
the explosion.
THAT the explosion was not due to
low water is certain because it has
been established as fact, according
to trainmen, that Engineer Lauder
back stopped at Hendersonville, just
six miles from the scene of the accl-
dent, for water, filling up before MAX
ing the run from Hendersonville into
Asheville. 1t is said that the accident
may have been due to a defective
boiler. Such an accident as that Of
Saturday night never before occurred
on the Asheville division within the
memory of the oldest railroad men,
The track at the scene of the ac-
cident was badly torn up and it was
not until shortly before noon the next
day that the damage had been re-
paired and trains sent past the scene.
Train No. IA from Asheville to Spar
tanburg was held here several hours
awaiting the clearing OF the tract.
THE explosion, it is believed, oc-
Cured while the train was making
between 80 and 50 miles an hour. 1t
made a frightful noise and aroused
farmers in the Hillgirt section for
mile or more around, who came
flocking to the scene to learn the
trouble. The boiler was literally
blown to pieces, while the great mo-
gul of the rails was almost converted
into scrap iron. The drivers were
blown a way and the entire engine
lifted and blown so feet or more from
the tracks Four of the seven cars
constituting the extra freight were
derailed, two of them, it is said, be-
ing hurled clear off the right of way.
1.-The brakeman of the freight had
a morrow escape. He had, just few
seconds before the explosion oecurr-
ed, left the engine or near the en-
CINE and gone to the rear Of the
train. Had he remained near the
engine another minute or two third
victim would have been added to the
list. The engineer and fireman were
hurled a great distance through the
air and their bodies almost blown to
pieces.
when picked up Fireman Kemp
was disembowled and one leg and
an arm were missing. These mem
bers were found. however, some dis
tance from the body. Engineer Laud-
erback was also terribly mangled.
"That death was instantaneous Is
certain. The men never knew what
struck them. Conductor W. e. Bry-
son was in charge of the extra freight.
He escaped uninjdred. The frelgnt
was headed for Asheville and was
lust turning the hill at Hillglrt' ID
miles from Asheville, when the eX-
nlosion occurred. In discussll the
affair one railroad man declared that
an accident almost SIMILAR occurred on
another division Of the southern
some time ago, boiler exploding
while the train was in motion ana re-
suItinc in the death of the engineer
and firemen.