The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-08-03
EIGHT KILLED IN WRECK
A Head-on Collision on the
Seaboard at Ham
LET

Over Eighty Passenger Injured In the
smash-Up-Train Was Composed
Of CoIored Escursionists From
Durham Who Were I'm Route TO
Charlotte.
Hamlet. y. e. July 27.-One OF
the worst wrecks ever experienced by
the SeaboaTd Air Line occurred right
in front Of the Hamlet round-house
at 1910 this morning. when a col
ored excursion bound from Durham
TO Charlotte and running as second
No. 80, in charge of Conductor VIII
liam Bowen. of Raleigh, and Engi-
neerman Ben Koonce. OF the same
place. went head-on into a freight
coming into the yards from Whining
ton and In charge of Engineer Archie
Taylor and Conductor Benton Brown.
The track at this place makes a sharp
curve and both sides of the main line
were lined with box and coal cars.
yards under the impression that no
train was coming. and Engineer
. Koonce was heading for Hamlet at a
good clip, sure also that the track
was clear. The two engines lie now
beshide the track fast TO each other
in grasp OF death.
The crash was heard all over
town and the whistles of the round
house and the sound OF escaping
steam from the contending engines
called the whole town to the scene
of carnage and death. Both engineers
are hurt Mr. Taylor is at his home
here, partially unconscious, and Mr..
Koonce is at the Hamlet Hotel DR..
MCLOud. OF Aberdeen, is attending
the injured passenger conductor also.
Captain Bowen is suffering from
three broken ribs and a general
shake-up.
The Seaboard Air Line crew re-
ceived the train with 912 passengers
from the Durham and Southern Rail-
way at SIS this morning at Apex.
Everything went smooth and there
was no intimation of trouble until the
sudden shock of the head-on col
lisiOn.
The great carnage was in the
fourth and fifth cars. Samuel Miller
was asleep with his head in the win
dow. The telescoping wall clipped
off his head and it rolled clear of the
wreck. Where the two cars came to-
gether the people were packed four
deep, the life-blOod of those on top
dripping upon the wounded below.
Willing hands cut away the side of
the car and released a number. The
car seats were laid upon the ground
under the repair shed and a field hos
pital opened. Drs. Kinsman and
FOwlkes, Of Hamlet, and four ply
sicians from Rockingham, with sew
eral from Laurinburg and Aberdeen,
did all that medical skill could do for
the wounded. The task was great
Sixty people were seriously injured:
twenty-eight more were slightly
bruised and scratched; seven were
killed outright and. of the sixty in
jured, one died while on the table
1t was a sad and pitiable spectacle
to see the suffering forms scattered
upon the cushion cots, some covered
with blankets and here and there a
sheet-covered face showing death A
train was hurried made up and the
injured were sent to Charlotte to the
hospital there. The carpenter shop
was made into a morgue and there
the eight dead bodies were prepared
for burial. They were taken back to
Durham tonight.
The wreck DESTROYED six of the
eleven cars, and the uninjured were
compelled to remain in Hamlet all
day, as there was not cars enough
to take them away.
The excursion was being run by
the st. Joseph's Methodist Church of
Durham.
The property loss to the Seaboard
will run up to near $4,000.
The blame for the wreck has not
been placed A similar wreck is re-
called four years ago between here
and Rockingham, when Engineer
Lewis lost his life and twenty-three
passengers were killed
The dead. all of Durham, are: Ed
ma Hall, Edith Hall, Lisbon Hall, Ro-
sa Perry, Dora Day; Sis Webb, Sam
uel Miller. and John Cameron.
Later.-Two more have died since
the ah0ve ronort u,oc ur;++o,