The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-11-11
SEABOARDSPEcIALWRECK.
ED.

FA"Ou ASABhe A@aA8 hASA A~"S
Into Rear Coach, Occupied by
Robson Veterans-Many In
jurcd but None Killed.
The special Seaboard train run
from Hamlet toWilmington Tues
day, Taft Day J, was wrecked at Al
mour, about 25 miles from Will
mington, Tuesday night on the
return trip and so or more people
were injured, a few of them Sc
riously. A freight engine plowed
it's way into the rear coach, which
was the special coach occupied
by Confederate veterans from
Robson county, and the wonder
is that no one was killed.
The special train of eight
coaches left Wilmington at s. 10
o'clock Tuesday evening. While
it was standing at Armour man
by the name of Allen. who lives
at Armour, saw another train
approaching and ran back to flag
it. The signal was given too late,
however, and, though steam was
shut off and the engine reversed,
the engine struck the rear coach
with force enough to knock off the
platform and plow it's way some
six inches into the car. Immedi-
ately every light in that coach
was extingushed by the shock
and in the inky darkness old vet
erans and other occupants of the
coach were hurled under seats
and everywhere promiscuous-
ly before they realized what had
happened. To add to the horror
of the situation, the front door
of the coach had been locked and
the conductor had the key, so
exit from the car in that way
was barred for several minutes.
With no chance to escape through
the front door, the engine loom
ing up in the rear of the car with
it's headlight looking like an i'm
mense and threatening ball of
fire, with steam escaping and fire
kindling III the broken floor-it
was a fearful time. Many escap-
ed through windows, breaking
out panes of glass and receiving
cuts in that way, before the front
door was finally opened.
Passengers in some two o,
three coaches Immediately ir
front of the rear coach escaped
without injury beyond a severe
jolt, but the two coaches next the
baggage car were wrecked anC
some of their occupants more OF
less severely injured.
DR.. N. A. Thompson was per.
haps more severely injured than
any other Lumberton person or
the train. He was sitting three
seats from the rear on the real
coach and was thrown up anc
across the top of a seat. How
seriously he is injured is no
known at the time of this writ
ing. Mr.. A. B.Small, a vetera,
who was in the rear coach, suf
fered severe injury on his lef
arm, and Mr.. j. r. Morris bacl
was badly hurt. Mr.. Morris wa.
in the third or fourth car from
the rear. He does not remember
as he was later informed, tina
two men took him out of tn
coach and into a nearby house
where his injuries were attends
to. Yesterday he was able t
get about on crutches. A. E
White, WI. Prevatt, j. H. Pow
ers, N. G. jackson and Rev.
M. Fleming are among others G
Lumberton, or who live nearLum
berton, who received injuries
some of them only slight. Ez
Sheriff Clark of Bladen county
Sheriff J. NJ. Clark ofBladen an
Charles Pate of Bladenboro wer
badly hurt. Albert Demery, CO
.ored, of Bladenboro was badl
hurt about the head.
The nearest telegraph static
was Councils, II miles away
Help was wired for as soon &
Councils could be reached and
wrecking crew arrived from Wi
mington about 8 O'Clock yeste
day morning. The train, min,
three cars, reached Lumberto
some three or four hours late
The engineer on the freigl
says that he saw lights at tt
station but had no idea a. ira
was standing there. and it is sa
that the proper lights were n