The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-17
A MISTAKE IN THE ORDERS
BROUGHT TWO PASSENGER TRAINS
IN COLLISION NEAR HARDEE-
VILE.

=
Leg Broken in Jumpins-TVvo or
Three Unknown Negro Tramps
killed in the Wreck-NarrOw Es-
cape of the Passengers.
The south bound fast mail on the
Charleston and Savannah railroad and the
north bound express conided about a mile
this side OF Hardeeville. twenty-five miles
north Of Savannah at 1;O6 o'clock yester-
day morning.
Both engines were wrecked. the tender
of the north bound train telescoping the
mail car Two unknown colored tramps.
who were riding on the front platform of
the mail car. were killed, and Engineer
Black OF the north bound train had his leg
broken and ankle crushed.
The collision occurred on a curve. The
south bound train was No. % due in sa-
vannah at 1:55 a. m. The north bound
train was No. IS, leaving here at 1910 a. m.
The curve where the ac-
cident took place IS SO situated
that the engineer Of the fast
mail coming south could see the headlight
of IS in the distance, which he did and
train rs came crashing into his engine al
speed of about forty-five miles per hour.
Engineer Black of IS, being on the outer
side of the curve, was unable to see the
headlight of train % until almost upon it,
when he quickly reversed his engine, set
the air brakes, and he and his fireman
sprang from the cab.
Both being passenger trains, had train
% been coming south at it's usual rate of
speed, instead of having stopped, there
is no telling what amount of destruction
and loss of life there might have been.
AS It was two or three negroes who were
riding blind baggage on train IS were
killed, and Engineer Blacks right leg was
fractured near the ankle in jumping from
his engine after he had reversed it.
The accident was due to mistake in
the telegraphic orders, on which the two
trains were running. Train rs left Savan-
nah at 1910 o'clock, and ordinarily would
have passed train % some distance this
side of Hardeeville.
An official of the road gives this state
ment as TO the cause of the accident:
lowing 10 some unaccOuntable reason
not yet known TO the management, the
night operator at Yemassee let train %
by him without his knowledge, informing
the train dispatcher at Charleston that
the train had not passed, some time after
it was due to pass. all of which made it
necessary for the tIain dispatcher to
change the meeting point between % and
IS The operator at Yemassee took an or
der from the train dispatcher to this ef-
feet, with the result indicated"
Just what blame may be attached to
Operator Givins at Yemassee is not yet
known to the railroad officials, but of
course the matter will be thoroughly in
Yestigated.
Relying on the information from the
operator at Yemassee that train % had
not passed him, the train dispatcher at
Charleston took up train lS at the central
Junction near Savannah, and fixed new
meeting place at Vaudeville. Train Is
was acting on orders, therefore, TO go on
20 another place of meeting north of the
regular meeting place, while train % had
no such orders and was going to the reSu-
lar place of meeting, which is this side
of Vaudeville. Ordinarily, train %, be-
ing the fast mail, has the right of way
over everything else, but in this case it
seems rs had been given the right of way
without the knowledge of those on 3.
This, however, makes little difference, as
neither of the train crews can be held re-
sponsible for the accident. Train % was
on time, while IS had been little be-
hind. and was running about forty-flve
miles an hour.
Engineer Bowling, on %, when he passed
Vaudeville, coming south, and had reach
ed the curve, being on the inside of he
curve saw ln6 nedQuSnL Oh 20 ACROSS TIC
held in time to stop his engine. He and
his fireman just had time to stop and get
out of the cab to a place of safety when
the collision took place.
Engineer Black, being on the outside of
the curve did not see the headlight OF
train % until within two train lengths,
when he reversed his engine, put on air
brakes, and with his fireman, jumped for
their lives. The engine of rs crashed into
the other engine, the tender and mail car
of rs being telescoped. The fact that Is
VAS stationery and Is had been reversed
greatly reduced the force of the collision
and none of the cars or engines were de-
rallied. The engines were badly damaged
the mail car on rs was badly smashed up
and the Yestibule end of the sleeper on
train % next to the engine was slightly
damaged by the force of the collision.
There we're two or three negroes riding
blind baggage on the mail car on train
as 1t is supposed that they boarded the
train at. the Central junction, as it left
Savannah. They were riding at the closed
end of the mail car next to the engine and
of course had no notice of the impending
danger. In all probability they never
knew what struck them. They were
ground and mashed by the collision of the
mail car with the engine to such an ex-
tent that 1t was practically impossible to
tell whether there were two or three of
them. All that could be found around the
wreck was TWO or Infee legs ana arms
and some bits of flesh. The other parts
of the bodies were buried under the wreck
key of dynamite placed under them
could not have done more effective de-
struction. No entire heads were found,
and as for telling who they were or where
they We're going, or where they belonged,
that was altogether out of the question.
The coroner may be able to throw some
light on the subject when he holds his in
quests.
The only other injury was that of En-
gineer Black, whose right leg was brok-
en- near the ankle when he jumped from
his engine. 1t seemed miraculous that
the clerks in the mail car on rs escaped
uninjuPed, but a bad shaking up was the
only inconvenience they experienced. The
passengers were shaken up somewhat,
but none of them were badly bruised.
They took the accident in the best OF
good nature, under the circumstances, and
arrangements were made for their com
fort and convenience until they could be
moved.
Conductors Sullivan of % and Malone OF
7S reported the accident at once to Sa-
vannah, and it was little more than halt
an hour before a cOnstruc ton train was