Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-09-28
FEARFUL WRECK ON SOUTHERN.
In Collision Fifty People are Killed and u
Hundred and Twenty-Five Injured.

sf fflIs Vu"u'oui a'u tWoHty-ts0 tHIuTeu.
Knoxville, Tenn; September 24.--The
most disastrous railroad wreck known in
this section occurred this morning at
10.1S O'clock on the Southern Railway
about II miles west of Hodges, station
and 1Sa milesNeast of Knoxville.
The result,of the collision Of two pas
senger trains is that about fifty people
are dead and over 125 are injured.
The colliding trains were east-bound
through passenger train No. 12, from
Chattanooga to Salisbury, N. c., leaving
Knoxville at 9.35 a. M, and west-bound
local passenger train No. 10, from Bristol
to Knoxville, due to arrive here ut IL a. m.
According to the best information, the
wreck was due to failure ofthe crew of
the west-bound train to carry out its
orders to meet the east bound passenger
at Hodges station
Instead of taking the siding at Hodges,
1t proceeded toward Knoxville, with the
result that frightful collision occurred
Both trains were running on time and
at speed of about 80 miles an hour.
The locomotives were demolished and
the major portions of both trains were
completely wrecked, with the exception
of the Pullman sleepers, none of which
left the track.
The pile of wreckage was CHASTITY and
the suffering terrible in the extreme.
The wrecked coaches were filled with
dead and injured and the rescue work
was accomplished with great difficulty.
A wreckage and special relief train left
this city as soon as possible after the
news of the disaster had been received
here, Upon this train was representa-
tive of the, Associated Press. The re-
moval of the wreckage and the rescuing
of the dead and wounded commenced
immediately upon arrival of this train.
Hundreds of people had been attracted
from Hodges station, Newmarket and
the many farm houses in the vicinity OF
the wreck. The people thereabouts rem.
dered every possible assistance and
nearby homes were thrown open, to the
dead and suffering.
The corps of physicians on the special
train administered to the wounded, who,
with the dead, were placed on the special
train and brought to Knoxville, arriving
here about O'clock.
Five of the injured died while en- route
to this city. Some were taken to the
Knoxville general hospital and others to
their homes or the homes of friends.
A local undertaken had received orders
to have $50 cots in readiness and these
were at the Munson street crossing,
where the dead and injured we're removed
from the train.
Fully 1000 people had gathered about
the Southern passenger station. The
wreck occurred without the least warn.
ing and the trains were telescoped.
IL CAUSE OF. WRECK.
Officials of the road gave out the fol
lowing:
"The cause of the wreck is said to be
misreading of orders by the conductor OF
No. 16. w. b. Caldwell was conductor
of No. 15, and w. H. Kane, engineer.
J Conductor Murphy was in charge of No.
~ and @. III. Parrott was the engineer.
"The accident occurred on account oi
the fact that the crew of the west bound
train No. 10 overlooked or, disregarded
orders as to meeting place with the east
bound train No. IL. The track and
equipment were in first class condition
and the crews were old and trusted EN-.
ployees, having been in the service OF
the company some twenty years.