The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-06
MURDER ON THE RAIL.
TIE GEORGIA CATASTROPHE THE
YORK OF A DRUNKEN ENGINEER

Western Railroad Dashing Along
with Nobody Awake on tho engine
Shocking Details Of the Collision.
Our kilograms have already furnished q
brief outline of the recent fearful railroad COL
lision between Atlanta and Macon. The &C.
counts by mall show that the disaster was
little less than wholesale murder. The story
OF The collision, briefly stated, Is this. The
up-night passenger train on the Macon and
Western Railroad should. have stopped at
Bear Creek station, In order to let the down
train pass. But the engineer of the up
train, a man named Johnson. was asleep
under the influence of liquor, and passed
the switch station Without stopping. The
train from Atlanta came down on time, and
three miles from Bear Creek the two engines
ran into each other with great force, and
"telescoped" the cars. The car of the Macon
train, next TO the engine, was filed with
oolored emigrants-eight OF whom were
killed, and seven others wounded. One white
man was dangerously and number seriously
Injured. A heavy loaded baggage and express
car saved from slaughter the passengers from
Atlanta. When informed by telegraph Of the
disaster, President Wadley at once directed
the arrest OF the engineer whose criminal con-
duct had caused 1t. We copy some details of
the catastrophe from the accounts In the
Atlanta papers:
The switch at Bear Creek Station is the
Doolsy patent, and train passes over 1t with
out any of the usual Jars that Ia generally felt
In passing over other switches. This fact,
together with no signal for down brakes, led
the conductor to suppose that this station had
not been reached. He had no thought bU.
that everything was all right. Not 80, how
ever.
THE ENGINEER WAS ASLEEP
when the station was reached; 80, also, was
his fireman, Louis Tisero, and the wood
passer, Charles Horn. There wash one on
the look out. The first alarm of danger was
the blowing of the whistle of the other train
Hs 1t came around curve, only about two
hundred yards distant. This alarm was first
thought to be the engineers signal on arriv
Ing at station. Hardly had the sound been
uttered before the trains colllded, and every
body On both we're thrown forward with im-
mense force. All knew instantly that some
mlshap had taken place, bnt what 1t was none
could tell. 1t was generally believed that the
train had run of the track. The screams and
shrieks that ent the air were terrible. Wo-
men and children were crying, and men fear
fully alarmed. Every one that conld, en-
deavored to get of. As soon as possible all
who were In the rear cars got out and ran
forward towards the engines. II was then
discovered that the two trains
BAD CoLLDED,
and most frightiul disaster had happened.
Immediately all began to look around to as
certain the extent. The train coming this
way was composed of four cars, arranged In
the following order: The first car, which was
Immediately next to the engine, was a acc
ono. class car, or what is commonly called the
negro car; then came the ladies' car, next the
baggage, and last the sleeping car. The ten
der OF the
ENGINE TELEsCoPED
the car next to II, jammlne the entire front
half of IT. This car was completely filed up
with negroes. All who were In the front part
Of it were moro or less Injured: Eight were
Killed outright, three OIL Whom we're negro
men, three women aud two children. Those
who we're not killed were 30 completely shut
In that they had to be cut out. This required
four hours 10 accomplish. Fortunately the
wounded were not seriously hurt, their prln-
cipal suffering being on account of their ina
bility 10 move any part OF their person. Some
three or fonr received cuts and bruises, which
were only flesh wounds. OF those killed, TWO
Of the men were brothers, who got on the
train at Griffin, and were on their way 10
Kansas. A woman and two children from
Americas, who, with her husband, were GO.
ing West.
4 SAD INCIDENT.
Connected with this was the father and hus.
band sitting on the same seat, for four long
hours, with nis dead vile and children, unable
to move any part of himself lbeing complete.
" fenced in) except one hand, and with this
he could reach over and touch her, knowing
that she was dead. The passengers In this
car were the only ones that were hurt at all
on this train. The fireman and wood-passer
Jumped off before the collision; the engineer,
the mouth by one oil the levers. he received
q slight wound on his upper lip. There were
but
FOUR PERSONS ON THE OTHER TRAIN
that were hurt; these were the engineer, F. N.
Nicklejohn, who was hurt very badly In the
spine, as he attempted 10 Jump from his en-.
CINE when 1t struck. Tucker Ball, brakes
man, hurt his leg; he made very narrow es-
cape. One or two other parties had narrow
escapes. Among the others wounded were
Colonel J. F. Dever, late collector OF internal
revenue at Atlanta, Mr.. Stearnes. the express
messenger, and Roland Faden. None OF these
were dangerously hurt. No white person was
killed.
THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO TEE CARS
and engines was very great; both engines
were completely wrecked and piled upon
each other. The car that the killed were 10
also was badly broken and Injured. The
platform and roof Of the car next to 1t was
slightly damaged. The other two cars on
this traln were not damaged at all. Two ol
q, nf q nrnaHl90
one of them contained the baggage OF the
Strakosch Concert Troupe, which was scat
tered by the four winds of heaven In every
direction, The other cars were not Injured
These were brought to the city yesterday
afternoon, crowded with passengers from the
wreck.
THE KIND ACTION OF THE PASSENGERS
In their efforts to extrlcate and relieve the
sufferers from their perilous situation Wa
commendable. Persons who were never uset
to work, got axes and prlses and assisted Will
all their might ard energy 10 get them OUT
| The ladies did what they could in ministerinG
to them. As soon as the persons were golteI
out of the car, they kindly attended them AM
dressed their wounds, and numbers Woule
take the negro children, as they We're takeI
| from the wreck, and rub them and give then
stimulants. The action OF the Carlotta Patt
troupe was very highly spoken Of as deserving
esppclal praise. They went about anC
ministered TO the suffering, unmindful o
their own matters, which needed looklni
| after.
THE FINALE.
What shall we say OF the conduct OF tina
engineer whose gross negligence caused Uni
terrible, terrible disaster. Asleep on hls pos
of duty. with freight of priceless value unde
his care and watchfulness. Many deep ant