The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-06-28
AN AWFUL DISASTER
Train Plunges Into a Washout Near
McDonough, Ga.

l12 miles north of McDonough, Ca,
Saturday night, and was completely
wrecked. The wreck caught fire and
the entire train, with the exception OF
tii9 sleeper, was destroyed. Every per-
son on the train except the occupants
ofthe pullman car persisted. Notamem-
Der Of the train crew escaped. Thirty
five people in all were killed, and a
number injured. Following is a list
of the dead:
The Killed.
William A. Barclay conductor. At
Ianta; ]. z. Wood, conductor, Atlanta:
j. h Hunnicutt, conductor, Atlanta; ].
1. Sullivan, engineer; w. w. Bennett,
baggagemaster, Atlanta; T. E. Maddox,
cotton buyer, Atlanta; w. j. Pate, At
lanta; 12-year-old son of w. j. Pate, At
lanta; II. r. Gresham, Pullman conduc-
TOR; George w. Flournoy, Atlanta; d, c.
Hightower Stockbridge, Ga; w. w.
lpark, Macon, Ga; Elder Henson, tray-
enng man, supposed to have been from
Florida; J. r. Florida, Nashville; w. 0,
Ellis, bridgeman, Stockbridge: D, Y. Grif-
nth supervisor; J. H: Rhodes, flagman;
John Brantley (white). fireman; viii
Green, extra fireman; w. L. Morrisett,
pump repairer; w. r. Lawrence, fore
man extra gang; Ed Byrd (colored), fire.
man, Atlanta: Robert Spencer, train por-
ter; four bodies unidentified; eight negro
section hands.
Ten passengers were rescued with.
out serious injury.
Plunged Into n washout.
Camps creek, which runs into the
Ocmulgee river, was over it's banks and
its waters had spread to all the low
lands through which it runs. About
mile and half north of McDonough
the creek comes somewhat near the
Southern's tracks, and, running along
side 1t for some distance, finally passes
away under the road by a heavy stone
cuIyert. cloudburst broke over that
section of the country about six o'clock
Saturday night, and presumably short
ly after dark washed out a section of
the track nearly 100 feet in length.
Into this the swiftly moving train
plunged. The storm was still raging
and all the car windows were closed.
The passengers, secure, as they
thought, and sheltered comfortably
from the inclement weather, went to
death without an instant's warning.
Wreck Takes Fire.
The train, consisting of a baggage
car, second-class coach, frst-class
coach and a Pullman sleeper, was
Knocked into kindling wood by the fall.
The wreck caught fire a few minutes
after the fall and all the coaches were
burned except the Pullman can Every
person on the train except the occu-
pants of the Pullman car persisted in
the disaster. There was no escape. as
the heavy Pullman car weighted down
the others, and the few alive in the
sleeper were unable to render assist
ance 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 car and found themselves on the
track in the pouring rain. The extent
of the catastrophe was quickly appar-
ent. Flames were already seen coming
from that part of the wreckage not Gov
cred by the water. As the wreck began
to go to pieces under the destructive
work of both flames and flood human
bodies floated out from the mass and
were carried downstream 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 dis
tinctness.
Rescuers Unable to Work.
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 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 Ma
con, but no assistance was to be had
except in the latter city, as the inter
rupted track prevented the arrival of
any train from Macon. Nearly the en-
tire 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 distance. At
daylight the bodies that had fioated
from the gorge were gathered up. One
body was found mile from the wreck
and many were seen along it's banks.
A wreck train was started out from
Atlanta at midnight, but owing to the
burning wreckage nothing could be
done until morning. A special train at
six o'clock Sunday morning took doc
tors, ministers, railroad officials and
helpers to the scene, but nothing could
be done save 10 gather up the bodies.
As the dead were found they were re-
moved to McDonough. There are two
undertakers there. Both establish
ments were soon full Of the mangled re-
mains of the passengers. Some of the
bodies were terribly burned, while 9TH
ers 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 OF
| the catastrophe. The bodies were pre-
pared for burial as rapidly as possible.
Some may be buried at McDonough.
| Others will be sent to their homes as
fast as their proper addresses can be
ascertained. Only three women were
on the train. Two escaped. 1t is pre-
sumed that the other persisted, but the
body has not been found. A section
boss with gang of eight negroes occu,
pied seats in the seeond-class coach,
They were on their way to repair ;
washout on the Georgia Midland 6
Gulf road. Not one escaped when tn,
car went down.