The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-18
WRECK OF TRAIN
Costs Eleven Lives and Causes Injury TO
Many People.
ACCIDENT ON SOUTHERN

A Broken Rail Throws Fvie Coaches
From a Bridge Near Greensboro,
N. C.-Two High Southern Rail-
way Officials Are Included In the
List Of Those Killed.
Local passenger train No. II, on
the Southern railway, known as the
Richmond and Atlanta train, due
in Greensboro at 6:40 a. m, was
wrecked Wednesday at 1892 at Reedy
Fork trestle, ten miles north Of
Greensboro, and at o'clock Wednes-
day evening eleven deaf bodies had
been removed from the wreckage.
Fourteen are reported dead and
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 aebris and, 1t was $3.50 before
this work was we'll underway. The
injured were carried to Greensboro
as rapidly as they could be extrl'
catel from the wreck and placed
in st. Leo's hospital.
The derailment of the train was
Gauge! by broken rail. about two
hunlred feet from the trestle that
spans the small stream. The train
was composed of two baggage, ex-
press and mail cars, three day
coaches AMI two Pullmans. The en-
g.ne AMI baggage. mail AMI express
cars passed over in safety, while
the lay ccaches and Pullman were
thrown from the trestle into the
creek and along the banks some
twenty to thirty feet below.
At the point where the first coach
left the track, the right hand rail
being broken, about eighteen inch
es from : joint, the r1il was broken
into fragments for several feet, and
tern entirely from the crossties. The
truck wheels ran on the ties until
near the trestle, when the outsi Q
wheels went over, allowing the
brake be ms ami aXles to fall on
he guard rail OF TIE bridge. rs
the last coach was about on the tres
tie, the five coaches toppleI ove'
broke loose from the mail an ey
press car and tumbled to the mu
n water below.
The Norfolk Pullman fell in The
sfte: While the Richmond sloepe:
Just in front, landed only partially
in the water. The most Of the IN
lure an k,iiled in the sleepers we 8
in the Richmon7 sleeper, which was
totally demolished. The Norfolk
sleeper wss not so badly torn up,
but fell on its 81 'e In the swollen
stream, submerging many Of the pas
sengers in the water. The con luc
tor in this coach, Capt. Johnson, was
very slightly injure and none Of the
passen: GERS in his car were killed.
The Richmond Pullman is d mass
of wreckage and scattered over the
wet and muddy bank Of the stream,
part of it being buried In the inu;..
At II. o'clock parts Of two bod:-s
were visible from the edge Of this
mass Of wreckage and it Is not nov
known how many more are under
it. Railroad men, who were work
ing hard to rescue the unfortunate
victims and to recover the bodies
OF thc deal, are practically certain
that remova. Of the debris would
reveal more dpal bodies The tw)
day coaches in front OF the Full
mans we're also complete wrecks, be-
ing smashed into kindling wood.
Of the dead their appearance at
che undcrtakers showed tina. some
were SCALED to death, ot5s.' were
badly mutilated, while one was cut
nhalf at the waist, his dismember
Ell parts being found at the oppcsife
end of the coach.
At / o'clock, when the deal were
carried into the city, the morsLe
was so crowded tha- the tr1il pas
ed on further whore the ambulaEces
and hacks were gathere1 to conway
the dead to an improvised norEue
which had been ordered.
1t took a Gordon Of policemen to
keep the eager crowds from Alt ck-
ing all approaches. For a spA:c OF
four hours the streets were IL one
time or another the scene Of pro-
cession Of ambulances carrying ie
wounded to the hospital or the dead
to the morgue.
The Southern h:d a corps OF Of
fcials, physicians and laborers on the
seen quickly after the news was re.
ceived. Improvisei litters were
quickly put into service, as the in
jured were released from their per
ilous positions in the mass Of wreck
age.
Pullman mattresses and blankets
were used to protect the the injured.