The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-05-08
HIS NECK BROKEN
SAVANNAH GUANO COMPANY's TRES
TIE COLLAPSED.
EDWARD WILLIAMS KILLED.
TWO OTHER NEGROES WE'RE sERI-
OUSLY INJURED.

Fatal Accident on Plant system
Wharves-Cnrs Loaded with Pyr-
ties and Three Negroes Yell Thirty
Feet-NiIIiams Was Crushed I'm
der Motor Car. which He Operat-
ed-Abe Montgomery and Dave
Gaines Badly Injured-HeaviIy
Loaded Cars said to Have Caused
TrestIe to COIIapse-COroner'sJ Jury
VIII Fix the BIame-Iniured Men
Were Taken to the Georgia In
Urinary in the Police Ambulance.
How the Fatal Accident Occurred.
The collapse Of a trestle on the Plant
System wharves, shortly before o'clock
yesterday afternoon, caused the death of
Edward Williams ana the serious injury
of Abe Montgomery and Dave Gaines All
of the parties are colored, and were en-
ployed by the Savannah Guano Company.
Williams body was horribly mangled. and
his neck was broken Montgomery sus-
tanned fractured arm, his leg is injured
and he is bruised about the body. Gaines
hip is injured, his right foot is badly
crushed, and he is suffering from other
injuries about the body.
The works of the Savannah Guano Com
pany are located on the Plant System
wharves, and trestle about thirty feet
high runs from the factory to the river
A small motor car is used to run the
little cars from the works to the ships.
The entire affair is miniature electric
railway system. and the cargoes used in
the factory are easily taken from the hold
of ship to the acid chambers.
An entire section of the trestle fell IN
with the motor car. carrying with il,
three heavily loaded cars and the I'M
fortunate negroes. The men were on their
way to the factory with pyrtes from
steamer The heavily loaded cars were
moving at the ordinary rate of speed, and
Williams was looking after the motor car
which was in front. Montgomery AMI
Gaines were on the rear cars.
The cars reached the middle of the span
when there was a creak. followed by a
crash that was heard almost a mile
away. The strain on the wooden struc-
ture had been too great and the cars
and men were dashed 10 the ground.
screams of the wounded men who were
pinned down.
Mr. s. N Harris, employed in the
Plant System office. acted coolly and
gathering a gang of wharf hands began
the removal of the men who had been
operating the cars. The heavy motor car
had fallen on Williams and he had been
badly crushed. His neck was broken and
must have beep instantaneous The
mangled and bleeding body was dug from
under the motor car and was placed on
top of two rosin barrels, where it re-
manned until permission for it's removal
was granted by Coroner Keller.
The wounded men were removed from
the demolished wreckage and placed on
the wharf They had been almost
smothered with the black and heavy ny
rites and suffered much pain. Police
headquarters was hurriedly notified of the
fatal accident and Police Surgeon Osborne
hastened to the wharf in the colored am
bulance. Supt. Reilly and Detective Muir
ply followed in a buggy. Surgeon Os-
borne ordered the wounded men taken to
the Georgia Infirmary at once and ac-
companied the ambulance to The hospital
where the injuries were dressed.
The accident attracted hundreds of ne
groes from the Eastside and the news
of the disaster spread rapidly. rep
resenta tive of the Morning News reached
the scene before the wreckage had been
Strengthened out and found the cars piled
in a heap Negroes on the wharf stated
that 1t had been the custom to only carry
two oars at time. and that he fact that
an additional car and heavily loaded too,
was used on the fatal "trip was in meas
ure responsible for the accident APP
parantly too. the woodwork was not the
strongest make. and the combination was
proba bly, responsible for the collapse
Coroner Keller stated, after an investi-
cation. that he will summon a jury and
hold an inquest tonight. At that time
the responsibility for the unfortunate ac-
cident will be fixed. The coroner will
make aonther inspection of the trestle
during the morning. The dead negro was
19 years of age. and his body was removed