The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-01-29
ENGINE TURNS TURTLE
SIX COACHES DERA|LED
A. c. l.. TRAIN NO. SO HAS BAD
WRECK.
Broken Rail Wrecked Coast Line
Flyer 3 Miles North of Dillon
Yesterday Morning.

Atlantic Coast Line train No. &c
due to pass Dillon at 2:30 a. m. was
badly wrecked at an obscure rrossing
three miles north of Dillon early
Wednesday morning. The train was
running about three hours late and
the wreck was caused by broken rail
at crossing near Mr.. Oscar Campbells
home. Engineer Jno. Tolar, one OF the
Coast Lines veteran drivers. was at
the throttle and the train was in
charge of Conductor Chas. Paul.
No. Sc is one of the Coast Lines
fastest trains and 1t is little short OF
miraculous that not a single person
was injured. Passengers in the rear
sleepers were not aware of the wreck
until they were awakened by train Of
ficials. Running late the train was
exceeding its usual speed and the
seven miles from Latta to Dillon were
covered in Z minutes. The train was
, running about so miles an hour when
it took the grade leading up from
the river to the place where 1t was
wrecked.
At the crossing where the huge
locomotive left the track was found a
rail broken as clean as pipe stem.
The wheels of the locomotive took to
the ties and the momentum was Sot
great that the engine ploughed its way
along the track for distance OF a
hundred yards. The coaches follow
ed and when the train came TO
standstill six steel coaches were zig
Jagged across the track bed with ends
resting against the embankments.
Persons who viewed the wreck Won
dered how the engineer and fireman
escaped with their lives. The huge
locomotive was lying diagonally
across the track, flat on its side. The
engineers seat was partly buried IN
the ground and ten feet above it was
what was left of the fireman's seat.
Engineer Tolar says it all happened
in the twinkling of an eye. He ap-
piled the emergency brakes as quick
" as possible and when the brake
shoes clasped the wheels the engine
was thrown backward, pitching MIN
out of the cab backwards. The IRE
man does not know how he escaped.
He did not have time to jump ana
the last thing he remembers was
when the engine pitched over on its
side. When he came to himself he
was standing upright some thirty feet
away from the locomotive. The ten"
der carrying about 10 tons OF coal
turned over on its side, dumping It's
entire load within a few feet OF
the point where Engineer Tolar land
ed on the ground.
The coaches were OF heavy steel
construction and this perhaps ac-
counts for the fact that no one was
injured. If the coaches had been
built of wood they would have been
smashed into kindling and the loss
of life would have been fearful.
There was very little panic among
the passengers. The colored coach
was crowded but the passengers did
not lose their heads. The electric
lights continued to burn and the pas
sengers quietly filed out Of the
wrecked coaches.
This is the third time No. 80 mas
been wrecked near Dillon. About
ten years ago it was wrecked at Bas-
sentyre near Latta, and five years
ago it was wrecked near the Dillon
Mill. Each time there has been great
destruction of railroad equipment but
no loss of life.