The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-04-13
WORK OF A FitNO
TRAIN DITCHED BY WRECKERS
NEAR DENMARK.
Engine and Several Coaches Derail-
ed, but. Only One Person, a Negro
Tramp, was Seriously Injured.

Tramp, was Seriously Injured.
Train wreckers broke the lock
off the switch at Outside, station
on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
four miles this side of Denmark, and
train 43, bound for Savannah, ran
into a switch and was derailed at
half-past one o'clock Saturday morn
ing. The train was the Seaboard's
New York and Florida limited train,
with Pullman sleeper cars as well
as day coaches. Eight persons were
more or less seriously injured, but
luckily no one was killed or fatally
injured. The most seriously hurt
was negro tramp who was beating
his way.
The wreck occurred little after
one o'clock Saturday morning while
the train was speeding along at the
rate of at least forty miles an hour
on down grade. The whole train
entered the open switch, and in
few seconds was piling itself in
the darkness against empty coal cars
and then into the ditch. Just how
the engineer and fireman Dreamy of
the crew in the mail and baggage
cars escaped instant death is lit
tie less than miraculous. The ap-
pearance of things showed very
plainly that it was diabolical case
of train wrecking.
The switch lock was broken off,
evidently with a hammer or axe,
and the switch turned. In order
that the engineer might not see the
turned switch the light was taken
away and the track was covered
with newspapers and mud so that
when Engineer Ashley turned
curve short distance above the
switch he had no idea that there
was deliberate plan to wreck his
entire train. That there were not
hundred people killed can not yet
be explained. The train was run
ming at least 40 miles an hour and
at that point there was no chance
to slow down. 1t was crowded with
passengers and carried five coaches,
the last one being the Pullman,
which was not derailed.
The first intimation the passengers
in the day coaches had of the wreck
was a crashing mass of splinters
which came through the rear cars
as one expressed it so suddenly that
the passengers were not prepared for
the shock, that followed" Every
one at once climbed out and hur-
ried to the front where it was
thought that there would be no sur
vivors. The fact that the train crew
able tv ulInID out OF the Wreck
age and that some Of them were not
killed is considered one Of the pc
culiar freaks in railroad wrecks.
A view Of the wreck causes one
to wonder that not half the people
on board were killed. The Pullman
was the only coach that did not
leave the track, but though the
engine was demolished the mail car
was the only coach to be overturned.
The Pullman was driven up to the
parting Of the switch into the dag
coach off the track Just ahead of it.
The big heavy rails of the min
track. as well as these of the sid
track, were snapped in two, some of
them without bending. In tha
sleeper were two ladies. One U!
these w;,s a n.'id., who did not leave
her berth.
The immense locomotive lay help
less on her side completely wrecked
the mail, baggage and express cars
were thrown in all directions, some
of them bottom side up, others al
most standing on end in a branch
of water near the track. The rear
coach and Pullman slsepers re-
mained on the rails and were with
the passengers taken back to Co.
lumbia as soon as possible. The
sheriff of Bamberg county was
promptly on the scene with two
bloodhounds, but could develop
nothing in unravelling the" mystery,
the dogs several times would take
a trai and come back to the wreck
after going away for about a mile
Claim Agent Coffee, who was in
Columbia, accompanied Chairman
Caughman of the railroad commits
sion TO the wreck Saturday morning,
and on his return gave the follow
ing statement as to the injuries re-
ceived by those on the train:
Engineer J. A. Ashley, of Savan-
nah. badly shaken up.
Fireman Walter Virgins, negro,
of Savannah, hand crushed.
Assistant fireman Elliott Culb-
reath, n gro, thigh and foot crushed.
Ike Coleman, negro tramp. of Sa-
vannah, badly bruised and taken to
hospital
r. y. Gordon, negro, of Jackson
vile, scalp wound.
l.. W. Carpenter, Of the express
service. shaken up.
r. McDavfd, mail agent OF Jack