The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-13
HURLED TO THEIR DEATH.
A CENTRAL LOCOMOTIVE BOILER
HxPLoDEs AND TWO KILLED.

Engineer John GrsysOn, Formerly Of
Savannah, and Brakeman Middle
brook Of Macon Fatally Injured b.
the Blowing Out OF a "Crownsheet"
Near Tennille - The Cause of the
Disaster Unknown-Grayson Body
Brought Here for Burial.
The blowing out of the "crownsheet" Of a
locomotive on the Central railroad four
miles west Of Teunille night before last
resulted in the death Of Engineer John g.
Grayson Of this city aud Brakeman Robert
Middlebrook Of Macon. The explosion can
not be explained until the boiler is SUE
jected to an examination by experts, as
there was no apparent cause, two gauges II
water being in the boiler at the time the
explosion occurred.
The locomotive was drawing a freight
and was running at fairly good rate Of
speed The fireman was in the ten Ter and
brakeman Middlebrook undertook to shovel
IN coal As ne threw the first shoveltul
into the furnace there was loud explosion,
and the crownsheet came out in pieces
through the opening with terrific force.
KILLED BY A FLYING FRAGMENT.
A large section struck Engineer Grayson
suuarelg in the stomach, lacerating him in
q frightfnl manner and throwing him five
car lengths away.
Another piece struck Brakeman Middle
brook in the left side, crushing his ribs and
landing him alongside the engineer.
The explosion stopped the engine, and the
other train hands hurried back to the assist
ance Of the wounded men. They found
Engineer Grayson unconscious and bleeding
prCfusely from the wound in his stomach
which left the intestines exposed. The force
of the fall had also broken his arms. Mid
dlebrook, although terribly wounded, was
conscious and walking about. With hero
ism not often witnessed he told the train
men to take care of Grayson and
he would walk to Tennille This he
did, and, during the dressing Of his
wounds, told the story Of the
accident. It was not thought then that
Middlebrook's injuries would prove fatal,
came over him and be died at o'clock yes
terday morning.
HIS WIFE BY HIS SIDE.
Engineer Grayson never regained con-
seriousness. The physicians pronounced his
injuries fatal as soon as they arrived, and
Mrs. Grayson was Wired at her home in
Macon Of the accident which had befallen
her husband The Central authorities
there placed a special train at her disposal,
ana Sne reaCneQ 19nnlIle seVeTdA hours De-
fore her husband died. He fingered until z
o'clock yesterday morning.
Engineer Grayson was a native of Sa-
vannah and lived here until a few months
ago, when he removed his family to Macon
temporarily on account OF having been
assigned to the Macon and Tennille divis-
ion. He was IS years old, and leaves a wife
and four children. Mr.. GrAyson's body
was brought down TO Savannah last night
Nanny Hanlg W
taken TO his brothers residence,
No. 122 Anderson street. from where
the funeral will take place this
afternoon at $3.50 O'Clock. He was a popu-
lar young man, and his tragic death was
painful news to those who knew him. MIR.
Grayson was a member of the Republican
Blues, Excelsior Lodge No. 8, Knights OF
Pythias, and the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers, which organizations will at
tend bis funeral.
The body of Brakeman Midd,ebrook was
taken to Macon for interment.