Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-28
WATCHING A COLLISION.
One Engine and Coach are Badly
Wrecked-No One Hurt.

From ne Albany Ca Ne,os aud Advertiser.
Tuesday morning the Brunswick and
Western railroad yard In this city was
the scene of one of the most frightfuI col
lisions that ever shocked the nerves of the
beholders. The $3.50 a. m. train from
Brunswick for Macon and Atlanta was,
from some cause, delayed en- route to
Aibanys and crossed the Brunswick and
WesterAoraflr0ad bridge }ast at 7 O'Clock
to the great relief Of many anxious travel
ers awaiting its arrival The O'Clock
way freight train on the Brunswick and
| Western was held over here by an order
until after the incoming $50 train had
reached Albany, and was f'Tnade up and
standing ON the track ON which thepas-
sengeF train, in order 20 head towards
Macon, ran up towards the freight Within
ear shot directly in front, and frnp1 there
/ backed around the Y to reach the depot.
ad TWAS necessary for the passenger tram
} to cross the Brunswick and Western
ftrack at the right angle Intersection OF
the Brunswick and Western ana SaVan-
nah, Florida and Western railroads.
Engineer John Golden. runner on the
passenger, stopped his engine about 70
yards from this crossing, and then steam
ed on towards the depot. What must
have been his horror in passing the cor
! ner OF the Brunswick freight depot on
of him. coming at speed that rendered
stopping impossible
The bystanders looked on in amaze
| ment and horror, and breathlessly
awaited the inevitable crash, which
Jared narshly on ears and nerves; some
closed their eyes to shut out the fearful
sight, and all gave utterance TO eXclama-
tions of horror. The engine of the way
! freight, which was running on a track at
right angles to the passenger train, first
struck the steps and front end of the
| second class coach. which fortunately
was unoccupied. The speed at which
the passenger train was going pre-
vented the coach from being thrown
down the steep embankment, but
| it was badly derailed and its
| side was crushed and splintered. The
engine to the freight train was thrown
from the track and Its pilot and entire
! front was literally torn into tooth
! pickable condition. The bystanders
| rushed TO the spot in fearful suspense lest
some one had been seriously hurt, il not
| killed, but the voice of the train hand who
had rushed into the demolished car sang
out, "NO one hurt" The relief from sus-
pense brought a sudden revulsion of feel
ing, and the strongest Indignation was
| expressed by all OF what appeared to
COOKERS on" as piece of gross criminal
carelessness.
| Mr.. John Golden, engineer passenger
train, says that he was in no way at fault,
! and that when he discovered the freight
train so near upon his, that to have at
tempted to stop would have resulted in
the serious demolition of two engines, so
he used all possible speed TO oppose the
secOnd-class coach. which he knew to be
empty, to the colliding engine. This
statement is explicit, and eYinces a clear
head and sound judgment in the trying
moment of danger.
Mr.. James Blair, the runner of the
freight train engine, also claims to be free
from fault and says that be believed the
passenger train had passed the crossing
as it had consumed plenty of time so to
do, and that in obedience TO his conduc-
tors signal he pulled out. He claims to
have stopped his engine about ninety
| yards from the intersection of the two
tracks, and that he was going only about
three miles an hour at the time of col
| lision, and reversed his engine at soonest
possible moment after danger was visi-
bic. His engine stood reversed after the
| wreck.
| The News and Advertiser does not wish
to prejudice the case of any one before the
official Investigation, but 1t will say that
| the occurrence is due to gross careless
ness, for which some one is responsible.
If the known rules of stopping trains at
all times within 80 yards of such cross
ings bad been observed the accident
would never have happened.