The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-16
OVER THE CANooCHEE AFo0T.
GEORGIA AND ALABAMA TRANS
FERs ITS PASSENGERS

Gabbett Leaves Again To-day for
the scene Of the wrcck-Grcat
Mass of Debris Was Harmed 90
Clear "a Away THAT Was the
Quickest Way 10 Get About re-
pairing the Brtdge-Fire Engine
Free, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT VIII Cost
Something like $4,000.
A force OF men is rapidly rebuilt Ing
the Georgia and Alabama Railroad
bridge over the Canoochee river !, ls
pected that the work wlll be Finished
tonight. and that passenger ana frelsn.
trains can then be run over the bridge ns
they we're before the accident OF day pe-
I fore yesterday. when twcuty-teveu loaded
freight cars were prccipita,ed into the
waters Of the river.
Passenger trains now run up 20 the
tresue on either side Of tho river. They
| 90 not cross. The tres,le 10 badly dam
aged and system by which passengers
mail ana baggage are transferred across
he river has been devised. a ctuseway
mas been constructed across the stream
supt. Cecil Gabbott having directed ,h,
work ana passengers walk across
| Baggage ana mail are carried acrosa
Passenger trains run from Savannah o.
schedule time and discharge thclr nasseu-
gers at the river a tram Is waiting OF
the opposite bank 10 receive he passeu-
gers ana carry them westward Ia tho
anne way the eastward movement ls con.
tinuod, oastbound passengers being tran b
fcrred from tho west TO the cast side OF
The river and taking the trains Tor sa-
yaunah
Superintendent Cecil Cabbcu returned
yesterday afternoon from thc se 10 Of Oh
wreck. lie vii leave this morning again
for the bridge. which IS about two m....
west OF Groyeland forty mile. from Sa-
vannah. The work upOn the tresue VII
be pushed a. rapidly as possible
The wreck was one Of the most complete
that Mr. Gabbett has ever scsn Newer
ne said, had ne seen such pile ~ ecbus
as that which lowered from th. UH ..l. o.
/ Canoochee when he arrived there day bee
tore yesterday afternoon. n special uai.
/ having hurried from Savannah with th.
superintendent as soon as the news OF
he disaster was received
The wreck occurred as q was DESCRIBED
m the Morning News OF yesterday che
accounts received OF 70 being suhstau-
tiated by Mr.. Gahbttt, save thAt no one
was injured. The twenty-scvtu cars pl-
81 into the river. but no trliumou wore
caught. This. Mr.. Gabbett said. was duo
20 tho fact chat all the cars were Oats.
and brakemcn do not ride on Them u
would seem that a stretch ~ twenty
| seven cars would have two or thre.
hrakemen ~ least upon o. anl 500 o.
might under the Old system Of hand
brakes were g made up Of box cars Un-
| der the new interstate commerce law
however. cars are equipped with alr-
brakes and automatic COUPLINGS and So
many train hands are NOT needed Be-
SIDES, even under tho old method. there
would scarcely have been q Dor KEENAN, or
any one Of the tweuty-seven as fats are
so loaded with lumber as 20 m BE- % inn
possible 10 man pulate a mandrake
twenty-five Of the cars that tumoled
from the track. Mr. Gabbeit said. were
loaded with lumber and two with naval
stores. a hange on an T. C. aud + car
broke two or three hundred feet from
the point where the cars loft the trcstls
and continued 70 pound ITSELF of until
that point was reached. The wheel. the
superintendent said. was made hy the
American Rolling Stock Company ana was
defective.
The trucks OF the oar thot hld me de-
fective wheel LEFT the track. but tHc aus
tomato coupling held the body 90 tho
car before Sc and dragged Il along for o.
few feet before breaking The body of
The car was left upon the irestle tho
engine and several cars with 30 crossing
IN safety, while the flats began their wild
plunge 70 the water
a section about Is feet long was broken
from the trestie. and through this tho
cars headed. following one after another
until the twcuty-eeNcu were piled uD lr
The river The others az the rear might
have taken the same course. bur tho tIf.
hAd reached higher that the trestls ana
they could not get or. Cars. lumber AN 3
naval stores We're iu a mass as hfsh ae
the city Exchange Mr. Gabbcif said. qu
standing upon base that WIS only IS
feet long.
As soon as Mr.. Gabbeit arrived De saw
that unusual means would have 20 Do e-n-
ploycd for the speedy removal OF the OBJ
sirucuons to the track. Trafiic had 10 be
resumed Ia its usual form as soon as p.s-
sihle. so the superintendent determined 90
burn away the wrcckage. this being the
only means by which access could lo
speedily obtained TO the trestle for its re-
pair. He accordingly tolegraphed 10 ST.
vannah. requesting that a fire engine be
sent as he wanted its services 10 pre-
vent iite tFFNtit NHlfA burned when fire
was se, 10 the great pile OF debris
A special train left the city late night
before last with reserve engine No. ana
Assistant Foreman A. NJ Rogers. "a.
giueer J. il. Bordnave ana Supcrnumerar4
Dan Counors aboard. The train arriy.l
within a mile and a quarter OF the wfae,.
2, about $50 o'clock. and the engine was
there unloaded. a gang OF some sixty
negroes assisting IN the work The gan
furnished the motive power for "A Ion.
trip. the engine had 20 take through tn,
woods TO the river. as a long trestle an
proaches the river. and The oneIne could
In no other way have been paced up9r
the bank la readiness FOR action. IL tya
"a long and trcsomc trip through th.
woods at night but was finally finished
Al about $50 o'clock fire was st4rtr..
I two barrels q spirits % turpeutIne bclna
stove and poured upon the debris Moro
applying the flames The engine. ia tho
meantime had got In action. and streams
were played upon the trestlo. preventing
I Il from taking ire
tremendous blaze was made hy the
[ debris which burned ncrcoly. The engine
I continued SIS work until 2.3O O'Clock vaa-
tcrday afternoon. when % shut down
! The same tortuous course back 10 tho
Z point where the engine could a. loaded
upon car was then taken. ana tho an-
paratus and the hromcn arrived In tho
city last night az $3.50 o'clock Tncy ga "a
that every provision for tho.r comfort
mad been made by Nj Glbbott. and they
GRO infH fnsfr rerufaaa az 49,. t-....