The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-11-04
RuRNED NO DEATm.
Thirteen Persons Perish in a
Terrible Railroad Ac-
cfdemt.

ooOh hAbOA AhlNAlSlUJ VIC WOoV-OVuhN
limited was ditched at East Rio siding,
a small station about thirteen miles
east OF this city, on the main line Of
the Chicago, milwaukee & ST. Paul
Road. There are two side tracks at
the place, and at the time the train
was due there last night, both were oc-
cupied by freights, one by avid train,
and the other by train No. IA, Con-
ductor H. p Hankey, Of this city,
which had just pulled in from the
West to allow the limited to pass. No.
IA was very long, and the conductor
was at the head of the train, relying
upon the brakeman to attend to the
switch. One report says the rear
brakeman whose business it was to
close the switch after the train, for
some reason neglected to do so. The
other and the more probable story is
that he started back to close the
switch, but before he could reach it
the limited, which does not stop at
any except large places, came tearing
down grade at fifty miles an hour and
left the rails at the open switch. The
sidings are in cut where the road
curves so that the switch light cannot
be seen from the east until train is
within few rods; so that the engin-
eer of the limited could not see the
switch light turned wrong until too
late to stop,
The engine left the track, ran a
short distance and brought up against
the side Of the cut, topping over.
The baggage car and two regular
coaches followed, while four sleepers
kept the rails. The engine and the
cars that went off were badly smash
ed, and soon took fire from stoves.
Engineer Searle and fireman Eagan
crawled out from under the locomo-
tive badly bruised and scalded. The
baggage man had leg broken. All
passengers in the sleepers got out un.
injured except slight bruises, but in
one day coach thirteen were pinned
in and literally burned to death
Many others were injured by the
severe shaking up. The names of the
, victims are not yet known here. TIL,
whole train, except one sleeper which
. they were unable to uncouple anC
draw away, was burned up, Super
intendent w. G. Collins was on tn,
east-bound passenger No. 2, which wa
waiting at the station a few miles thi
side of the wreck for the limited, ant
was soon on the scene. A wreckinl
train with surgeons went from thi
city and did all possible to alleviat,
suffering and save life.
Conductor Hankey, Of the freight
+. was so demoralized by the accident
: the responsibility of which rests OF
his crew and thus also on him, that h,
took to 'he woods in despair, leavin.
his train. He has always been mos
careful and efficient man, much trust
! ed by the Company 1t was mos
horrible and sickening spectacle, tn
roasting people making the night hid
k eous with their yells, while bystand
1 ers were unable to render assistance
a 1t was the worst wreck ever known j
a the Northwest.
, Engineer Searle was only slight
!. hurt. He says that when the cras
"a came he was thrown down with tw
i large packing cases which reste
q across his body, His lungs were file
o with smoke, and he at first thought h
d was injured internally, and that b
| was bleeding at the lungs. He ws
y taken from the debris, however, will
% out serious injury, and was able
4 render assistance to the other unto
tunates, B Loewenbach, a job printe
of this city, was on the wrecked trail
a. He says the scenes after the accider
IS were narrowing. The passenger coacl
a which he says contained between Fl
ID teen and twenty persons was telescol
m ed at both ends, and the fire an
smoke that enveloped the wreck pr
vented the imprisoned and injure
~ passengers from escaping, Passenge
from the sleepers gathered around tt
. blazing cars, but they were powerle
to render assistance. Men and W
men could be seen tearing their ha
in the agony OF the moment and frigh
20 full screams issued from the deaf
" y. trap. One heavy woman in particula
" he says, tore up one of the seats vii
almost superhuman strength and e
90 deavored to break her way out of Il
flaming pyre, but her strength faile
IL and she fell to the floor and met a he
a rible death. Only three persons I
capped from the passenger car, N
ur Loewenbach says, a man and tv
children. The man was observed
m he forced his way through ventilat
on the top OF the car, with all
e" clothing on his body from his wa
lat downward burned off, and his fle