Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-29

Mrs. Ed Deal, prepared to go to Rock
Hill this afternoon. The message,
however, gave no particulars what
ever and the family was greatly shock
ed by the abrupt announcement.
The dispatch states that i'll health and
dependency caused the rash act. Mr..
White held a fine position and was
making money rapidly doing con-
struction work"
Wreck on the C. & NV.
Gastonia special of September 2S. to
to the Charlotte Observer: Passenger
train No 10, on the Carolina & North
Western railroad ran into an open
switch near the CASTOR Manufacture
ing company's mill, only short dis
tance north Of the Southern crossing
and inside the city limits, this morn
ing about 9.45 o'clock and only five or
six minutes after II had left the pas
senger depot going north. The train
ran into two heavily-loaded coal cars
on the siding and the shock was so
sudden and violent that numbers of
passengers were knocked breathless
and some of them senseless. Fireman
Abernethy was the worst injured, one
Of his legs being very badly mashed
between the side of the engine and the
tender. He was taken at once to the
hospital. It Is feared he will lose his
| leg. It Is possible that he also sus-
tained internal injuries. Conductor L.
A. Fennell was bruised about the head
some. Engineer Scott Brawley was
not hurt but was badly shaken up. AS
result of the wreck about ten pas
sengers were taken to the hospital
and numbers Of others were slightly
bruised and badly shaken up. 1t Is
not known just how the switch came
to be open, though 1t seems probable
that 1t was left open by the crew of
northbound freight train which went
out ahead Of the passenger. The en-
gine Of the passenger train was badly
damaged, the cow-catcher part being
torn to splinters. The cars were more
or less damaged, though they remained
on the track. An engine and cars were
sent up from Chester, arriving about
noon and the passengers who were
able were taken on their way.
As If BY a Miracle.
Mr. ]. w. Fletcher, roadmaster Of
the c. &. NV. railroad was In York
vile this morning, and in conversation
with the reporter gave more exact in
formation as to the narrow escape
Of passenger train No. 10, at Crowder's
Creek trestle. The statement that the
trucks rode the crossties was a mis-
take. The misplaced rail 1t seemed
lacked fraction Of an inch Of being
entirely mismatched. The engineer
was running at q rate Of something
like 35 miles an hour. The curve at
that point Is of such a nature, that
the weight of the train was on the
opposite side of the track. If the train
had been running considerably slower,
something like twenty miles an hour,
| II Is practically certain that the loose
rail would have been knocked out OF
place and the whole train would have
been thrown in the creek. AS 1t was,
because of the momentum and the fact
that there was so much weight on the
opposite side. the f1anges Of the wheels
mounted on top Of the mismatched rail
and the train got across without
throwing the rail out Of position. Il
at first thought that the trouble was a
broken rail, and Of course, realized
that the matter should be attended to
at once. It was not until I went back
and made an investigation that
found out the real nature Of the dia-
bolical crime that had been attempt
ed." Mr.. Fletcher Is still very much
wrought up over the matter. when /
went back into the train and saw q
number of women with nursing babes
in their arms" he said, Il got so
mad, so very mad, that II I had just
then run across the villain who did 1t
It is not necessary to say what would
have happened"