The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-01
CRASH AT A CROSSING.
THE COAST LINE EXPRESS BANGS
INTO A FREIGHT TRAIN.

A "Pusher' and Four Freight Cars
Wrecked, Two Pullman Sleepers
Damaged, and Fireman Charles
Durham Injured 49, The Express
Cleaves It's Way Through the Wreck
and Runs Engineless for Some
Distance - The Passengers Badly
Frightened but None Hurt.
The Atlantic Coast Line express on the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway,
due in Savannah at 1858 o'clock last night,
collided with Charleston and Savannah
local freight train near the Bolton street
junction, wrecking the 'pusaer," which
was drawing the express into the depot, and
four cars Of the freight tram, and inJuring
Charles Durham, a colored fireman on the
''pusher."
The "pusher" was knocked from the track
down an g bankment, and four loaded cars
of the freight train were overturned and
their trucks wrenched from under them.
The Pullman sleeper "Rosmere," to which
the "pusher" was attached, received several
abrasions on the side and some Of the glasi
was br, ken. 1t was not derailed, and was
otherwise uninjured. Fireman Durham
was injured by being thrown against the
front part of his engine cab. His injuries,
however, are not considered serious. He
was taken t. his home in Hall street
lane, in the eastern portion of the city, ald
his wounds were promptly dressed by DR..
Duncan.
COLLIDED AT A CROSSING.
Both trains we're running from the ''Yn
into the depot The 'pusher" was attached
20 the rear end of the exp ess train and
Engineer Smith was at the throttle. The
freight train reached the main track
a few seconds before the passenger
train and had passed over with one
car, when the collision occurred.
The ''pusher' was struck by four heavily
loaded freight cars, which broke it loose
from the tram and sent it crashing down
the embankment. The resistance it offered
threw the freight cars TO the other side OF
the track, and the passenger coaches ran
down the track the length of two cars
There were about seventy five passengers
on the express train, some of them bound
for the Washington inaugural, but none of
them were hurt.
THE PASSENGERS FRIGHTENED.
1.-THE shock was slight to have caused so
much damage said a pa Senger. The
train seemed to slack as if to stop. The
jolting caused by the collision was incon-
siderable, but the cracking and crunching
of timbers was clearly heard"
The Pullman sleeper that pressed its way
down the track between the derailed en-
CINE and the overturned freight cars
was filed with passengers They
perhaps heard and saw more of
the collision than anybody else except the
engineer and his fireman. One of the
passengers who was in the car at the time
said that the noise was fearful. The rolling
cars on one side and the engine going down
the embankment on the other was seen
from the car windows
ENGINEER SMITH DIDN'T KNOW.
Engineer Smith was standing beside his
engine, with his hands folded, when a
MORNING NEWS reporter saw him. When
asked about the affair he said that he could
not say anything because he did not know
further than that be was pulling the train
in and they collided. Both engineers evil
IDENTIFY thought they were right. Until an
investigation is held it cannot be said
which train was out of time. The COM
panys officials sealed the mouths of all the
employees except when officially questioned
The freight cars were loaded with mis-
celaneous merchandise A big force of
hands was at once put to work to clear the
track and the delay was not over four
hours. The Albany cypress, which should
have gone out few minutes after tire
wreck, did not pub out until after the track
was clear and the wrecked train had been
pulled under the passenger shed.
OFFICIALS AT THE WRECK.
General Manager Haines, Comptroller
Mckee and Master of Transportation Jack
son were on the ground actively superln-
tending the removal of the wreck so that
the track could be cleared for the outgoing
trains
Mr.. Mckee said that the damage will not
be great. The "pusher" had its cow-catcher
carried off, he said, but the engine
was not overturned and would be
easily raised and with little damage
The Pullman coaches he said would have
to 60 to the shops, but the trucks are all
right and the coaches were not badly dam
aged. He was not prepared to say where
the blame attached, as the matter had not
been investigated, and until that is thor
oughly done he would not like to express
an opinion. zone thing you can say" said
Mr.. Mckee, mot a passenger was hurt,
and the only injury from the accident is a
slight one to the colored fireman of the 90
engine which was pulling the Jacksonville
train in