The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1900-06-28
Railroad Disaster.
THIRTY FIVE LIVES LOST IN A
WRECK on TIE SOUTHERN
IN GEORGIA.
A Passenger train Rushes Headlong
to Destruction.
The Wreck Catches Fire and Number
of Bodies Cremated.
The Entire Train With All on Board
Consumed by the Flames Elk
cept the Pullman Car.

Atlanta, Ga, June PA passenger
train on the Macon branch of the
Southern Railway ran into washout
one mile and half north Nc Donough,
Ga, last night and was completely
wrecked. The wreck caught fire and
the entire train, with the exception
of the sleeper, was destroyed. Every
person on the train, except the Occu-
pants of the Pullman car persisted.
Not a member of the train crew escap-
ed. Thirty-five people in all were
killed.
The train left Macon at 10 and was
due in Atlanta at 8 40 last night. Nc
Donough was reached on time. At
this point connection is made for Col
omnibus, Ca, and here every night the
Columbus train is coupled on and haul
ed through to Atlanta. Last night,
however, for the first time in many
months the Columbus train was report
ed two hours late on account of a
washOut on that branch and the Macon
train started OH to Atlanta without
the Columbus connection.
Tremendous rains, of daily occur
renee for the past two weeks, have
swollen all streams in this part of the
south, and several washouts have been
reported on the different roads.
Camps Greek which runs into the
Ocmulgee, was over its banks and its
waters had spread to all the lowlands
through which it runs. About a mile
and half north of McDOnough the
creek comes somewhat near the South
ern's tracks, and, running alonside for
some distance, finally passes away
under the road by heavy stone cul-
vert. A cloudburst broke over that
section of the country about @ O'Clock
last night and, presumably, shortly
after dark washed out a section of the
track nearly 100 feet in length. Into
this the swiftly moving II ain plunged.
There was not note of warming
The storm was still raging and all the
car windows were closed. The passen-
gers, secure as they thought and shell
tered comfortably from the Indictment
weather, went to death without an in
stant's warning.
The train, consisting of baggage
car second class coach, first class coach
and Pullman sleeper, was knocked
into kindling wood by the fall. The
! wreck caught fire few minutes after
tns3 fall and all the coaches were burn
ed except the pullman car.
Every person on the train except the
occupants 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 i'll
the sleeper We're unable to render as
sIstance to their passengers.
For brief time there was silence,
Then the occupants of the Pullman
ear recovered from their bewilderment,
and by hard work managed to get out
of their car and found themselves on
the track in the pouring rain. The ex-
tent of the catastrophe was quickly APP
parent. Flames We're already seen
coming from that part of the wreck
age not covered by the water. AS the
wreck began to go to pieces under the
destructive. work of both flame and
food, human bodies fioated out from
the mass and were carried down stream
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 distinct
ness.