The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-04-20
FAST TRAIN WRECKED.
Southern's Fast Train Derailed Near
BlackYile.

Blackville, April 13.-Steel framed
cars saved the lives of more than a
score of passengers to-day, when
train No. 81, the Southern Railways
Southeastern Limited" left the
track four miles south of this place.
The train was running over As miles
an hour. The officials failed to de-
termine the cause of the accident.
Their were 43 passengers on the
train, but none were seriously injur-
ed. The passengers were slightly
Jared. The train was in charge of
Conductor Blanton, of Charlotte. All
of the seven cars were thrown from
the track except the two Pullmans.
Not one of the train crew was in
jured. The wreck occurred at 1910
o'clock this morning, and the track
was cleared at 8:45 o'clock tonight.
List of Injured.
The following is a list of those in
jured as announced by the officials OF
the road.
Mrs. Alice Hard, Allendale, hip
sprained.
Mrs. Eta G. Hahn, Chattanooga,
nervous shock.
M. S. Iverman, Cleveland, Ohio,
bruised about forehead and leg.
c. C. Ferris, Winston-Salem, N. c.,
knee sprained.
Employees injured include the fol-
lowing:
]. E. Buster, express messenger,
ankle sprained:
N. H. Bullock, special agent, left
hip bruised.
B. A. Overstreet, mail clerk, right
hand cut.
J. P. Thompson, mail clerk, right
arm sprained.
Sam Millen (colored,) porter,
bruised.
'No one can tell what caused the
wreck, and it is very probable that
the cause will never be known" said
Henry Williams, the veteran railroad
man and superintendent Of the Co.
lumbia division of the Southern Rail-
way, who personally looked after
clearing away the wreckage. Vari-
Gus theories as to the probable cause
of the accident were advanced. John
G.. Richards, Jr., a member of the
railroad commission, inspected the
wreck. He failed to find the cause,
and said that it was wonder that all
on the train had not been killed. The
general conclusion is that the wreck
was caused by a decayed crosstie, a
broken flange or broken rail. There
was no testimony to support any OF
these theories.
Was Fast Flyer.
Train No. 81 is the Southern Rail-
ways fast flyer from New York to
the Florida winter resorts. The train
was composed of two Pullman cars,
a dining car, passenger car, combina-
ton car and a mail and an express
car. The engine was No. 1913. The
engineer was D. G. McAllister, of Co.
lumbia, considered one Of the best
men in the service of the company.
All who witnessed the tumbled
heap of wreckage along the track for
over 500 feet wondered how it was
possible that no one was killed or
even seriously injured. Engineer
McAllister said that he was running
about As miles an hour. He heard
grinding noise. Turning in his seat
he saw the front wheel of the tender
leave the track. The engine tore
itself loose from the train and was
brought to stop several hundred
yards away. Seeing that the tender
had jumped the track the engineer
applied the emergency brake. This
brake is almost instantaneous on the
new type of locomotives used between
Columbia and points South.
The Mail Car.
The mail car just behind the ten
der, gave a sudden lurch forward and
landed rs feet away from the track
in a cotton patch. The coach fell on
it's side. e. A. Overstreet and j. T.
Thompson, the two mail clerks, were
not injured.
It happened so quick that they did
not realize that an accident had oc-
Cured until they tumbled from the
side of the coach through a door to
the soft sand. The express car was
thrown across the track. It required
some time to remove this car. The
combination passenger and baggage
car, used by negroes, was thrown
from the track and one end was
-, $ho