The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-06-27
THIRTY.SIX KILLED.
Railroad Wreck in GeOrgi".-hNceP'
40 in the Sleeper Every Person o" the
Train Went 10 Instant Death.

Railroad Wreck i'm GeOrgi"'-Except
- In the Sleeper Every Person o" the
Train Went 10 Instant Death'
A,,anta June 24-A passenger train on the
Mnoon branch OF the Southern railway iau -
into washout one and a,9St 6aii and seS was COM
pleteIy wrecked. Thirty i've people IN ai'
were killed. Following 10
LIST OF THE DEAD:
William A. Barclay, conductor, Atlanta.
]. T.. Wood, conductor, Atlanta
n. Hunnicutt, conductor, Atlanta.
J T sullivan, engineer, Atlanta.
w. W. Bennett, baggagemaster, Atlanta.
T. d. Maddox. cotton buyer, Atlanta
TIsIve W. a Vear old son Of w. J. Pate. Atlanta,
II. r. Cressman, Pullman conductor. s
George w. Flournoy, Atlanta. @
d. c. Hightower, Stock bridge, Ga. r. ~ S;
W. w. Ipark, Macon, Ga. -,
have been from Florloa. ~ sEs
W.O. Ellis, bridgeman, StocKorldge. w
D.Y. Griffith, supervisor. n q
j. II. Rhodes, fiagmnn. . zsE
John Brantley. white, fireman. az
VIII Green, extra fireman. .;as;
w. L. Morrisett. pump repairer. Ss
W. r. Lawrence. foreman extra gang. Sss
Ed Byrd, colored, fireman, Atlanta. IS
Robert Spencer, train porter -. ~
-Four bodies yet unidentlneu. E's5A
Eight negro section hands. SO
THE RESCUED. Ftfs,
The following passengers were rescued
without serious injury:
Jesse l.. Rohr, Baltimore. .5
Miss Mary B B. Merritt, Boston, Mass. IL,
Miss Clara Alden, Boston, Mass. "a
j.. Flynn. Atlanta. ~
+. Schreiner, Chattanooga.
E, Il. Mack, Chattanooga.
J.J. Quinlan. fagman.
r. c. Carter, Pullman porter.
Handy Tomlinson.
The train left Macon at 7:lO and was due In
Atlanta at s:45 last night. A cloua Sst 1urst
IS o'clocle last night and washed out secIlon
OF the track. nearly 100 feet IN length. lnlo
this the swiftly moving train plunged.
windows we're closed. The passengers, secure
al they thought, and sheltered comfortably
from the inclement weather, WenG 10 oeatn
without an instanrs warning. Inc traln,
consisting of baggage car, second coach,
firstclass coach and a Pullman sleeper, was
knocked into kindling wood by the fall.
Every person on the train except the occu-
pants of the Pullman car perished IN the
disaster. r,
For a brief time there was silence. Then
the occupants Of the. Pullman car recovered
from their bewilderment and after hard work
managed 10 get out CT ineir car ua anu ioana roin
Flames were alre eady coming from that part
OF the wrecksge not covered by the water.
AS the wreck began TO 60 to pieces human
bodies floated out from the mass and were
carried down stream by the swift current.
The storm did not abate In fury. Flashes OF
lightning added TO the steady glow OF the
burning train and lit up the scene with lear-
full distinctness.
Flagman Quinlan, who was one OF the first
to get out at once started for the nearest
telegraph station. Making his way as rapid
storm, he stumbled into the office at Nc
Donough. Word was quickly sent TO oolh
Atlantis and Macon.
Nearly the entire male population Of Nc
lance, but little could be done by the rescuers.
At daylight the bodies that had hoated from
the gorge were gathered up. One body was
found mile from the wreck and many were
seen along It's banks.
A wrecking train was started out from Az,
lanta at midnight. a special train az
o'clock this porning took doctors. mInis's,s s,,,
nothing could be done save TO gamer up LIE
AS the dead we're found they were removed
to McDonough. Some Of the bodies were
terribly burned while others were crushed
beyond recognition.
Some may be buried at McDonough
Others will be sent TO their homes az fast as
the proper addresses can be ascertained.
Only three ladies were on the train. IWC
escaped. 1t is presumed that the other
perished. but the body has not been found.
Resides the regular crew OF the train, sever
al conductors and other employees were en-.
route TO Atlanta to spend Sunday. All were
killed. Conductor w. A Barclay was IN
charge Of the train.
section boss with gang OF eight negroes
occupied seats in the second class coach. NO
one escaped when the car went down.
DRUMMER's EXPERIENCE.
Jesse l.. Rohr had this to say:
NOS In the Pullman whan the wreCE
occured, There was not an instantg warn
ing. We heard suddenly an indistinct crasf
and the next instant felt our car pitch for
ward and drop. The forward end OF the ca
filled with water at once and the lights wen
ont. We heard the roar OF rushing water
and knew we were in q stream Of some kind
our way to the top Of the car and then out
The car was hanging by Its rear trucks to tn
stone abutment OF the culvert and swayed D.
the motion OF the water, swung TO and 1rl
like q great pendulum. It was pitch dari
and the rain was coming down In torrents
Peering into the breach In the track We coul'
see confused mass OF broken cars alread.
beginning To burn. What Impressed me, wa
the fact that not single call Tor help wa
heard Those In the forward coaches mus
have met death instantly. The wreckag
was on fire when we reached the top OF ou
car and lit up the scene brightly. Lookln
down toward the middle OF our car, saw IN
head and shoulders of woman and 500
heard her cry, "Save us, we are aEVe. bu
was no rope to be had and we were airaiu III
car would swing from Its position.
"Then came the struggle to get 10 tne tIac
above. We we're many feet from tne le'el
the roadbed. Great chunks OF earth, loosei
ed by the rain. came falling down on US, an