Evening journal., 1900-06-25
No Member of Train Grew
Escaped
FLOODS and FIRE DESTROY LIFE
Human Bodies Float Out and Are
Carried Down Stream by
Swift Current

Atlanta. Ga. June 25.-A passenger
train on the Macon branch Of the
Southern railway ran into a washout
one and a half miles north of Me-
Donough, Ca, Saturday night and was
completely wrecked IKE wreck caught
fire and the entire train, with the ex-
ception of the sleeper, was destroyed.
Every person on the train except the
occupants of the Pullman car perish
cd. Not a member OF the train crew
escaped. Thirty-hve people in all
were killed.
Following is list Of the dead
William A. Barclay. conductor. At
lanta; j. H. Hunicutt. conductor. At
lanta; J. u. Wood conductor. Atlanta:
j. T. Sullivan. engineer; W. w. Ben
nett, baggagemaster. Atlanta; T. r.
Maddox cotton buyer, Atlanta; w. J.
Pate, Atlanta; 12-year-old son Of W. j.
Pate, Atlanta; H. II. Gresham. Pull
man conductor; George w. Flourney,
Atlanta d. c. Hightower. Stock
bridge Ga; w. W. lpark. Macon; FL
der Henson. travelling man. supposed
to have been from Florida; j. r.. Flor
ida, Nashville; W. o. Ellis bridge
man, Stockbridge; ID. Y. Grimth, super
visor, J. H. Rhodes. fiagman; John
Brantley (white). fireman: VIII Green.
extra fireman. w L. Morrisett. pump
repairer; W. r. Lawrence, foreman
extra gang; Ed Byrd (colored), fire.
man, Atlanta; Robert Spencer, train
porter; four bodies unidentified; eight
negro section hands.
The train left Macon at 7:10 and
was due in Atlanta at 9.45. McDon-
ough was reached in time At this
point connection Is made for Column
bus, Ca, and here every night the Co
lumbus train Is coupled on and hauled
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
washoH on that branch and the Macon
train started on to Atlanta without
its Columbus connection.
Tremendous rains. Of daily occur
renee for the past two weeks, have
swollen all streams in this part Of the
south and several washouts have been
reported on the different roads. Camps
creek. which runs into the Ocumulgee,
overfowed the banks and it's waters
spread to all the l0wlands through
which IL runs. About a mile and a
half north OF McDonOugh the creek
comes somewhat near the Southern's
tracks and. running alongside it for
some distance. finally passes away un-
der the road by a heavy stone culvert.
A cloudburst broke over that section
of the country about O'clock Satur-
day night and presumably shortly af-
ter dark washed out q section of the
track nearly 100 feet in length. Into
this the swiftly moving train plunged.
The train, consisting OF a baggage
car, second class coach, first class
coach and a Pullman sleeper. was
knocked into hndling wood by the
fall. The wreck caught fire a few
minutes after the fall, and all the
coaches were burned except the Pull
man car.
Every person on the train except the
occupants Of the Pullman car perish
ed in the disaster. There was no es-
cape, as the heavy Pullman car weight
ed down the others, and the few alive
in the sleeper We're unable to render
assistance to their fellow passengers.
For brief time there was silence.
Then the occupants Of the Pullman car
recovered from the bewilderment. and
after hard work managed to get out
of their ~ and found themselves on
the tra& In the pouring rain. The ex-
tent ~ The catastrophe was quickly ap-
pareht. Flames we've already seen COM
ing from that part Of the wreckage
not covered by the water. As the
wreck began to go to pieces under
the destructive work OF both flames
and flood human bodies foated 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 fearful distinetness.
Flagman Quinlan. who was one Of
the first to get 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 telegraph Office at McDonough,
and after telling the 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 in the latter city, as thes
interrupted track prevented the ar
rival OF any train from Macon.
Nearly the entire male population Of
went to the scene to render
but little could be done by
the TeSCuers. as the fire kent them az