The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-11-05
A Train on the o. 81 Nj. Rail-
Road Bloxyn tO AtomS

"A
horrible railroad accidents that has occur
red in this vicinity for some time past,
took place at Gravel Pit, station distant
about eighteen miles from this city, on the
Ohio and Mississippi road last night about
8 o'clock. A special freight train left
this city at 6 25 last evening in charge of
MIR, Mills Howe, conductor, aud JOS Gar
diner engineer, Reaching Gravel Pit abb
out y o'clock, the train was stopped on
the main track for the purpose of taking
in wood for the engine.
Shortly after the train stopped, while
the brakeman was passing the wood aboard
the tender, the engineer oiling the engine,
the fireman piling the wood as it came on
board, and the conductor and party of
little boys who had gathered about to see
the locomo tive standing alongside the en-
CINE, powerful freight locomotive explo-
ded her boiler witha report that was heard
for miles around, and with such force that
it killed the conductor, fireman, and one
of the boys outright, and wounded two
more of ths boys, who have since died.
The engineer and abrakeman named Henry
Howe, brother to the conductor, were also
injured quite severely.
SO terrible was the force of the explo-
sion that the engine was shattered into frag-
ments, some of which were blown to the
Kentucky side of the river, distance of
nearly mile, while others, large and
small, have since been picked up around
the scene of the accident within a ra-
dius of a thousand yards The wood in
the pile alongside was sent flying in the
air in every direction, and stationary en-
CINE used for saving the wood and the
house that enclosed it were blown to frag-
ments.
The conductor was lifted up and thrown
against the wood pile, struck in the face
and body with several fragments of the
boiler, and so fearfully mangled and burn
ed by the escaping steam as to be almost
unacceptable. Both legs were broken
and his body crushed to jelly, and his face
and neck gashed and skull crushed. The
fireman, John Malone, who was standing
near the fire doors in a position to feel the
full force of the explosion, was also hor-
ribly mangled and died instantly. His
limbs were broken, body covered with
cuts and bruises, and his skull blown off
and brains spattered all over the river
side of the water tank.
One of the boys named John Smith, son
of one of the employees Of the road, residing
at the gravel pit,was blown long distance
of 300 yards against gravel bank and in
stantly killed. He was about twelve years
OF age. His brother, a few years younger
was also blown long distance, together
with the flying wood, and so badly injured
that he has since died. The boy, Thos.
Murphy, about fifteen years old, was lifted
up and thrown distance of fifty feet
against wood-pile, which fell on his body,
completely hiding it from view. He died
in a few minutes after being taken from
the debris. His little brother, about six
years of age was blowna distance of forty
feet into lot of tall weeds, whore he was
found crying Justify, but slightly injured.
Mr.. Gardner was knocked down and bad
ly injured in the head, shoulder, and hip.
Henry Howe, the brakeman, had his hip
and knee crushed, and received internal
injuries, which, it is feared, will prove ia
tai. Several other persons were bruised
by the flying fragments. The trucks of
the engine were not moved from the track,
nor the tender moved more than three
feet backwards. The force seems to have
acted from below, lifting the boiler up and
scattering the fragments in all directions.
SAVANNAH, Nov. 3.-The negroes APP
peared in great numbers when the polls
were opened and took entire possession.
This continued till about o'clock. Ev-
cry white man who came to vote was
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