Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-06-25

reached the water. suspicion pOinteu
to Davis. and his arrest followed. I'm
portant witnesses for the prosecution
were absent Saturday, and the hearing
WAS adjourned to Monday. Davis gave
$3.50 bail. He denies the charge.
TERRIBLE RAILROAD DISASTER.
A passenger train on the Macon
branch OF the Southern Railway ran
into a washoat one and half miles
uorth of McDonough, Ga, Saturday
night and was co implicitly wrecked.
The wreck caught fire and the entire
train, with the exception OF the sleeper,
was destroyed. Every person on the
train, except the occupants of the Pull
man car, persisted. Not a member OF
the train crew escaped. Thirty-hve
people in all we're killed.
The train left Macon at 7:10 and was
due in Atlanta at 9:45 Saturday night.
McDonough was reached on time. A.
this point connection is made for Co
lumbus, Ga, and every night the Co
lumbus train is compiled on and bauled
through to Atlanta. Saturday night,
however, for the first time in many
months the Columbus train was re-
ported two hours late on account OF a
washout on that branch, and the Macon
train started on to Atlanta without It's
Columbus connection.
Tremendous rains of daily occurrence
for the past few weeks have swollen all
streams 10 that part of the South, and
several wsshouts have been reported
on the different roads. Camps creek,
which runs into The Ocmulgee, was
over its banks, ana its waters
had spread to all the lowlands
through which it runs. About a
mile and q half north OF Mellon
ough the creek comes somewhat near
the Southern tracks, and running along
side it for some distance, finally passes
away under the road by heavy stone
culyert. A cloudburst broke over that
section of the country about 6 O'Clock
Saturday night, and presumably short
" after dark washed out 8 sec
ton of the track, nearly one hundred
feet in length. Into this the swiftly
moving train plunged, There was no
note OF warning. The storm was rag
ing. and all the Car windows were clos
ed.
The train, consisting of baggage car,
second.class coach, first class coach, and
Pullman sleeper, was knocked into
kinding wood by the fall. The wreck
caught fire few minutes after the fall
and all the coaches were burned except
the Pullman car, Every person on the
train, except the occupants OF the Pull
man car, persisted in the disaster.
There was no escape, as the heavy
Pullman car weighted down the others,
and those in the sleeper were unable to
render assistance to their fellow pas
sengers.
For brief time there was silence.
Then the occupants of the Pullman re-
covered from their bewilderment, and !,
after hard work, managed to get out OF
their car aud found themselves on the
track In the pouring rain. The extent
of the catastrophe was Immediately ap-
parent. Flames were already seen com.
ing from that part of the wreckage
that had not been covered by
water. As the wreck began to go to
pieces under the destructive work OF
both fire and food human bodies float
ed out from the mass and were carried
down stream by the swift current.
The storm did not sbste in fury.
Flashes of lightning added to the steady
glow of the burning train and liz up
the scene with fearful dstinctness. A
fagman, Quinlin, who was one OF the
first to yet out, at once started for the
nearest telegraph station. Making his
way as rapidly as possible in the face Of
the binding storm, he stumbled into
the office at McDonough, and after
telling the night operator of the wreck,
fell fainting to the floor. Word was
quickly sent to both Atlanta and
Macon, but no assistance was to be had
except from the former city as the in
terrnpted track prevented the arrival
of any train from Macon.
Nearly the entire male population OF
McDonough went to the scene to rem
der assistance, but little could be done
by the rescuers, as the fire kept them
at distance. At daylight the bodies
that had foated from the gorge we're
gathered up. One body was found
mile from the wreck, and many were
seen along the banks.
A wrecking train was started out
from Atlanta at midnight. but owing to
the burning wreckage nothing could be
done until morning.
As the dead were found they were
removed to McDonough. There are
two undertakers there. Both estab-
lishments were soon full of the mangled
remains of the passengers. Some OF
the bodies were terribly burned, while
others were crushed beyond recogni-
ton. The only means of Identification
In the majority Of cases were letters
and papers in the pockets of the vic
tins.
Only three ladies were on the train.
Two escaped. 1t is presumed that the
other one persisted, but the body has
not been found.
Besides the regular crew OF the train,
several conductors and other employees
were en- route to Atlanta to spend Sun