| From the Raleigh Standard |
| |
| November 5, 1862 |
| |
| Terrible Railroad Accident |
| A most frightful and distressing accident
occurred on the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad, between Huntsville and
Forestville, on Tuesday morning last, about 23 minutes before 7
o'clock, by which four persons were killed, and sixteen or seventeen
were wounded. |
| It appear that a gravel train, under the
management of Sidney Hinton, engineer, left Raleigh in the morning
just in rear of the mail train for the North, when it should have gone
earlier in the rear of the freight train. This gravel train met the
accommodation train, filled with passengers, as it was coming South
towards Raleigh, and the collision between the two trains was
terrible. Lieut. H. J. B. Clark, of Craven, of the 2d State troops, a
Mr. Nesbitt, of Concord, and Mr. J. J. Berryhill, of Charlotte, were
instantly killed; and Mr. Thomas Rowland, of Stanly County, received
injuries of which he died in the course of two hours. The following
were wounded: |
| Col. Robt. Mowman and son, Newberry, S.
C., very slightly. |
| W. D. Kivvin, Darlington District, S. C.,
slightly. |
| Serg't Hardy, 59th Regiment, Bertie
county, N. C., breast bruised, not seriously |
| Wm. G. Templeton, Iredell county, N. C.,
contusion in face. |
| Andrew J. Wright, Granville county, left
leg broken. |
| Mrs. Jane Hayworth, Davidson county, N.
C., badly bruised, no bones broken. |
| Mrs. Eva C. Roland, Stanly county, N. C.,
left leg broken. |
| Mr. Roscoe Barrus, Pollocksville, Jones
county, N. C., breast bruised. |
| John A. Barrus, ditto, bruised in abdomen,
not seriously. |
| Alexander G. Barrus, ditto, 5 years old,
hip and leg bruised. |
| William Moore, High Point, N. C., arm
shattered. |
| L. L. Conrad, Davidson county, N. C., left
foot cut off. |
| Albert Ellington, Henderson, Granville
county, N. C., both legs broken below the knee. |
| Dick, servant of Mr. White, Louisburg, N.
C., ankle broken. |
| Henry, brakesman, servant of Maj. Vass,
Treasurer of the R. & G. R. R. Company, legs bruised. |
| A messenger was sent to Raleigh for
medical aid, when Surgeon General Warren, and Doctors Hill and McKee
promptly repaired to the scene of the accident and did all they could
for the unfortunate sufferers. The bodies of the dead were brought to
this City, under the special charge of Mr. John R. Harrison, and on
Wednesday morning those of Lieut. Clark, and Messrs. Rowland and
Berryhill were sent to their friends, and the body of Mr. Nesbitt was
interred in the graveyard near this City. Mr. Ellington, at his urgent
request, was sent back to Henderson, and the rest of the wounded were
brought to this City and kindly cared for. The most distressing case,
perhaps, was that of Mrs. Rowland, of Stanly. She had been to Richmond
for the body of her deceased husband, and the corps was on the train,
accompanied by Mr. Thomas Rowland, his father, and herself. Mr.
Rowland was killed, and the lady referred to had he left leg shattered
just above the ankle. She was removed to the house of Mr. J. G.
Bromell, at the old Gaston depot, where she now is, doing well, we are
glad to learn, and receiving every attention from the family of Mr.
Bromell and from sympathizing friends. Her leg was amputated on
Tuesday evening, by Surgeon General Warren and Doctors Hill and McKee,
and there is every prospect at present that she will recover. |
| Mr. Conrad and several others were removed
to the hospital at the Fair Grounds, under the charge of Dr. E. Burke
Haywood. His leg has been amputated, we learn, by Dr. Haywood, and he
is doing we.. |
| The tender of the accommodation train was
driven back through the first passenger coach, crushing and mangling
as it went. The wonder is that all who were in that coach were not
killed or wounded, but there were a number of fortunate escapes. Capt.
Mitchell, of Caswell, was in the front part of the first coach, and
escaped uninjured, while Serg't Hardy, of Berttie, who was sitting by
him, was injured. The Conductor, Mr. Williams, was standing in the
aisle of the same coach, and escaped uninjured Mr. Barrus, of Jones,
and his son and grandson escaped serious injury, while two persons
sitting by or near them, were killed. Maj. Thomas D. Hogg, of this
City, was in the front part of the second car, which was broken in.
His escape was a very narrow one. |
| We have conversed with the Conductor, Mr.
Williams, and the Engineer of the accommodation train, Mr. Holleman,
and we are satisfied that they are not to blame in any respect for
this frightful accident. Mr. Holleman informs us that his fireman
first called his attention to the approaching gravel train, when about
one hundred yards distant. He instantly whistled down the brakes and
reversed his engine, and by that time the gravel train was within some
twenty yards of him. He jumped for life -- struck on his feet, then on
his head, and as he recovered himself he heard the crash. The Engineer
of the gravel train, Sidney Hinton, was running out of time, and seems
to be the one who is most, if not alone to blame for the calamity. It
is said that he manifested much emotion at the suffering he had
caused, but soon made his escape, as he was seriously threatened by
the passengers. |
| This is the first accident of any
magnitude which has occurred on this Road. It has always been well
conducted, and its trains are generally very prompt to time. We trust
it will not be our duty soon to record a similar accident on any of
our Roads. |
|