The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-01-09
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
Ushers Five Souls Into Eternity
At Macon, Georgia.
GIANT LOCOMOTIVE BLOWS UP
Terrible Accident Occurred In Round
House of the Central Railroad.
Destruction Wrought Was
Fearful.

One OF the most disastrous acc1-
dents that ever occurred in Macon,
Ca, happened at an early hour Thurs
day morning. 1t was the explosion Of
the boiler Of one OF the giant lccomo-
tives Of the Central of Georgia railway
from some unknown cause. The e1-
plosion occurred in the roundhouse OF
the machine shops at 1880 o'clock.
The shock caused by the explosion
was distinctly felt at Bollingbroke, II
miles above Macon on the Central rail
road, and the noise was heard for
miles around the city. Many inhabi-
tants of the city were at breakfast
when the accident occurred and the
rafting dishes and the clattsrins OF
the window sashes caused these to
think that the city was visited by an
other earthquake Six blocks from
the scene Of the explosion window
panes In more than one building weTe
shattered.
The dead are: John N. Mcdonald,
white. machinist; Tesh Hodges white,
engineer; Uruah Cornelius, colored,
helper; James O'Neill, white; one uni
Identified.
Injured: Alderman Robert L. WILL
liams, badly scalded; W. N. Wilson,
Edward Hambrick, Henry Fox, white,
machinist; Peter Hammond, colorod;
doc" Meadows, colored; P. H. White,
white; James HaAaley, one unknown
white man.
In addition to those given above
there were perhaps hundred other
persons more or less seriously injured.
These are among the employees OF the
Central railroad and others who hap
pened to be near the scene Of the ex-
plosion at the time the accident &C.
Cured.
The explosion occurred because the
safety valve on the engine failed to
pop off when the boiler became over
charged with steam. The engineer
and several of the helpers were work
ing with the locomotive to remedy the
defect when it suddenly exploded.
The engines in different parts OF the
roundhouse were wrecked, the building
was demolished and many cars and the
big building in the Central railroad
yards injured as result
It was thought for time that the
city magazines had been blown up, but
the noise was N a different direction
and the trouble was soon located.
Hundreds of people locked to the
scene of the disaster. Wives, sisters,
brothers and relatives Of the injured
hurried to the Central yards and their
grief at the sight Of the mutilated
bodies Of their loved ones was inde-
scribable.
The engine was one Of the largest
used by the Central railroad. It weigh.
ed several tons, and various pieces OF
it were found several hundred yards
away.
Arms and legs and other parts OF
the dead and injured were picked up
five hundred yards from the scene OF
the wreck.
Engine No. 1475, used for pulling
freight trains, and had been in the
repair department OF the shop for sew
eral days, and had been announced as
ready for use. 1t was noticed that
the poy valve was out Of order, and 1t
was while the employees were at work
on this that the explosion occurred.
Tosh Hodges, the engineer who was
killed, was one Of the best known
men In the employ: Of the railroad. He
was the brother Of ex-Solicitor General
Hodges, and was very popular. He
had just come in from his run, and
was attempting to repair the defect IN
the engine when the explosion came.
A negro who was painting the top
Of the round house was blown ZOO
yards, and when picked up it was al
most impossible to Identify him.