Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-11-19
HEAD -ON COLLISION
Of EXPRESS TRAINS
Frightful Accident Near
Granite, N. c., at an Early
Hour Today.
FIVE ARE KILLED.
Both Trains Crowded With Passengers
and Running at High Speed When
Crash Came.

Raleigh, n. g., Nov. l9.-flVe per-
sons were killed and nearly dozen in
jured in a head-on collision of two
Seaboard Air Line fast express trains
near Granite, n. C. early today.
The dead:
w A. Faison, engineer, of Raleigh.
R. J. Gray, colored fireman.
C. II. Bcckham, engineer, OF Ra-
leigh.
James Rufin, colored fireman.
c. V. Priddy, express messenger,
Boylsns, Va.
The injured:
J. 7. Bryant and Al Mears, bag
gagemasters.
H. Coates, express messenger,
leg broken, Richmond, Va.
G. G. Shannonhouse, conductor,
Richmond.
w B .Tillman, conductor, Rich
mond.
Northbound train No. 81 with Engi-
neer II. C. Beckham, was running at
a high speed, endeavoring to make
up nearly an hours delay. when it
crashed into southbound train No. 81.
Both trains, heavy with passengers,
was running forty 'or fifty miles an
hour. The shock Of their impact tore
up several hundred yards Of track,
snapped off telegraph poles and iso-
lated the scene of the wreck. Mean
while the wreckage caught fire and
the bodies Of the engineers and the
firemen were incinerated. 1t was sew
eral hours before communication was
restored and help summoned.
Advices here were meagre, but II
was assumed that confusion in orders
for freight train caused the collision.
The two trains are among the heaviest
operated by the Seaboard, drawn by
the largest type of locomotives and
carrying Pullma nand diners enroutc
between Jacksonville. Fla, and New
York.
Special rescue trains were immedi-
ately rushed from Raleigh and Rich
mond. Telephone reports here say
that surprisingly small number of
the passengers received injuries, and
these only slight bruises and contu-
sions.
The fact that both trains carried
in the forward part Of their make
up an express car and diner un-
doubtedly saved the lives of scores
of passengers. The first few cars be-
hind the engines on both trains were
literally splintered around the track.
The northbound train was crowded
with passengers who were in Raleigh
last night to atetend William J. Bry-
ans lecture. The Commoner expected
to leave for Savannah on the South
bound train that collidcd.
Shortly before noon a telephone
message from Granite said that mono
of the injured passengers would die
although probably two score were suf-
fering from injuries.
Seaboard Air Line officials had not
received any official report on the
wreck. The impression here was that
Engineer Beckham of the northbount
train. saw the freight train on sid
ing near Granite. and sped past il
under the belief that the freight was
the southbound passenger train which
he regularly passed at Granite.
William J. Bryan was greatly SHOCK
ed at the death of Engineer Beckhar
who yesterday called on the Demo
cratic leader and left a big basket O
tomates just prior to beginning th'
''run" which today took him to death
Beckham said he had always wanted
to meet the Nebraskan. Bryan toda!
sent a handsome floral offering tt
the dead engineers home.
Thomas Began, brakeman, injured
internally.
News agent, name unknown, arm
and leg broken, unconscious.
King, express messenger, Raleigh