The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-09-25
Orders Governing Trains Are Dis
regarded and Crash Come,
at Sharp Curve.
ENGINEER PROBABLY ASLEEP
Scenes of the Utmost Horror
Are Witnessed by Those of
the Passengers Who Es-
capped Death.

hnOxvllie, Tenn., Sept. Z4.-Running
on roadbed supposedly in high condi-
tion OF maintenance. and having about
them every safeguard known to the
modern railroad, two trains on the
Southern railway. carrying heavy lists
of passengers, came together In fright
full head-on collision near Hodges.
Tenn, today, sending 54 people to their
death and injuring 12O. of whom sey-
eral probably will die.
Some of the bodies have not been
recovered and many remain unidenti-
fed.
The appalling loss of life and the
manning Of the living resulted appar-
emily from the disregarding Of orders
given the two trains to meet at the
station, wrich for a long time had been
the regular meeting point. This action
on the part of the engineer Of the west
bound train was made the more mex
plicable by the fact that the accident
happened. In broad daylight, and, ac-
cording to the best information OBJ
tainsble, he had the order In little
frame in front Of him as the engine
rushed by the station and mile and
half further on came full upon the
|eastbound passenger train. The pos
sibility exists that the Inflated engi-
.neer had been asleep.
Trains Meet on Sharp Curve.
The trains were on time and not
making over IS miles an hour. yet the
impact as they rounded the curve and
came suddenly upon each other was
frightful Both engines and the ma
jor portions of both trains were demol-
ished, and why the orders were disre-
garded or misinterpreted probably will
never be known, as both engineers
were crushed, their bodies remaining
for hours under the wreckage.
The collision was between the east
bound passenger and the westbound
passenger from Bristol The east
bound was heavy train, carrying
three Pullmans. two day coaches. maH
and baggage cars. The other was .
light local train. The greatest loss Of
life occurred in the eastbound train.
while in the westbound train only the
engineer and firemen were killed. Re-
lief trains were dispatched from Knox
vile within an hour and all the physi-
clans in the vicinity of the wreck were
doing all they could when the local
corps arrived.
Fearful Scenes Followed.
John w. Brown OF Rogersyille. Tenn,
"a newspaper editor was in the coach
of the westbound train. When tae
fearful jolt came, he said. all the seats
in the car were torn loose and people
and seats hurled to the front end of
the car.
81 left the car" said Brown, 'as
soon as could and walked to the main
part Of the wreck. The most terrible
sight / ever witnessed met my eyes
saw woman pinioned on piece OF
split timber, which had gone complete
ly through her body. A little child.
quivering in deaths agony. lay be-
meath the woman. saw the child die.
and within a few feet of her lay
woman's head. The decapitated bod
was several feet away. Another little
girl, whose body was fearfully man
gled, was piteously calling for her
mother. have since learned that both
parents were killed. heard one woman
terribly mangled, praying to be spared
for her children. but death ensued in
a few minutes"
Congressman H. Gibson of Tennes-
see was a passenger in the day coach
Of the eastbound train. He and another
man were the only persons to escape
alive from the demolished car.