The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-08-01
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
FOLLOW DERAILMENT = CAR
Three Persons Killed and Many Injured When Passenger
Coaches Plunge Through Tresle Hooper's Creek
Many Injured Rushed to Hospital at Chester Some
of Whom May Die

wrecks that veer happened in this
section occurred at Hooper's creek,
seven miles east of Chester, as the
West bound combination passenger
and freight train, which left Ian
caster on schedule time, at 1885 p.
m. Wednesday, was approaching the
trestle a few minutes before 5
o'clock. The train was pulled by an
engine with Mr.. John A. Stewman at
the throttle and Capt. ID. E. Penny,
conductor in charge. The three
passenger cars were crowded. In
front of these were two gondola iron
cars loaded with coal and preceding
these several ordinary freight cars.
The rear coach was an extra, put
on to convey the parties, from this
place who were going over to wit
ness the match game Of ball between
Chester and Dillon. Nearly all the
passengers in the coach were from
Lancaster. The next coach to this
was the regular passenger coach
well filed. In front of this
was the coach for colored people
The accident is supposed to have
been caused by one of the cars, sup
posedly a coal car, jumping from the
rails about $50 feet from the trestle.
At any rate the cross ties are SCARED
and cut all the way from the trestle
for this distance. The engine and
several OF the freight cars crossed
the trestle safely, but the impact
from the derailed cars when they
struck the timbers caused the trestle
to give way and the two iron coal
cars were precipitated into the creek
below, a distance of So feet and two
Of the passenger coaches fell in on
top OF them. The rear coach, con-
tanning the Lancaster people, went
down but lodged on one of the lower
benches, leaving the coach hanging
to the eastern embankment OF the
creek at an angle OF something like
forty-fve degrees. DR.. r. c. Nc
Manus, Roach S. Stewart, Claude N.
Sapp, Wayne Green, j. NJ. Madra,
DR.. r. ]. Hinson, DR.. G. V. Pratt,
Thomas Beatty, Clyburn Wilson, DR..
r. G.. Brown, Frank Key, Foster
Moore, Will Ross Moore, II. l..
Hagerman, T. l.. Hilton and little
Tom Funderburk and others scram-
bled out and aided in the rescue of
their fellow passengers in the two
other coaches in the creek. They
found the regular passenger coach
split almost into kindling wood and
1t was with extreme difficulty that
Gated from the debris with which
they we're covered and carried up
the steep embankment to the level
ground above. The eye witnesses
who aided in the rescue work say IL
was the most horrible experience
they ever put through in their lives,
the heart-rending screams for help
from the women and children min
gled with prayers in which the man
gled men Joined. Not single per-
son showed the white feather, but
men, both white and black, worked
until many of them fell in their
tracks from sheer exhaustion. Amor g
the ill-fated passengers who went
down were Mr.. Charlie Williams,
son OF the late F. M L. Williams of
this county, with his wife and I'VE
children, who we're returning to
Corpus Christi. Texas, after a two
weeks visit to relatives in this
county. All sustaining serious in
juries excepting one daughter and a
little baby about a year old which
came through unscathed owing to its
mothers watchfulness. putting her
self between her child and danger.
Mrs. Williams leg was broken
her shoulder dislocated and her head
horribly bruised.
A negro brakeman by name or
Elijah Heath was killed instantly.
Two more deaths have been since re-
ported that Of " II. Craft, a travel
ing salesman from Anderson, and
Roy Clifton, youth from Fort
Lawn
Immediately on hearing Of the ac-
cident superintendent A. P. Mcclure
directed Engineer Stewman to rush
to Chester with his engine and bring
back relief train with all the doc
tors and nurses he could procul A
relief train from Lancaster. With
Col. Leroy Springs, the president Of
the road and his son Elliott, rnd
superintendent Mcclure on board
rushed to the scene OF the wreck
The Chester special was there when
the Lancaster train arrived and the
doctors and nurses were busily en-
gagged doing everything in their
power to relieve the suffering Of the
unfortunates.
The scene presented beggars de
scription. Men, women and children
torn, bleeding and mangled, were
lying all around, but bearing 1t al
with the most heroic forSUde The
Texas lady, Mrs Williams, had but
one request, which was repeated al
frequent intervals, Leave me and
see to my helpless children" II !:
no disparagement to the heroic con
duct OF the others 10 mention that ot
clittle Tom Funderbuilt, son OF DIR
Eugene Funderburk TIE little fel