The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-03
IGNORED HIS ORDERS
COLLISION CHARGED TO SOUTHERN
RAILWAY ENGINEER.
FREIGHT AND PASSENGER
CAME TOGETHER WITH A CRASH
ON ATLANTIC COAST LINE.


Engineer Had Been Cautioned
That Coast Line No. Was on Time.
should Have Made n Siding and Al
lowed the Passenger Train to Pass.
General Superintendent Denhnm
Thought the Trains Might Have
Been Brought TO a Stop Because the
Track Was StrniEbt-Mr. c. r. Bell
Injured.
The failure of an engineer to take
proper heed of instructions given him
resulted in a collision on the Atlantic
Coast Line yesterday. The accident oc-
CURED just south of the Savannah
river The trains involved in the col
lsion We're an extra freight of the
Southern Railway and passenger train
No of the Coast Line
When a freight train is running ex-
ira it has no rights. The rights belong
to the trains running on regular sched-
ules and the engineer of the extra
must look out for himself and see
that he does not get his train into a
mix-up. The Southern Railway engi-
neer did not look out carefully enough,
and the result was that his train met
the Coast Lines passenger with a
crash.
No left Savannah on time and
was running on time. Engineer Hud-
son was pulling the train, which was
in charge of Conductor Slawson. In
structions had been given the engi-
neer and conductor of the Southern's
extra freight that No. 6 was on time.
Twice they had been cautioned to this
effect, but without avail. The pas
senger train had the right of way,
and a siding should have been taken
by the freight in order to admit of
the passenger going by.
Thought He Had Time.
1t is presumed that the engineer of
the freight had an idea that he could
make the siding at Monteith in time
to get out of the passenger trains
way. This is mere presumption, how
ever, as he could not be found after
the accident. His report will be made
to the Southern Railway, which has
no operating office at Savannah. The
Southerns conductor, too, will make
his report to his own company. Neither
he nor the engineer made any to the
Coast Line officials.
The accident occurred at o'clock in
the morning. 1t was on a straight
stretch of track. For hundreds of
yards either side of the scene of the
collision there was no curve to OBJ
struct the view of the engineers, and
General Superintendent w. B. Denham
of the Coast Line, who went to the
scene as soon as possible after the ac
cident, said that he did not under
stand how it was that the engineers
did not bring their trains to a stop
before they came together. 1t was
possible for them to descry each others
train from such a distance that 1t
seemed that the immediate application
of brakes would have prevented the
collision.
Had Slowed Down.
Even as it was, Superintendent Den
ham said to a representative of the
Morning News upon his return to the
city, the trains had been slowed down
by the time they met. The engineers
and firemen jumped, and thus escaped |
They were not bruised, as the speed
had been reduced sufficiently to admit |
of their landing safely on their feet. |
The engines were damaged somewhat |
and the drivers of the Coast Line
engine were derailed. None of the
coaches of the passenger train were
damaged, but several of the freight |
cars of the Southern's train were bro
ken up rather badly.
Mr.. Charles e Bell, commercial |
agent at Savannah for the Southern |
Railway, was the only passenger who |
was injured. The knee-cap of his left |
leg was broken, and it will probably |
be two months before he will be able |
to be out. MIR. Bell was sitting with |
his feet resting upon the arm of the |
seat in front of him, this seat being |
one of the short ones running length |
wise of the car. The car was the rear |
most of the coaches.
Went Together without Warming.
THE collision came absolutely with |
out warning said Mr.. Bell, who was |
seen at the Savannah Hospital last |
night. Il was thrown forward. What |
my knee struck l do not know but |
suppose it was the arm of the seat in |
front of me. My head struck the piece |
of metal by which the window sash |
was raised. and this with such force |
that I received bad cash and that |
the metal was broken. together with |
TWO or three of the Stats of the sash. |
at once realized that there had been a |
collision, and my first thought was to
get out l could not stand on my left |
foot, however, so dragged my |
SNAA " ttie uOOF ana TO the /
ground, where / sat down. Later |
members of the train crew helped me |
back aboard the car, and made me |
as comfortable as they could under |
the circumstances"
Last night Mr.. Bell was taken to the |
office of DR.. Corson. where an X-ray |
photograph of his knee was taken. |
This will be developed, and four physi- |
clans Will examine it to-day. If they |
conclude that Mr.. Bell is in condition |
TO Withstand the operation, the broken |
parts of the kneecap will be bound to- |
gether with wire.
Eight Miles From Telegraph
The scene of the accident was eight |
miles from the Central junction. the |
nearest telegraph station. One of the |
trainmen made his way to Monteith. |
secured a handcar and went to the
Junction, where news of the accident |
was telegraphed 10 Supt. w. H. |
Wright, who, with DIR. T S. Clay. |
Coast Line surgeons, went by special |
train to the scene. They did not ar |
rive until 10 o'clock Mr.. Bell was |
brought back to the city, Dr. CLAY |
attending him.
General Superintendent Denham and |
superintendent of Transportation w. |
J. HaylOw left for the scene soon af- |
ter Supt. Wright. A wrecking force |
was also sent, and the track was |
cleared as soon as possible. 1t was
not until o'clock in the afternoon, |
however, that trains could pass. Coast |
Line train No. IS did not arrive until |
d. a