Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-11-02
A CRASH ON THE CENTRAL.
FATAL COLLISION ON WILLIAM
SONS SWAMP TRESTLE.

Two Freight Trains Wrecked and Fire
man Harry Yonge Instantly Killed
Narrow Escape OF the Engineer and
Crew of the Other EBgine-LOcOnAo-
tives and Cars Piled in a Hesp-A Diff
ference In Time Supposed to be the
Cause of the Catastrophe.
The trestIe over Williamson's swamp,
at sun Hill, on the Central Railroad, $50
miles west Of Savannah, was the scene of
a terrible disaster yesterday morning.
The trestle Is about $50 feet long, and is the
meeting point between down day freight
train No. 4, and up way freight No. 10.
The up-train had arrived on the siding at
the eastern end of the trestle, and after
waiting for tie arrival of the dOwn-train
finally pulled out on the main track, and
was starting to round the curve in
which the trestle is built when
the dOwn-train dashed into sight.
1t was impossible to avert a collision,
and the trains came together with a terri
bic crash. The locomotives were piled
upon each other, and with the wrecks of
cars, it seemed as if the whole forward
section of both trains had been torn up
and thrown together in a heap. The up
train was drawn by locomotive 50, j..
;. Clemence engineer. and the downtown
by locomotive IS in charge of Engineer
Malone. Harry YOnge was fireman on
50. AS the trains came in sight of each
other on the curve and rushed together
YOnge, il is supposed, was paralyZed
with fear and did not move from his
cab. When the crash came he
/ was thrown forward under
the wreck, where his body was found.
mangled into an almost unacceptable
mass. The engineer and the engineer
and fireman Of the other engine saw the
disaster in time and escaped.
As soon as possible a messenger was
dispatched to the nearest telegraph sta
ton, at Tennille, and word was
city. A special wrecking train
was made up, and the Superintendent,
with Master OF Train Service Starr, Mas
! ter Machinist Arden and a wreck1ng
force left for the scene OF the accident
shortly after l O'Clock. The distance of
the place from telegraph station, the
! nearest point being Tennille, five miles
this side of sun Hill, rendered it impossi-
I bic to obtain any accurate information
until a late hour last night, when the
wires were cut at Sun Hill and station
was established.
In the meantime the Atlanta express
No. 81, due in Savannah at AS p. m, had
arrived at the wreck, and the track being
INSTRUCTED the train was delayed unit. the
day express No. 81, leaving Savannah at
10 a. m. had arrived at O'Clock, when the
passengers, with baggage and the mails
were transferred, and were brought back,
reaching Savannah few minutes after
10 last night. The body of YOnge was
picked out from under the wreck and
brought down. and will be buried to-day.
a dispatch from the official at the
scene stated that the cause of the acct
dent was supposed to be a difference in
time between the crews Of the two trains,
but that the actual facts could not be OBJ
tanned until an official Investigation could
be had. Both engines, the dispatch
stated, were badly damaged, and
six or seven cars were wrecked.
A large force was at work
clearing away the wreckage, but
owing to the trestle the work was some
what retarded. Everything will be
cleared away to-day, however, and trains
Will be run as usual. The place where
the collision occurred was on a
heavy grade, and the down train
was coming at full speed.
Each train was made up of about
twenty-five cars. The disaster, while it
is a serious one, was attended with less
loss Of life than might have been sup
posed, occurring at tae point where it
did.
YOnge, the unfortunate fireman, was a
son of p. r. 1Sege, passenger conductor
on train 81, and about % years OF age.