The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-08-24

Passengers in Car Possibly Fatally Injured
CAROLINA SPECIAL WRECKED.

Columbia, S. c., Aug. 2l.-Luther
w. Bennett, fireman on the Southern.
was killed yesterday when the two
engines pulling the Carolina Spec
ial" crashed through q burned trestIa
"a miles west of Columbia on the
Spartanburg line of the Southern
railway.
None Of the several hundred pas
sengers on the train were injured 50
far as reports to officials of the South
ern railway show. All cars of the
train remained on the track, the bag
gage a stopping on the brink of the
trestle. Several Columbians were on
the train.
D. G.. McAllister Of Columbia, was
the engineer enthe first engine. ".
II. Green was the engineer on the
second engine. Ha Robertson, 8
negro vas the fireman on Nj. "a.
listers engine. They suffered -
bruises.
The Carolina SneclaT which is
train No. %, is operated bet geea
Charleston and Cincinnati. and was
in charge of James +. Weaver, 1926
Gregg street, Columbia, the conduc-
tor. The fast through train was in
augurated January 2 and this is the
first wreck.
The accident occurred about AS
o'clock. Officials in Columbia imme-
diately dispatched a relief train to the
scene of the wreck.
Passengers said that the train was
making about 40 miles an hour when
the wreck occurred. All passengers
were transferred to- the special train
sent out from Columbia, arriving
here at 9:20 o'clock last night. Sew
eral wrecking crews were Immediate
ly sent to clear the wreckage. Off
Gals ofthe road said last night that
the wreck would be cleared by noon
to-day, when regular schedules viii
be detoured by way of Charlotte. The
equipment of the stCarolina Special
was sent via Chester last night and
is expected to arrive in Charleston
this morning in time to be made up
for b regular train.
The wreck occurred four miles west
Of Aston. The t~restle, which was
burning when the engines struck It.
is about Is feet long and Is feet high.
The under timbers had been almost
completely destroyed by fire. Off,
Gals of the road were unable to say
last night whether the fire was caus-
ed from cinders or was of incendiarY
origin. Engine No. 1905 ran for sew
eral feet on the bridge and then went
down with a severe crash. Engine
No. 1910 was following and piled ON
top of engine No. 1905.
Mr.. Bennett, who was o n<engine No.
1905 was caught underline wreckagg
He did not try to jump but struck to-
his post. He was mashed between the
tender and engine and died a few
moments after being rescued. The
baggage car, Immediately following
the last engine. broke loose.
J. G. MooTehead and ". D. Cook
sey of Carney were among the first
to reach the injured fireman. Mr.
Morehead was probably the first pas
| senger to reach the wrecked engines
and assisted in rescuing the body OF
Mr.. Bennett from the wreckage. MI.
Morehead said last night that the
injured man was breathing when they
succeeded in getting him out, but one
glance at his injuries convinced him
that there was no chance for his life.
Running between Charleston and
Cincinnati every day since January z,
the record of the Carolina SpeciaI"
has been remarkable. The accident
yesterday, claiming the life Of Luther
w. Bennett as toll for the first wreck
witnessed the first accident expert
enced by this fast train to and from
the West.