The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-26
assistance to their fellow-passengers.

assistance to their fellow-passenger
For brief time there was silence
Heh the occupants of the Pullman recoV-
s1ea from their bewiiderment and, after
nara work, managed to get out of their
Gar and found themselves on the track
an the pouring rain. The extent of the
catastrophe was Immediately apparent.
Hia4LeS .,i.t were already seen coming from
taat part Of the wreck not covered by
me water. As the wreck began to go to
i.eees under the destructive work of both
iie and flood, human bodies foated out
from the mass, and were carried down
scream by the swift current The storm
nld not abate in fury Flashes of light
rlnS added to the steady glow of the
burning train, and lit up the scene with
iearfu! distinctness. a iiagman, Quinian.
VINO was one of the first TO get out, at
once started for the nearest telegraph
station. Making his way as rapidly as
zJtssihle in the face of the binding storm,
he stumbled into the office at McDon-
ough, and, after telling the night oper-
ator of the wreck, fell fainting on 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 Interrupted track prevented
the arrival of any train from Macon.
RECOVERY OF THE BODIES.
Nearly the entire male population of
McDonough went to the scene to render
assistance, but little could be done by the
rescuers, as the fire kept them at a dis
tance. At daylight the bodies that had
foated from the gorge were gathered up.
One body was found one 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. a specital train at G
O'Clock this morning took doctors, minis
ters, railroad official and helpers to the
scene.
As the dead We're found they were re-
moved to McDonough. There are two un-
dertakers there. Both establishments
We're soon full Of the mangled remains OF
the passengers. Some of the bodies were
terribly burned, while others were crushed
beyond recognition. The only means of
identification in the majority of the cases
were letters and papers in the pockets of
the victims.
The bodies were prepared for burial as
rapidly as possible Some may be buried
at McDonough. Others will be sent to
their homes as fast as the proper ad-
dresses can be ascertained. Only three
ladies We're on the train. Two escaped 1t
is presumed that the other one perished,
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 Sunday.
All were killed. Conductor W. a. Bar
clay was in charge of the train. A section
boss with gang of eight negroes occupied
seats in the second-class coach They
were on their way to repair washout on
the Georgia Midland and Gulf road. Not
one escaped when the car went down.
RAILROAD OFFICIALS THEORY.
AR Gordon Jones. superintendent Of
the Southern Railway, said OF the deplor-
able affair:
"It can only be explained as one of the
inevitable acts of God. 1t seems that it
was the result of a terrific rainstorm or
cloudburst, something similar to that
which caused the Johnstown flood. The ac-
cident occurred a a deep narrow creek
which had become so suddenly and so
completely filled that the volume of water
carried such a weight as to wash out the
masonry of stone and brick from under
the trestle which spanned the stream Mr.
Griffith, supervisor of tracks, was on the
engine Of the wrecked train, and If there
had been break in the track he or the
engineer or fireman would have seen it
The masonry supporting the track must
have been washed out, leaving the track
conscious Of anything amiss. allowed the
train to rush in on the unsupported thack,
which resulted in the fatal crash
''F'lagman Quinln. in compliance with