Huntsville gazette., 1884-02-02
WRECKED ON THE NARROWs.
NASHVILLE TRAIN DASHED
AGAINST HUGE BOULDER.
Ft Lands a Heap OF Rims 100 Feet
Below the Prccipice.

the railroad accident between Chat
tanooga and Stevenson Tuesday,
which delayed the Eastern mail train
five or six hours:
The West bound express of the
Nashville & Chattanooga Railroa,
which left the city at 6 a. m., yester-
day. was wrecked three miles this
siie of Shellnound, twenty miles
from this city in the narrows Of
Raccoon mountain, by striking huge
boulder, which had become dislodged
from the mountain side. The follow
ing were the casualties:
Dick SAwRIE, Nashville, engineer
WOUNDED.
| JOE FLANAGAN, Nashville. fireman,
badly scalded on breast and arm, and
left leg crushed from knee to thigh.
Injuries regarded as fatal.
JAMES THOMAS, Nashville, express
messenger, serious internal injuries
and left leg badly lacerated. His con-
dition is very precarious.
CONDUCTOR TUCKER, Nashville, four
ribs on left side fractured and various
bruises about body.
WILL GRAVES, Nashville, baggage
master, hips crushed and back severe
ly injured.
SHAD AUSTIN, Nashville, brakeman,
knocked insensible at first shock and
bruised, but not seriously.
A. G. WARE, Nashville, drummer
left arm bruised.
ED JONES, Nashville, news butcher,
knocked inssnsible at fsst shock and
slightly bruised.
HOW 1T OCCURRED.
The "Narrows" consist of a narrow
shelf on the side of the precipice, ex-
tending for nearly half a mile, in
gradual curve around the base of the
mountain. The precipice rises to a
sheer height of full 200 feet above the
ledge, and is a solid cliff. 1t extends
below the ledge, almost perpendicular,
fully 100 feet, to the river bank. The
track lies on this shelf, which winds
around the face Of the cliff like a band,
and it's construction is one OF the fin-
est pieces of railroad engineer ing in
the South. On account Of the haz-
ardous location, watchmen are sta
toned al that point by day and night
and inspect the ledge every few mo-
meDts.
The night watchman is Geo. C)l-
burn. His duties are to constantly
walk the track, and yesterday morn
ing, just before the arrival Of the
train, started out to make final
inspection. He proceeded up the
track and found it unobstructed, and
before he had completed the tour, met
the train and tagged it ahead.
The train was proceeding at the
rate of 20 miles sn hour, having
slackened up as it approached the
Narrows, but when the signal, "all
right was given, the engineer pulled
back his throttle and thundered along
at twenty five miles an hour.
When it reached the central point
of the ledge, almost opposite the
watchmans cabin, the engineer saw a
few feet ahead of him huge boulder,
half the size Of box car. He was
sitting with his left hand on the throt,
tle, and, like fash, ehe horrible truth
dawned upon him. He exclaimed in
tremulous tones to his fireman, "Jee,
lump ~ and at the same second turn
ed off the steam, threw back the le
yer, and leaped from the cab, his
fireman following close behind.
THE WRECK
Was frightful. When the engine
struck the boulder, it careened to one
side, and then pitched heavily down
the bluff, and landed at the rivers
edge; it was prevented from plough
ing its way into the stream by large
trees, some of which were bent and
splintered in it's mad course. 1t lies
shorn Of stack, cylinders, cab, and in
fact, all exterior machinery, mere
boiler with heavy rods attached, most
of which are bent and shattered. The
cab was wrenched from the boiler
full so feet from where at landed.
The tender rolled down the bluff
and landed in the river. Portions of
machinery were thrown some distance
into the river and are scattered in all
directions fully one hundred feet
The baggage car turned over at the
first shock and lies demolished near
the river bank fully 100 feet from the
point where it started; it was brand
new car, The smoker turned COM
pletely over and lies on its top near
the baggage car, and is almost dc
molisbed. The second class coach
met the same fate as the smoker. TIE
las. coach only partially left the track.
bnt the trucks and platform were