The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-25
INTERNALLY.

If you ever CONS across a reporter that is con-
verSant with these facts he will tell You that
that accident furnished one of the smartest
newspaper beats as you may call it, that has
materalized for quite lengthy period. The
paper to which that reporter belonged used the
accurate details only, but they were of such q
sensational and narrowing nature that the
reading public was satisfied they were true and
would have no other. am personally &C
quainted with that reporter and he is now bust
ness manager of the paper he served SO well on
that occasion"
when a wreck is reported ana the wrecking
crew ordered out they always take private
telegraph operator and his apparatus with
report of the accident was Immediately put on
the wire by this telegrapher for the benefit of
the press and public!" suggested the reporter.
HOW NEWS COULD BE OBTAINED.
well, l don't know" replied the railroad
official, that would be running matters for the
benefit of the press and the public, If the
railroads were under the control of the national
government then your idea would perhaps be g
good one, but as they are private corporations
it is not likely that they will look after any
one interests before their own. The wrecking
crew always goes out under orders TO get mat
ters straightened out as soon as possible
and the dear public is the last thing in the
universe they are thinking about at such times
If the news was put on the wire. and, at the
least would take up five minutes time. that is
a big delay for trains that are required to make
connexions IOr bH6 east OF 10r west.
my idea would be for the railroad officials
upon notification that an accident has occurred
TO telephone the newspaper Offices the fact, and
= one OF their men make the station in time to
taAe him along 10 the wrecking car. 1t usually
takes from ten to fifteen minutes to get the
crew together and shift the car on to the main
track. and it would be q slow reporter indeed
who would miss such an opportunity to secure
a good item. II such an idea would be adopted
an auxiliary, 10 the person of first-clasS teleg
rapher. would be always ready forinstant sefv-
ice and when the scene of an accident would
be reached the newspaper man, with the aid Of
his companion, could couple on to one Of the
many wires running along the road and load
his paper to the gunwales With an elaborate
report of the disaster .,. s,
HAS it ever come npdey, Your notice that
when wreck occurs newspaper man has
been on the train and lived to tell the tale?''
asked the reporter.
answer 1t correctly. 1have heard OF reporter,
or might say know a reporter being on a
wrecked train, but he was a little late writing
up the story. can't say whether it is because
the good die young or the Lord looks after the
wicked but to come across q newspaper man
injured or killed in a railroad wreck is the acme
Of rareties.
WAITING AND READY FOR AN ACCIDENT
you have heard, Of course, of the story
about the man that followed the lion-tamer in
a circus from city to city to see him torn to
pieces, fate he had wagered he would meet
eventualyl Well, l know of a case on similar
luo0Sp Dut ullefout circumstances. This
man was newspaper commuter; that is, he
worked as a reporter in the city and lived sew
eral miles out 10 the country on the line Of the
railroad. He made two trips daily to and from
his Office, and the subject of wrecks became his
hobby. He would continually talk about the
probabilities of wreck to the railroad men,
and at last they began to shun HIM az a sort OF
hoodoo IL he could only secure a first class
1ron-bound scoop he could be happy and 1
actually believe that man wished for a wreck
and was willing to take his chances of being
hurt SO long as he could beat his fellow report
ers. He was a first-class telegrapher and car
ried pocket instrument with him, so as to be
fully prepared when the emergency came. He
always wished for an accident on the train
bound for the city, because, as he put it, he
wanted to be the author OF an extra and have
plenty OF time to work it up successfully
THE opportunity of his life came and on the
train he desired. | am fully conversant with
the details, as was q conductor then and had
charge of the train the hoodoo was on We
were bound for the city and on the train we're
1ully 700 suburban residents, Comprising bust
men, wives going shopping and children on their
way 70 school. When such large number Of
passengers are picked up q delay is certain to
occur The engineer knew this and between
the little stations ran the train with the speed
of the wind
THE morning in question was clear, cold
and crisp one and the steel rails under the cars
frequently gave forth the well known imaginary
warning notes, go easy.
UNABLE TO DO THE WORK.
AT point where the main track was tanned
by siding a bolt was tapped in the switch bar
by the GOLD weather and jar OF our train Half
the train was over the switch when the break
occurred. The broken bolt released the spring
attached TO the lever rod and threw the switch
open. This threw the last three cars on the
siding with terrific jerk and in an instant thew
were dashed against couple of loaded coal
cars and almost reduced TO spinters
when tell you thet we were making fully
fifty miles an hour when the accident occurred
the force OF the collision of the three cars can
be better imagined than described.
The front part OF the train was quickly
stopped and one and all rushed back to The aid
OF the Inflated fellow travellers For a week
previous the hoodoo reporter and had not
spoken on account of q quarrel over his hobby
but being brought face TO face with his deal
desire began to wonder IL he was making the
scoop of his life.
''One by one we removed the passengers from
their perflous positions. and strange to saw
none were hurt very seriously, excepting our
hoodoo friend He was fammed In amoug
broken seats aud splintered flooring and when
we at last pulled him out he was unconscious
Tightly clasped In one hand was reporter 4
note book and in the other the telegraph instrti-
ment. When the first jolt had come he no
doubt had automatically pulled out these uten-
sis and went into the final crash thus prepared
He was confined to his bed for six weeks
with couple Of broken ribs and a fractured
thigh and we never saw him again on our road
He was doubtless cured of his hobby aud afraid
70 face the railroad men who were Acquainted