The leader., 1903-11-18
BIG RAILROAD WRECK.
81 PEOPLE KILLED IN A SsIASH-UP
AT KENTNOOD. La.
Passenger Train Crashes into the Rear
Coach Of A Standing Train,
.--AlI Negroes but one.

an awful wreck occurred at Kent
wood, La. Train No. 6 crashed
into local passenger, No. 80, cut.
ting in two, as with knife, the
rear coach, the engine ploughine
half way into the second car,
carrying the agony of a violent
and sudden death with every inch
of space covered. Both trains
were late; and to this is thought
to be due the disaster. The rear
coach was crowded with negro
laborers going to their various
homes for Sunday, and % of these
were killed outright and many
wounded. The following list tells
the harl owing tale of disaster:
White Dead Andrew Kiser,
Crystal Springs, Miss.
Negro Dead King Hays Tug
aloo, Miss; John Smith, Tuga4oo,
Miss; Wesley Williams, Brook
haven, Miss; John Williams,
Brookhaven, Miss; Jerry Austin,
Canton, Miss. William Lawson,
Canton, Miss. unkonwn mulatto
(Fern's crew., eighteen unidenti-
fed negro men, one unidentified
negro woman.
In Charity Hospital = Robert
Green, aged twenty five, Canton,
Miss; Jim Reed, aged twenty
seven. Dry Grove, Miss; Taley
Williams, aged eighteen, Sileles-
berg, Miss. !; on train to New Or
leans, unknown negro.
White Wounded Bud Wilson,
fireman No. 6, Mcomb City,
Miss. Henry Starkey, Natalbany,
La.
Negroes Wounded Eugene Nc
Daniels, Gillsburg, Miss; Er-
vim Love, Bogue Chitto, Miss;
Monroe Walbur, Hazlehurst,
Miss. Will Bristo, John Thomas,
Canton, Miss. Henry Vardimore,
Chatawa, Miss; Y. S. Grant,
Eutah, Ala. ; w. Coleman, Can
ton, Miss; Chas. Nash, Madison,
Miss; w. Smith. Crystal Springs,
Miss; Will Tilln1an, Brookhaven,
Miss; Shurley Griffin, Pickens,
Miss; Will May, Canton, Miss;
Henry Wright, Calhoun, Miss;
Marion McMuIlen, Brandon,
Miss.
About the depot on Saturday
night at Kentwood, were the usual
crowds of hangers on. Some few
intended taking No. 6, or No. 80
bound north from New Orleans.
The latter was delayed a little; the
conductor was seen to rush into
the station for orders; but re-
ceived none. Suddenly around
the curve, half a mile away, he
saw the head light of the limited
express, approaching at fifty
mile-an-hour- rate. The signal
was given for 80 to pull out; but
the engineer failed to catch it-a
brakeman was sent speeding down
the track to signal the flying limi-
ted; but all in vain; time was too
short land the first cry that rent
the air, later burdened with
shierks of pain and despair, was
that of black man: Lets get
out, boys;" and the crash came.
Out of that rear cal only one was
left to tell the tale and he was
crazed negro who wandered about
in fear of some calamity he
thought still coming upon him,
unable to fully realize what had
happened. The flames soon added
their terror to the awful scene of
agony; and the wrenched and
writhing limbs Of many victims
were charred and burned into un-
recognizable masses by the de-
vouring element.
At midnight coffins and pine
boxes were improvised and the
remains, distorted, no two in the
same position, and bearing no
semblance to humanity, were
buried in trenches, while the
wounded we're taken as soon as
possible to New Orleans.
/ 1t was a gruesome experience
and KeDtwood and the officials Of
the /. G. did all possible under
the awful circumstances for both
dead and living.
| A strange superstition exists
.Iamong railroad men, says the Nc
ICom b Times Democrat CORES
4 pondent, which is that every
time the head officials Of The roae
lcome through their city, that il
is sure and never falling sign d
an approaching wreck. This
seems to be borne out By the
/ facts, as it is only a few days since
La crowd passed through on an in
Ispection tour. Another curious
1 fact that has impressed itself upor
railroad men IS that ia nine cases
out of ten one wreck is product
live Of two others. This was dem
onstrated BY two small wrecks fol
lowing the Kenfwood disaster be
teen Hammond and New Orleans
A cattle car was run into bY al
engine at Hammond, and at Ken
lner, d broken ilange derailed
lear, loaded with steel rails.