Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-12-23
OF TRAIN
Cssb 1evea ives and caus.s laiuy s
Haay Pesple.
ACCIDENT On SOUTHERN

A Broken Rail Throws Fvie Coaches
From . Bridge Near Greensboro,
N. C.-rwo High Soathern Rail.
way Ofacials Arc Included In tho
List of Those Killed.
Local passenger train No. II, on
the Southern railway. known as the
Richmond and Atlanta train, due
In Greensboro at $50 a. m. was
wrecked Wednesday at s:32 at Reedy
Fork trestle. ten miles north of
Greensboro. and at 8 o'clock wednes-
day evening eleven dead bodies had
been removed from the wreckage.
Fourteen are reported dead aud
twenty-five injured are being cared
for at st. Leo's hospital.
Owing to the character OF the
wreck much time was required to
remove the dead and injured from
the debris and. It was $3.50 before
this work was we'll underway. The
injured were carried to Greensboro
a. rapidly as they could be extri
Gated from the wreck and placsd
In st. Leo's hospital.
The derailment of the train wa,
caused by q broken rail. about two
hundred feet from the trestle that
spans the small stream. The train
was composed OF two bagEase. ak
press and mail cars, three day
coaches and two Pulimans. The en-
sine and baggage. mail and express
care passed over In safety, while
the day coaches and Pullman were
thrown from the trestie into the
creek ond along tho banks some
twenty to thirty feet below.
At the point where the first coach
ieft the track. the right hand rail
being broken. about eighteen inch
es from Joint. the rail was t.cAen
into fragments for several feet. and
torn entirely from the crossties. The
truck wheels ran on the ties until
near the trestle. when the outside
wheels went over. allowing the
brake beams and axles to fall on
the guard rail OF the bridge. AS
the last coach was about on the tres.
tie. the five coaches toppled ove,.
broke loose from the mail and sx
press car and tumbied to the mui
and water below.
The Norfolk Pullman fell in the
water while the Richmond sleepe.
Just in front. landed only partially
In the water. The most OF the IN
3ured and killed In the aleepers we. q
in the Richmond sleeper, which WAS
totally demolished. The Norfolk
sleeper was not 80 badly torn up.
but fell on It's side In the swollen
stream. submergine many Of the pa.-
sengers In the water. The conduc
tor In this coach. Capt. johnson, was
very slightly injured and none OF the
passengers in his car we're killed.
The Richmond Pullman "a @ mass
or wreckage and scattered over the
wet and muddy bank OF the stream,
part OF II being buried In the mu:.
At IL O'Clock parts OF TWO bod. s.
were visible from the edge of this
mass of wreckage and II Is not nov.
known how many more are under
Il. Railroad men, who we're work.
Ing hard to rescue the unfortunate
victims and TO recover the bodies
or the dead. are practically certain
that removal OF the debris would
reveal more dcaa bodies. The tv,
day coaches In front OF the Pull
mans were also complete wrecks. be-
Ing smashed into kindiing wood.
OF the dead their appearance a.
the undcrtakers showed thai SON.
were scalded to death, otbe.t were
badly mutilated, while one was cut
nhslf at the waist. his disnIember
ed parts being found at the opposite
end OF the coach.
At O'Clock. when the dad were
. carried into the city, ths morgue
was so crowded ths- the traH pa>.-
ed on further where the ambuiances
and hacks we're gathered TO convey
the dead TO an improvised morgue
which had been ordered.
II took a Gordon of policemen 10
keep the eager crowds from ,It ok
ing oil approaches. For a space of
four hours the streets were ~ one
time or another the scene OF o pro-
cession OF ambulances Carrying iho
wounded to the hospital OF the dead
to the morgue.
The Southern had a corps OF Of
ffcials. physicians and laborers on the
seen quickly after the news was re-
ceived. Improvised iitters were
quickly put into service. as the In
tufed were released from their per
Hops positions In the mass OF wreck
age.
Pullman mattresses and blankets
were used to protect the the injured.
and the dead were wrapped and
handled as tenderiy as the exigen-
cies OF the occasion would permit.
Strong and willing hands lifted the
tnn0rovfaad Hffarv nth thasr