Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-28
WHAT A RROKEN RATL CAUSED.
Accident ON the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railway-SeveraI
Passengers Slightly Injured.

The train on the Savannah, Florida and
Western Railwsy, due here at 9 a. n. Sat
urday, not arriving on time, there were a
number of rumors afoat as to the cause,
and the report became circulated that there
was a serious accident. The following par
ticulars, however, shows that these reports
were exaggerated:
Passenger train No. 6, consisting Of twelve
cars, with about fifty passengers, bound
from Jacksonville to Savannah, when
near the seventy mile post, about ten
minutes past six O'Clock, running at the
usual rate of speed, met with quite serious
accident by being thrown from the track
by broken rail. Three of the passenger
coaches were thrown from the track, the
first to go being the Jacksonville coach,
which pulled off the Albany sleeper In front
and the sleeper at the rear, all three being
thrown off an incline of an embankment
The therJacksonville sleeperremained par
TALLY on the track but was canted at an
angle OF about forty-fve degrees. The first
car that was thrown landed fiat and level on
its side on the south side of the track. The
windows on the south side were down and
those on the opposite side up. The second
car was thrown down an embank-
ment about five feet high.
closely against the side of the car, which in
consequence of the eapsiZe had been con-
verted into the ceiling. In this car were
several passengers, but as the doors, front
and rear, were open they managed to crawl
out with some difficulty and without sus-
tanning any serious injury. In the fourth
passenger coach were Mr.. and Mrs. G. o.
Avery, Of Chicago, with their little daugh-
ter, child some three and half years of
age. The little one, utterly unconscious of
the narrow escape she and her parents had
made, was apparently delighted at the con-
fusion and rumpus occasioned by the acct
dent, and was clapping her hands in childish
glee when rescued. In the same car were
Mr.. and Mrs. r. L. Hoxie, of Washington,
D. G. Mrs. Hoxie, at the time the accident
occurred, was engaged in carving face on
a cane, and was so little disturbed by the
accident, the shock not being greatly felt at
the rear of the train, that she did not
discontinue her artistic labors.
Frank Minis, the porter of the third car,
experimenting that there might be some
danger from fire, sought to extinguish the
IRE In the stove, but the other porter,
equally as vigilant, had previously turned
the damper, thus shutting off the draft,
and averting any calamity from this cause
The following parties were hurt, all
slightly, although many of the passengers
were considerably startled, and had scarcely
recovered from their fright when they
reached the city:
Mr., Mitchell, wife and daughter, in the
Albany sleeper, were slightly injured; Mrs.
q. w. Mitchell was hurt on the hip; Mr.. F.
L. Allen, from Waterbury, Ct, sustained a
painful injury IN the small of the back;
Samuel Herbert and wife, of Rummey, N.
H., were in the Jacksonville coach, and
escaped any injury, though the latter was
seriously shC cked. j. 8. Shedd, of Wash
ington, d. G John s. Thompson, Provi-
| dence, r. l., ud E. G. fainter, Of Phila-
| delphia, were shaken up pretty lively, but
escaped With slight bruises, as also the por-
ter, Frank Minis.
A. NJ. Walthour, of CLAYTON, Ala, con-
neeted with the Waycross Railroad, was the
most seriously injured of any of the passen-
gers. He received severe cut In the left
temple and eye, and his shoulder was badly
bruised, and he was also hurt in the small
of the back.
j. J. Fay, of New York, was slightly
bruised.
Mr.. Mitchell, wife and daughter, aud Mr..
F. l.. Allen, on the arrival Of the train pro-
caeded to the steamship City of Macon, and
left in the afternoon for New York
Conductor Keller, who was In charge of
the train, and who fortunately was not in
jured, gave prompt attention to the passen-
gers, and in very short time had the pas
SengefS ana tner portable baggage trans
ferrad to the other cars which had not left
the track, and the train proceeded to Savan-
nah, reaching here about eleven O'Clock.
Several of the passengers whom we saw
spoke In the highest terms of the attention
shown them aud the efficiency displayed
by Conductor Keller.
The damage is confined to the three
coaches which left the track, and is not Sc
rious. The track at this point is laid with
steel rails, and the previous night one of the
Mogul engines, with fortY-1ve freight cars,
passed over it. The rails were new, and the
cause Of it breaking is almost unaccounta-
BILE. However, the accident resulted In no
loss OF life, and those slightly injured will
only remember the occasion with feelings of
satisfaction at 1t not being more serious.
This is the first accident of any moment that
has occurred On this line il some time. The
broken rail was quickly replaced, and trains
went out IS usual Saturday afternoon.