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Sunday, April 18, 2021

Passengers, Crew Suffer Minor Injuries When Two Passenger Trains Strike Open Door on Passing Freight Train, April 18, 1921

Passengers Are Hurt as Trains Strike Car Door. . . Four Are in Presbyterian Hospital, With None Dangerously Injured

An open door to a freight car sideswiped two Southern passenger trains at China Grove about 8:30 o’clock Monday, smashed a number of windows and slightly injured nine persons. Two of the injured are at the Presbyterian hospital, and the two injured negroes are at the Good Samaritan hospital, where they are reported as in no danger of serious developments. Others injured in the accident continued on their journey.

None of the injured persons lived in Charlotte, and two of the nine who were hurt are negroes.

The following is a complete list of the injured as given out by officials of the Southern here:

No. 31—Mrs. H.F. Seay, white, Lynchburg, Va., suffering from shock, apparently not injured.

T.B. Hamrick, white, Thomasville, N.C., piece of glass in eye and slightly cut left side of head.

Bob Price, white, Southern Railway, Spencer, N.C., left ear and side of head cut slightly.

Lucindi Mitchell, colored, residence, Columbia, S.C., slightly bruised left side of head and neck.

Will Mitchell, colored, Columbia, S.C., slightly cut on top of head.

All the above passengers were put off at Charlotte and sent to hospitals except Mr. Hamrick, who continued on his trip after an oculist removed the glass from his eye.

No. 137—Mrs. J.W. Bolling, white, age 37, Andrews, S.C., minor cuts on left hand.

J.W. Holman, white, aged 31, Lexington, N.C., slight cuts on left hand and left side of face.

Dr. Ira M. Hardy, white, age 45, Kinston, S.C., minor cuts about hands, face, neck and ears, slight bruises on left side of head.

W.H. Moor, white, aged 62, Atlanta, Ga., minor cuts on right hand.

All injured parties on 137 continued through to destinations, except Dr. Ira M. Hardy, who was stopping at Charlotte.

The two passenger trains in the accident are known as Nos. 31 and 137 and were running close together, moving south, with a freight train running north on the other track. Owing to the proximity of one of passenger train to the other, train men report it as having been impossible to check the rear train in time for it to avoid the accident.

An official report here said a swinging door to one of the freight cars apparently was blown open by the strong wind. Since the door struck some of the passenger cars and missed others, it was the conclusion here that the door was flapping to and fro as the train moved forward. The car to which the open door was attached was loaded with automobiles and was inspected at Landis, a station a short distance this side of the scene of the accident.

Dr. J.S. Hood of Kings Mountain, a physician of the Southern railway, was a passenger on train No. 137 and gave attention to the injured on his train. The other train was stopped at Kannapolis for attention to the injured, and the more seriously hurt were taken from train No. 31 when it arrived here and sent to the Presbyterian hospital.

The following is an official report of the accident:

“Just as northbound freight train No. 82 was passing No. 31 at China Grove this morning, one-half of door of an automobile car swung outward toward southbound track and struck side of combined passenger and baggage car, breaking off cinder defectors and glass in windows of this car and the next coach behind it.

“Five passengers sitting on the east side of these two cars were slightly injured by flying glass.

“This train was late on account of waiting for connection at Washington and was being followed one block by No. 137. Two coaches in this train were also scraped and four passengers slightly injured by broken glass.

“The accident is of an unusual character and is being investigated to ascertain the cause of the door becoming partially detached, but it was probably due to high wind prevailing at the time.

“The crew of the freight train was in proper position and had just made usual inspection passing Landis and every portion of the trains seemed to be intact.

From the front page of The Charlotte News, Monday evening, April 18, 1921

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