The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-29
MLLED ATTHE THROTTLE
TWO PASSENGER TRAINS WRECK
ED BELOW JESUP.

Bound Night Express Collides With
the Forward Section at the 73-Mile
Post Engineer W H Devino In
stantly Killed and Fireman Bristow
Probably Fatally Injured-Two Pull
mans and Three Day Coaches
Burned.
The north-bound express from Jackson
vile due here at IS o'clock last night was
wrecked seventy-three miles west Of SaVau-
nah at o'clock. Engineer William II.
Deviue was instantly killed. and his fireman
Henry Bristow (colored was probably
fatally injured.
The train was running i'll
two sections five minutes apart
The forward section was composed Of empty
coaches which went down with the tourists
excursion on Friday and were on their way
back 10 New York.
The second section was the regular train.
A freight train was side-tracked at the rs
mile post waiting for the regular to pass.
THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
The first section stopped at the turnout
to cool a hot journal and was just moving
off when the second section crashed into the
rear NpdOu tOAAAp4SooiS bNANSNAt'AilE ~ ITO
lamps were exploded and the burning
oil set fire to the car. In an instant it
was in flames The fire communicated to
the next coach forward and that was
burned. Before it could be got under CON
troll five coaches in all, two of which We're
Pullman sleepers, were destroyed
AS soon as the locomotive of the rear sec
ton could be got at the debris was pulled
away.
BURIED UNDER THE WRECK.
Engineer Devine had not been seen, and
it was supposed that he was buried under
meath the wreck. 1t was impossible TO
make much Roadway in the mass Of charred
and smoking ruins, and it was some time
before the engineers body was found. He
had stood at his post, and evidently
had his hand on the throttle when the crash
came.
His body lay on the foot board of the
engine and was almost buried under a pile
of burning wood and timbers. 1t was Ter
ribly mutilated. One eye was torn out and
a sharp rod had evidently gone through his
brain. The flesh was torn from his body in
pieces, and what was left was burned to the
bone.
The body was pulled out from where it
lay partly under the furnace door, and was
laid by the side of the track
JUMPED FROM THE CAB.
Fireman Bristow jumped when the crash
came, and he was found unconscious about
forty feet from the wreck After jumping
he ahghted in a slush of mud and
water, buo recovered and walked
some distance before he fell
He was stripped and an examination was
made to see if any bones were broken, but
50 far as could bo seen, there was not even
bruise on his body. He was unconscious
for two hours. until placed on the train for
Savannah, when he revived a little, but
was unable to talk. He was brought here
and taken to the hospital Engineer De
vines body was taken to Valdosta, where
his wife lives.
ONLY TWO INJURED.
Except the engineer and fireman, no one
was hurt. The engine kept tie track, but
is total wreck. The pilot and smokestack
were torn off and the cab was completely
demolished. The tender coupling was
broken and the tender ran back thirty feet
or more from the engine when the train
colided.
Engineer Devine's section was running at
full speed when the collision occurred, but
in spite of that the shock was hardly felt in
the rear coaches
a PASSENGERS STORY.
Mr.. c. c. Young, of Thomasville, was IN
the smoker, and he felt it there more than
the passengers did in the middle of the train
Mr.. Young came through to Savannah, hav
ing left the wrecl, at II O'Clock He reached
here on the regular train which arrived at
O'Clock this morning. He helped remove
the dead engineer from the wreck and the
body. he said, was a horrible sight It was
mutilated almost beyond recognition.
SAW THE DANGER TOO LATE.
From the position in which 1T lay Mr.
Young thinks that Deyiue must have seen
the train in front OF him, and mad either
reversed his engine or had his hand on the
lever TO do 50 when the crash came. He is
an old railroad man, and he thinks that he
felt the brakes grip the wheels before he
felt the shock of the collision.
As soon as possible the locomotive of the
forward section was cut loose and ran on to
the next station and telegraphed for or
for a while nobody seemed to know what
to do.
The second section, or what was really
the regular train, was crowded and the
passengers were in the widest confusion
Conductor Low was in charge of the for.
ward section and Conductor Dupont was
running the regular.
CLEARING THE TRACK
The crews of both trains and of the
freight, which was side-tracked near by
went to work and by II clock, six hour,
after the collision occurred, hac
the track cleared 50 that
the regular train could pass. AT Jesup &
physician was taken on board, and h,
brought the fireman through to Savannah
The place where the accident occurred il
a straight stretch Of track, and there wa,
nothing 10 obstruct the engineers view.
THEORIES AS To THE COLLISION.
The only way in which the collision coulC
be accounted for by those who were on til,
spot is that the engin. er Of the second sec
ton counted on the forward section being
far enough ahead to keep out of her way