The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-04-18
WRECK ENDANGERS MANY LIVES
Southern's Fast Train Derailed Near
BarnWe1l-As if by Miracle, No
Casualties Attend Ditching.

Barnwell, April 13.-Special Train
No. 81, the Southern railways pa
latial vestibule train from Washing
ton, D. c., to Jacksonville, Fla, which
is scheduled to pass Barnwell at 9.57
a. m., was derailed this morning
about about five miles from town and
now lies a wreck amid tangle of
twisted rails, splintered cross ties,
broken trucks and girders. The
wreck was caused by the spreading of
the rails.
By what seems a miracle, none of
the passengers was seriously hurt,
nervousness from the shock appar-
emily being the only untoward result
experienced by them in what could
have been the most serious wreck in
point Of casualties in the history of
this division Of the road.
AS soon as an engine could be run
to the wreck, the passengers were
carried to Blackville in one Of the
two Pullman cars remaining on the
track. It was impossible TO learn any
of their names when the News and
Courier correspondent reached the
wreck about two hours after it oc-
Cured.
Two Badly Hurt, Says Porter.
Inquiries as to the condition Of the
passenger elected but one reply from
the trainmen, that no one was Sc
riously hurt" A porter, however,
who had his knee injured, stated that
two ladies were right badly hurt and
little child had a cash cut in its
forehead. They were passengers in
the day coach, who had for the most
part to be taken out of the window.
A scene of indescribabIe confusion
met the eyes of those who went to the
wreck. The train was travelling at
the rate of 40 or so miles an hour
when the tender struck the spreading
rails and left the track, the cars pill
ing up behind it, and after running al
few yards the entire train, with che
exception of the engine and the two
Pullman cars, was ditched.
In Every Direction.
The engine broke loose and ran
about 100 yards down the track, with
its two rear wheels on the ties; the
mail car jumped entirely over the ten
der and landed on its side, about 40
feet from the track, in an open field.
The ez press car was next and landed
upright, about 80 feet away. The bag
gage car lay crosswise the track,
while one end of the white day coach
was buried several feet in the ground
breaking the glass in the Vestibule,
tearing up the seats and otherwise
damaging it. How the passengers
escaped serious Injury is mystery.
The dining car was next and it also
Jared badly, being almost turned over.
Two Pullman cars attached to the
rear remained on the track with the
execution of the front trucks Of the
forward car. The trucks OF all the
cars, except the dining car and the
two Pullmans, were stripped of and
some Of them buried four feet in the
ground, along with mass Of other
wreckage. In one place the roadbed
was swept clean, twisted rails and
broken pieces of cross-tieS being on
every side.
Clearing Track-Train DetOured.
A wrecking train was hurried to the
scene as quickly as possible and soon
the work of clearing the track was
in progress. 1t is thought that the
wreck will be cleared away enough
by midnight to enable trains to pass.
Train No. 80, the fast train to the
North, went over the Seaboard Air
Line tracks this afternoon via Den
mark. The wrecked train was not
crowded and this may in part account
for the fact that no one was killed.
At this season of the year the travel
is mostly northwards.
The wreck of today brings to mind
one that occurred within 200 yards of
the same place in 1891, when a pas
senger train was derailed and went
down high embankment, killing; one
passenger and badly injuring several
others. This happened oa the Caro-
lima Midland railroad, since bought
and operated by the Southern. The
scene of today's wreck was a COM
paratively level place.
Nine Slightly Injured.