Bradford County telegraph. (Starke, Fla.) 1888-current, 1900-06-29
Fearful Wreck Occurs On
Southern Railway.
CAUSED BY A WASHOUT
Loss of Life Greatest Ever Known
In Railway Accidents In the
South's History.

Passenger train No. 7, on the South
ern road, due in Atlanta at 9:45 p. M,
ran into a wsshout over Camp creek
Saturday night at $50 O'Clock one
mile and half north Of McDonough,
Ga, which is twonty miles south Of
Atlanta, and thirty-one people were
killed outright.
The train left Macon on schedule
time: 1t was made up of an engine,
No. s64, and three cars. The car next
to the engine was combination affair,
part Of it being used for baggage and
part Of it for passengers. The next
coach was frst-class passenger coach,
while the third one was Pullman car. l
The run from Macon to McDonough
was made in heavy storm which
had been prevailing for many hours.
At McDonough the usual stop was
made, and the train pulled out for At. !
lanta. One mile and half north Of
McDonough was culvert over Camp
creek, which had stood the storms for
mary years. Either a cloudburst or
the heavy rush Of the waters after dark
Saturday night washed away quite
section, leaving an immense gap.
The train rushing along plunged
wildly into this gap, and in q second
the tender was piled upon the engine
and the cars upon cars in an exkics-
BILE mass. i - 8.
Immediately after the cara
down FIRE began to spread and
4 them, and what destruction the
did not accomplish, the flames alb
completed. "
OF the thirty-one killed, all exec
Two were lifeless bodies when rescue
from the flames, the scalding steam
aud the raging waters of the creek
swollen by heavy rains into torrent
Only nine persons were rescuei
None of them are seriously injured.
( The wreck is said by railroad ON
Gals who visited the scene to the most
disastrous in the history'of the state.
Only few moments were required
to arouse the people Of McDonough to
the fact that the most horrible railroad
wreck the state had ever known had
occurred within two miles OF their
town.
The scene when they reached the
place where the accident occurred beg
CARED description. All that remained
of the train was q mass of ruins that
in the dim light appeared to be only a
mass Of splinters.
A number of thrilling rescues were
made. The manner in which the only
two women were rescued was remark
able. Miss Mary B. Merritt is Of
Boston, where she is q teacher in q
school of oratory. She and her pupil,
Miss Clara Alden, also Of Boston, had
been visiting in Macon and were en-
route to Boston. Both occupied
,, berths in the Pullman. When the
l plunge was made they found their end
of the car almost ensirely submerged.
Going upon the platform, which was
an exhibition of nerve since the water
was almost to their chins, they climbed
. to the roof of the Pullman and walked
up the inclined car to the further end,
D where they stood calling for help.
B They we're the first to be rescued. A
3 rope was thrown, which each in turn
Q grasped and in that manner were
= carried safely to the point from which
D the cars had fallen.
Q The list of those killed is as follows
Psssengers-W. W. Iparks, W. +,
Maddox, George W. Flournoy, W. J.
Pate, Jesse Pate, aged Is, son Of W.
J. Pate-sll of Atlanta, Ga.
D. @. Hightover, Stockbridge, GA.
J. L Florida, Nashville, Tenn.
= The crew.. Sullivan. engineer
: of the wrecked train, Atlanta; W. A.
8 Barclay, conductor; q. R Cress'
man, conductor of Pullman on The
wrecked train; W. 81. Green, fireman;
W. W. Bennett, baggage master.
Employees Of the road who we're on
fatal train-J. H. Hunnicut. oonduc
tor, Atlanta; J. E. Wood, conductor
d Atlanta; G. 7. Griffith, supervisor
L FlovillS, Ga; W. r. Lawrence, fore
man, Stockbridgs, Cha; W. o. Ellis
! bridgeman, Stockbridge, Ga; JohI
II BrantIey, fireman, Atlanta; ]. 81
70 Rhodes, hagmsn; W. I. Morrissette
: repsirer, Pocahontas, Va; Ed Byrd
II negro fireman; Robert Spencer, negr'
% porter.
r Unidentihed-B Bodies Of four whit
y men; one supposed to be Rober
y Buchanan, of Atlanta, and one @. n
= Seevall, of Chicago; bodies Of Nv