The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-06-26

both Atlanta and Macon. but TO assist
ance was 10 be had except from tire f5s-
mer city as the interrupted track pre-
vented the arrival OF any train from
Macon.
Recovery of the Bodies.
Nearly the entire male population ~
| McDonough went to the scene to render
assistance but little could De don. bv ,fs
rescuers. as the rire Kept them az a dis
lance. At daylight the bodies that had
/ finated from the gorge We're gathered mp.
/ One body was found q mile from tie
wreck and many were seen alOag tho
/ banks.
/ A wreeking train was started out from
/ Atlanta a; midnight hut owing 20 tr.
| burning wreckase nothing could D. Grrs
until morning. \ special train az o'tIu..,
/ this morning took doctors. ministers. ra..-
/ road officials, and helpers 10 the scene.
/ As the dead were found they We're r.
moved to McDonough. There are two u--
| dertakeTs there. Both establishments
| were soon fun Of the mdugIed remains o.
| the passengers. Some of the bodies w.-.
/ terribly burned, while others were crushed
beyond recognition. The only means rr
1 Identification in the majority Of cas..
|
| the victims
| The bodies were prepared for burial ~
| rapidly as possible. Some may be burtr.
al McDonough. Others viii be sent e.,
| their homes as fast as the proper adj
| dresses can be ascertamed. Only thra.
| ladies were on the train. Two escaped. Il
| is presumed that the other one perisheI,
| but the body has not been found.
|
! several conductors and other employee
were en- route 10 Atlanta 20 spend sunday
| All were killed Conductor ". A Bar
! clay was In charge Of the train. a section
/ boss with g gang OF eight negroes occupied
seats in the secCnd-class coach. They
were on their way to repair a washout on
the Georgia Midland and Gulf road Not
one escaped when the car went down.
Railroad officials Theory.
Mr.. A. Gordon Jones, superintendent os
| the Southern Railway, said of the depIora-
bic affair:
1T can only be explained as one os the
inevitable acts Of God. il seems that DC
was the result of terrific rainstlrm or
| clcudburst. something similar TO tha.
! which caused the JOhnstOwn flood. The ae-
| cident occurred at a deep. narrow creek,
! which had become so suddenly and So
! completely filled that the volume Of water
| carried such weight as to wash out th,
masonry Of stone and brick from under
the trestle which spanned the stream. Mr..
| Griffith. supervisor of tracks, was on tka
engine of the wrecked train. and if there
had been a break IN the track, he 9r ,ha
engineer or fireman would have seen ir.
The masonry supporting the track must
have been washed out, leaving the track
itself intact. so that the men, being I'M
| conscious of anything amiss, allowed the
train to rush In on the unsupported track,
| which resulted in the fatal crash
! "Flagman Quinln, m compliance with
! he REQUIRE ments OF his position. was on
! the rear car Of the train. As soon as h.
! could eXtricate himself from the wreck
| he Crawled up tho emhaEkment. and. ig
spite Of his injuries, walked back 10 NJ
Donough, the neares- station, and an
nounced the accident which had happenaI.
! Ii is but due 10 Mr.. Quinlin Go say that b
| acted with great promptHess ana htT1i.m
i'm spite Of grave obstacles. Fortunately a
| freight train was standing on the track
| at McDonOuEh, and Il was Immediately
| pre- Ssed into service. so that within fifteen
| minutes after the railroad company W4s
| notified Of the accident assistance was rs
| hand and everything possible was done
for the relief Of those who were sun
alive"
4 Pullman Passengers story.
Jesse I. Rohr, a travelling salesman Of
Baltimore one Of those rescued was see
at the Kimball House tonight Hr hal
this to say Of his experience last night
Il was in the Pullman with the Others
who escaped with their lives when ria
! wreck occurred. There was not au .a-
stanrs warning. We heard suddenly 1
our car pitch forward and drop. The for
ward end OF the car filed with water "a.
once. and the lights went cut w heard
the roar OF the rushing waters, and kuw
wa were in a stream of some kind. Hr
got down on all fCurs and felt and crawl
ed our way to the top of the car and then
out. The car was hanging by IFS --
trucks 10 the stone abutmeIt Of the ,4.-
vert. and swayed by the motion OF tHe
b water swung to and fro IKE great IaE-
dulum. Il was pitch dark, and tLe r-l
was coming down In torrents. Pcar.1s
into the breach IN the track, we could
a confused mass Of broken cars ALREADY
beginning 70 burn. What lmpresscc 10
was the fact that not q single call for
help was heard
Those In the forward coaches mus.
have met death instantly. The wreoka2-
was on fire when we reached the top "
/ our car. and liz up the scene brightly
! ! Looking down toward the middle Ot Our
car / saw the head and shoulders o. g
, woman and soon heard her cry: save u.s..
, we are alive But We could DO nothing
| for her then, as there was 10 rope % '5
had, and We We're afraid the car WoI'L
swing from its position. Then came 20
| struggle % get TO the track above. va
were many feet from the level Or the ROADS
bed. Great chunks Of earth, I1osened ~
r | the rain, came falling down on US ana
, | We were nearly buried two or three uIn'-.
! / We feared, too, that the stone tDutmeHt
weakened in It's position b. tho earii ,
| would loosen and crash ia upon U.s.
; PeII Back Into the River.
1--WE took hold Of the roots ana several
times a. We neareI tho Top 81 tho ban;
they pulled out ana sent a. tumbliEg b. *
P on the car. once, Ar, Flynn, who Vas
] one or our little party, got within ef4b.-
: ing distance or the top. suddenly, 90 o-'
70 borrow. he lost his hold, ana down 10
G came. He ala not stop az tho ear 'Ei
time. however. but went on into tho r.ga7
ard was carried away by the terrific r- .
| OF waters. / , as delighted 40 Gayl.gE'.
however. 70 see him walk Up % cur parry
b IN lfcDOnough and tell uB that d. p
, managed 10 eaten tree after q ride o. z
mile Or more in the water. IlleH- 4
! Quinlln worked Ike the heFz thg- b. ST..
I | lie finally got 10 the top and ran a. i-..
a. he could 10 a farm house usav sy o.
, came with a rope. 10 was TOO sha-l, h."'
: ever. and he had 10 make tbs ts.D 4-a--
q 20 another house. Finally VIC spt p-t-.t
% rope. and then We pulled tho t"r .as..
cut Of the forward end o. ne c-a-i III
all were soon on the TOP ~ mo Ery-.l-.
When asked Eow vide tie "1s-J-- Do
$ MT KOhr said. . Oh.
q 4 can't tell you accurately; 70 ih1 =
!. seemed the width 81 the Aiasi .ii l.-,
!, ana the roar Of the fiauca and ..-
j | something calculated % uia-i'-r o.
nan" -. .
Sir. ". ". Ipark one % The ki.l.d r.
Gently moved from Macon % At.-..a. ~. y.
h the Southern agent Tor z taAli- -"
r. der company Of Richmond, Va Pr.
a | affauHa after MNEf- TT -..-