The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-04-13
TWO PERISH IN BAGGAGE CAR FIRE At
HARTSVILLE
SIX OTHERS BADLY BURNED
Tragedy Occurs i'm Car Occupied by
Men and Trained Animals. Vic.
Tins Present PitifuI Sight.

oinS tTecent I11uIul S1Rnt.
Hartsville, April S.-Special: Two
members of the "Eph Williams
Famous Troubadours Company"
were burned TO death and six 9TH
ers very badly burned and injured
in baggage car fire, which took
place on the siding at HartsviIle at
about o'clock this morning. OF the
six others so badly burned, il is
proba BILE that two or three may
not recover. This negro minstrel
company gave two performances
here, the last of which was Friday
night. Their tent and several train
ed animals and other fixtures were
gotten into baggage car after
midnight and in this car the fire
occurred.
1t seems that some ten or twelve
men are accustomed 10 sleeping in
this car. with the animals, scenery,
etc. The animals were hitched and
all doors shut tight and the fire.
which was small in itself, and did
little damage to the car or baggage
was so intense and rapid in the
close car that the inmates were
burned by the superheating of air
within and suffocated by smoke
and fumes.
Died Without Awakening.
One negro was found dead, ap-
parently not having aroused from
sleep, sitting in the seat of one of
the how buggies; the others made
frantic efforts to get out of the
car and succeeded in getting the
doors open finally and in getting
some of the animals out alive. But
two men in the car escaped entirely
the others being horribly burned
i
ties. OF the eight or more splen-
dldly trained animals. two were
burned to death and the others so
badly burned as to make their re-
covery doubtful.
The alarm was given by the oil
mill whistle and small crowd at
once collected at the spot. The doc
tors were called and arrived on the
scene at once. The sight that met
the eye was a most pitiful and dis
tressing one. Naked negroes were
running wildly around, burned in a
frightful manner. and begging for
some relief from their misery, alter
nately rolling over in agony and
rolling over in agony and running
wildly through the water and mud
around.
Taken to Hospital.
Ol'ates were quickly administered
and temporary dressings done for
the poor fellows, and they were
hurried to the barracks at the
town Jail, where they were made
comfortable until this afternoon S
train took them to the Sumter
Hospital. They were carried over
in special baggage car.
The occurrence has been a most
horrible one for Hartsville to have
Witnessed nf hot
caught in trap with no chance at
all. The wonder is that it did not
happen sooner, as it was inevitable,
under the conditions of packed men
and horses and baggage in one car.
Where 1t was a puzzle to see where
they were all put. How it hap
pened is not known or even conjec-
tured by the owners of the show.
One of their men passed the car
few minutes before the fire and
saw no light within at all. The gen
eral opinion is that a cigarette
smoker dropped his lighted cigar
found TO have been burned. 1t need
ed small fuel or time in this air
tight hole to do the rest
One Victim From HartSviIlc.
The proprietor of the show was
very solicitous for the care of the
men and spared no expense to have
them properly looked after Their
names 1t was hard to get or their
homes. 1t seems that they are
picked up from month to month
and at various places, and be-
come scarcely known by name One
of them, however, was a young ne
gro well known here, who had gone
to work for them that night. He
died after some hours suffering
Many people were attracted to the
scene of the burning and to the
Jail. Citizens who were early on
the scene were quick in their re-
sponse to the demand of the occa-
sion and contributed anything need
ed for the relief of the suffering.
Eph Williams, the shows proprie-
tor, very Intelligent negro, ex-
pressed great appreciation for every
thing that was done for his men
superintendent Warding, with Mr..
Meeks and Mr.. Stamand, came upon
the morning train and spent the
day here rendering what assistance
they could in the matter
Deputy Sheriff Bethea was
~ a. 4.