The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-26
THE CANNON BALL WRECK
TRAINS MEET RUNNING FORTY
FIVE MILES PER HOUR.
Engines and Tenders Fatally Wrecked
and Five Cars Telescoped- Eight
Persons Killed and Sever.
al Injured.

special TO The statesman.
TEXARKANA, Ark, July 24.-Yes-
terday evening about $3.50 two Texas
and Pacific cannon balls, five and six,
collided on Rattlesnake Curve, just
beyond Forrest switch, 23 miles south
of this city. The news of the wreck
reached Texarkana about 4:30 AS
soon as possible Drs. J. r. Lightfoot
and R. I. Grant and your correspond
ent went out on the special train to
the scene of the wreck. There they
met one of the most appalling sights
Imaginable. The velocity of the two
iron monsters was 80 great that five
cars telescoped and the mail and ex-
press cars were literally crushed into
splinters, making it almost impossible
tor even rat to escape death. Fol.
lowing is list of dead and wouDded:
George Bean, mail agent, seriously
injured and will probably die; Charles
Holland, mail agent, killed; w.
Bee, mail agent, killed, Mike Voltz,
mail agent, killed; }. M. Johnson,
negro porter on northbound, killed;
A. d. Gremm, engineer on south-
bound, killed; Jeff Arant, fireman on
southbound, killed; Joe Allen aud Ed
Elar, engineer and fireman on north
bound, respectively, escaped with
slight injuries; unknown man, sup
posed to be tramp who got on the
blind baggage at Atlanta, killed;
Fred Marshall, express messenger
killed. Notwithstanding two of the
passenger coaches on the northbOund
were turned over, none of the passen-
gers were injured excepting a few
slight bruises.
MIR. f. d. Robbins of this city was q
passenger, and he said that the north
bound was about 40 minutes late at
the time of the crash, and was run
ming about As miles per hour, and
that the brakes were thrown on about
three seconds before the two engines
came together, and that the coach
which he was in reared up on one end
and came down with crash, over
turning everything in it. The en-
gines and tenders are total wrecks
The beams of the driving wheels were
|
able shape. The roof of q car was ly
ing here and the floor and side
there. One of the mail car
was halt way under the southbount
tenoer, and two coaches were tele
scoped, completely filling it full o
debris. Here is where young Free
Marshal met his horrible fate, and |
took several hours to dig his liieles
body from under the timOers Hi
body was horribly crushed and hi
head and face were mashed into
pulp. 1t was heartrendiDg sight t.
his many friends who had laughed
and joked with him at the depot, the
so hale and hearty and full of life an
activity, now q bleeding mass o
J lacerated flesh and blood. All of tn
mail agents were young men jus
bordering on manhood.
J Young w. j. Bee came from Sal
J Antonio. He is son of Gen. H. L
Bee of San Antonio and nephew {
General Bee of Gen. Robert e. Lee
staff during the civil war. Enginee
A. Gremm lived in this city and has
: family who are on visit in the Mort
excepting a son of about 20 years ole
: He went out on the special train an
: accompanied his fathers remains bac
home.
: A newsboy on the northbound trai
: was the hero OF the hour, haviD
; risked his life when the strong me
, refused. Engineer Gremm's lifeles
body was lying under the engin
which looked like it was just ready
settle down and crush 1t into tn
earth. He craWled under the fire DO
and dragged 1t out just in time
/ escape the enormous weight.
The cause Of the wreck lie not def
/ nitely known. No. 5, the southbound
/ received orders at the junction to rur
t to Queen City regardless of No. 6. Nc
6 was running to reach Forest switcl
and was within mile of iC when tn
wreck occurred and minute and
! half longer would have put 1t ther
and thu wreck would not have occur
, red.
, The bodies Of Express Messenge
3 Marehal and Eogineer Gremm weT
brought here today for embalminl
t They present a sickeniDg sight, bein
, mashed into an unacceptable mass
: The railway officers are leaving moth
J ing undone to alleviate the hardship