The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-06-01
1.-THE FORGOTTEN TRAIN ORDFR."
Writer for The State by j. S. Land.

z, written by Cy Warman recalls to
my recollection OF a similar but real
incident, which occurred on the Colum-
bia and Groemvillc division of the
Richmond d Danville railroad. now
the southern railway. back i'm the
year lS%9, when | was filling the po-
Sltion OF master of trains for the
Richmond & Danvillc. with hcaduuar-
ters and Offices at the cid Blandins
street station in this city. At the
time, the old LaurenS railroad, from
Helena to Laurens, 81 miles i'm length.
and afterwards purchased by the Co
lumbia, Newberry q Laurens and dis
mantled, was owned by the Richmond
d Danvlle and operated as Il branch
CT the Columbia and Grennville di-
vision. Passenger train No. 3 left
Laurens about I o'clock a m, daily.
except Sunday. running through to
Columbia. reaching this city about
Laurens in the evening. This was
may say, shopping train people
on the line between Newberry and
Columbia using it for the purpose OF
coming into Columbia i'm the morning
to do their shopping and returning
the same day, consequently the travel
on the train was always considerable
and on the day in question the train
was we'll filled with passengers At
that time trains were pretty thick
between Columbia and Aston eSpe-
cially between the hours of / o'clock
n. IN. and noon. To relieve the situa-
tion, and expedite the handling of the
traffic, telegraph office had been es-
tablished at Bookman, a small sta
tion half way between Columbia and
Aston there being no 9th y telegraph
Office in the 25 miles distance between
the two last named places Freight
train No -, for Spartanburg. left
Columbia little late one morning
and on arrival at Bookman the con-
ductor requested The operator at that
point to call up G.. o., the dispatcher's
Office at Columbia, and ask the dis
patcher to give him little help
against passenger train No. g. other
wise he would be in hole at Book
man and be tied up for several hours
The dispatcher at once sent the fol-
simultaneously:
ITO C G e No. 3, Aston.
TO G & Il No. %, Bookman
No 3, engine 81, will wait at Wal
90
engine 235."
The operators at both places re-
peated back at once the order and
received the O. *. from the dispatcher.
The conductor and engineer OF No.
% at Bookman signed the order,
and getting the complete from the
dispatcher, their copies of orders were
handed to them and they pulled out
for Wallaccvillc, having now the right
of track over the passenger train to
Wallaceville until 9;%5 a III. They
did not know then that their lives
We're In Jeopardy,
When the operator at Aston got the
o. *. to the order from the Dispatch
el, IL DeCuIle al HOlulnS OTuer LOT NO.
3, and the operator was responsible
for the holding of said train until the
conductor and engineer signed the
order on arrival and got complete
thereto from the dispatcher.
Unfortunately, however, this opera
tor, although he had taken this order
but a few moments before, forgot it
and gave the crew of No 3 a clearance
card, stating that there were no orders
for the train.
You can imagine the amazement
experienced by the dispatcher when
the operator at Aston called and sent
the following: O. S, (Which is the train
report signaD No. 3 ar 9:i5 9:I7.
Upon receipt OF this report of the
passing of No. 3 the dispatcher real
lied in an instant that i'm about 10
or II minutes a head-on collision was
inevitable between a passenger train
crowded with passengers and running
about 80 miles per hour and heavy
freight train going at full speed i'm the
opposite direction. unless one of the
trains could be caught before getting
out of sight.
The dispatcher then called Book
man and told the operator to run out
and signal to No. % TO stop If she had
oTnt