The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-25
PASSENGER TRAINS
C0LLIDED HEAD-0N
ORDERS WERE DISREGARDED.
BY ENGINEER WHO PAID WITH HIS
LIFE FOR HIS NEGLIGENCE.

condition of maintenance and having
about them every safeguard known to
modern railroading, two trains on the
Southern Railway, carrying heavy
lists of passengers, came together in
a frightful head-end collision near
Hodges, Tenn. to-day. sending fifty
four people to death and injuring 12O,
several of whom will probably die.
This appalling loss of life and maim-
ing of the living resulted apparently
from the disregarding of orders given
to the two trains to meet at station
which has for long time been their
regular meeting point
The claim of failure to see either
the station or signals cannot be set
up by the engineer of the westbound
train, were he alive to enter a plea
of defense, as the accident happened
in broad daylight and, according to
best information obtainable, he had
the orders in a little frame in front
of him as his monster of iron and
steel rushed by Newmarket and soon
after came upon an eastbound pas
senger train making for Newmarket
in compliance with instructions to
meet the westbound train which car
ried the sleepers from the East for
Knoxville, Chattanooga and other
Southern cities.
Dead Hand May Have Grasped
Throttle.
The possibility exists that the ILL
fated engineer may have been asleep
or that death had suddenly taken the
sight from his eyes before Newman
ket was reached. But nothing is
known save that the orders were not
obeyed.
The trains were on time and not
making over thirty-five miles an hour,
yet the impact as they rounded a curve
and came suddenly upon each other
was frightful. Both engines and the
major portions of both trains were de-
molished, and why the orders were dis
regarded or misinterpreted probably
will never be known. as the engineers
of the two trains were crushed. their
bodies remaining for hours under the
wreckage of the monster locomotives,
which but short time before had
leaped forward at the touch of their
strong hands upon the throttle.
Injured May Die.
At o'clock tonight it is known
that fifty-four lives have been lost
and 120 persons injured, about twenty
of whom will die, according to reports
at the Knoxville Hospital, to which in
stitution all the seriously injured were
taken.
Workers at the scene Of the wreck
had at that hour recovered all the
bodies except those of the enginemen
and the passengers whose lives were
crushed out in the smoker of the east
bound train.
Many bodies Of the dead cannot be
identified, and it will be some time
Sunday before the list is completed.
The known dead are:
Ralph Mountcastle Of Knoxville,
Tenn.
w. A. Galbraith of Knoxville.
Mrs. w. A. Galbraith of Knoxville.
Monroe Ashmore, aged 10, Of Knox
Vile.
John Black, White Pine. Tenn.
James King Of Knoxville.
Two children Of James King, Knox
vile.
william Kane Of Knoxville, engin-
eer Of westbound train.
Richard Parrot OF Knoxville, en-.
glneer of eastbound train.
James Mills. colored. OF Newmarket,
Tenn.
Roscoe King Of Newmarket. Tenn.
r. O. Ernest OF johnson city.
O. w. Brown Of Danridge. Tenn.
r. y. Goodwin OF Jefferson City. Tenn.
J. D. Bird Of Jefferson city. Tenn.
~ Jones, son Of James Jones. South
Knoxville.
Mrr. n. b. West Of Granger county.
Tennessee.
J. y. 0ass o. DanriSgs, Tenn.
Mrs. J. y. 0ass ~ Danri1es. Tenn.
Miss Cess daughter of = y. Casa
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