The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-04-15
LEFT THE RAIL
Southern Railways Fast Train Wrecked
Near Black e.
SAVED BY STEEL CARS

Luckily No One Was Seriously Hurt
Cause of the Accident Not De-
termined Yet-The Wreckage Was
Soon Cleared and Regular Traffic
Resumed.
Steel framed cars saved the lives
of more than a score of passengers
Thursday. Wien train No. 81, the
Southern railways Southeastern
Limited" left the track four miles
south of Barrwell, says Joe Sparks
in the Columb bia State. The train
was running over 45 miles an hour.
The officials failed to determine The
cause Of the accident.
There were 43 passengers on the
train, but none were seriously IN
jured. The passengers were slightly
iarred. The train was in charge of
Conductor J. W. Blanton Of Char
lotte. All of the seven cars were
thrown from the track except the two
Pullmans. Not one of the train crew
was injured. The wreck occurred at
1910 o'clock Thusday morning, and
the track was cleared at S:45 o'clock
the same niglt.
The following is list Of those III.
iured as announced by the officials OF
the road.
Mrs. Alice Hard, Allendale, hip
sprained.
Mrs. Eta G. Hahn, Chattanooga,
nervous shock.
NJ. S. Iverman, Cleveland, Ohio,
bruised about forehead and leg.
C. C. Ferris, Winstcn-Salem, N
c., knee sprained.
Employees injured include the fol-
lowing:
J. E. Buster, express messenger,
ankle sprained.
n. H. Bullock, special agent, left
hip bruised.
/, B. A. Overstreet, mail clerk, right
hand cut.
]. P. Thompson, mail clerk, right
arm sprained.
Sam Millen, coiored, porter,
bruised.
"No one car 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., member OF
the railroad commission, Inspected
the wreck. He failed to find the
cause, and said that it was a wonder
that all on the train had not been
killed. The general conclusion Is
that the wreck was caused by d de.
cayed crosstie, a broken flange or a
broken rail. There was nc testimony
to support any Of these theories.
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,
dining car, passenger car, combina-
ton car and 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
Dossible 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 hls
seat lie 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 lnstan-
taneous on the new type Of locomo-
tives used between Columbia and
points South.
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. o. Oyerstreet and
J. T. Thompson, the two mail clerks
were not injured. 1t happened 81
quick that they did not realize that
an accident had occurred until ey
tumbled from the side Of the coach
through a door to the soft sand.
The express car was thrown across
the tack. 1t 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 buried several feet
in the soft sand. There were a
number of negroes in the rear car,
all Of which were very excited.
The passenger car, occupied by
about 90 passengers was thrown Oil
the track. The dining car left the
rails The two Pullman cars did not