The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-02-25
NINE LIVES CRUSHED OUT
0nly One Out OF Family Of Ten
Escaped.
A WAGON STRUCK BY A FAST TRAIN
The Occupants, with the Exception
OF One Little Girl. Were All
Killcd.-.'rhc Engineer CrnRed.

Chattanooga. Tenn. February 24.---An
Incoming passenger train Of the Georgia
division of the Old East Tennessee, VIZ
Southern system. bound for this city from
Atlanta. struck vehicle at a crossing
four miles east of the city at 1910 o'clock
this afternoon. In the vehicle were seat ID
ten members OF the family Of w. J..
Woodward. farmer living at Jersey. a
hamlet In this county. and nine occu-
pants were killed. the only one escaping
being s-year-old girl. Virginia Wood
ward. The killed are as follows:
Mrs. Laura Woodward. aged "A years.
George Woodward. her son, aged "a,
Josie Woodward. a daughter. aged 22.
Mrs. Lizzie Woodward Montgomery. .
married daughter. aged 20.
Mrs. Montgomery's son, Roy. an infar.
two months old,
Della Woodward a daughter. aged II.
Mary Woodward daughter, aged IL.
Daisy Woodward, a daughter. aged 10.
Ada Woodward. a daughter, aged 8.
All except Della and Daisy were In
stantly killed and these two died of their
injuries a few hours afterward.
The scene Of he accident is near cut
on the main line OF the railroad. the tracks
mako sharp curve just east OF the poin,
whore the pike crosses. The family left
their home about 10 O'Clock all seated In
Il large wagon driven by George Wood
ward. Two horses were hitched 10 II.
The engineer states that as the train
emerged from tho cut it was moving at an
ordinary ratio Of speed, about 10 miles All
hour AS the engineer turned the curve
he saw the wagon loaded with people and
sounded his whistle repeatedly The bell
was also ringing by automatic steam con
ncction.
The wagon was close to the crossing
when he frs, saw It, The young man Wit
WAS driving seemed TO become confused
and instead of hating he excitedly whippc,
the horses to clear the crossing before th
train reached him. having evidently los
control Of himself. The engineer saw tina
a collision was inevitable. as the distance
between him and the wagon was too sinai
to stop the train, but he threw down hi
lever and closed his eyes to escape th
horrible sight that was impending. Tn
wagon was struck second later whe'
sQuaroly across the tracks. and Instant!
the air was filled with the bodies of IN
III fatcd family and the spllnters OF tn
shivcrod wagon. Shrleks rent the air an
manglod bodies were strewn alons bo.i
sides of the track. Two OF the bodies wer
impnlod on the plot or the locomotive IN
momentum, OF tho train was so great tia
1t ran nly 900 Yards before II was stopped
Tho body OF Mrs. Montgomery was fonn'
on the front Of the pilot With her dead In
FAINT held In her arms in the rlrld clasp u
death. the motherly instinct controlling 4
the last. The little child Virgio. by som
| curious fate, was forced by the collisic'
underneath the extension front OF tho loco
motive, and when rescued from her peril
| GUS poaition WAS found to be entirely IN
injured, being the only one Of the ten VIII
escaped with life
| The family left their homo for the cit
with view OF having family pictur
taken prior to the departure OF Mrs Mont
romery, who intended to leave tonight 70
Florence. Ala. to join her husband. Tn
| father and eldest son had previously com
TO the city ana were appraised OF the SHOCK
ing tragedy about an hour after its occur
renee. Tho two members who were ally
when the train stopped were horribly man
glod They were conveyed 10 the inflrmat,
! but never regaincd consciousness aud die
in five hours.
The bodies Of the nine victims wer
brought to the city and will be Buried nea
the family homo by the railway company.
! The engineer Is Frustrated over III
| shocking accident. and for a time It wa
| feared he would lose his mind.