The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-27
.54 PERSONS KILLED AND
NEARLY 125 INJURED

The next train from the wreck arriv-
tG shortly after o'clock. It brought
the bodies Of 43 dead.
The six others who died en- route
brings the list up 10 AZ, and there are
at least six more at the scene Of the
wreck, none of the bodies Of the train
meh having been yet recovered.
Screams AMI Groans OF the Injured.
John W. Brown, of Rogersville.
Tenn, newspaper editor, was in the
rear coach of The west5ound train.
When the fearful jolt came, he said,
all the seats in the car were torn loose
aid people and seats were hurled TO
the front end of the car. when he
recovered from the shock he heard the
screams and groans of the injured
and dying in every direction.
A Horrible Sight.
Il left the car" said Mr.. Brown,
"as soon as 1 could and walked to the
main part of the wreck. 1t was the
most horrible sight I ever witnessed.
/ saw a woman pinioned by a piece of
split timber, which had gone COM
pletely through her body. a little
child, quiverinS in deaths agony, lay
beneath the woman. I saw the child
die. and within few feet of her lay
woman's head, while the decapitat-
ed body was several feet away. Anoth-
er little girl, whose body was fearfully
mangled was calling for her mother.
I have since learned that she was
Lucille Connor, of Knoxville, and that
both her parents were killed. I heard
one woman, terribly mangled, praying
earnestly to be spared for her chill
dren but death relieved her sufferings
in a few minutes.
Both engines and all Of the coaches
of No. Is were literally demolished,
the smoker and baggage car COM
pletely so. The sleepers remained on
the track undamaged. Both engines
lay to the north of the track. jammed
together into one mass of indescriba-
bic ruins. The cars which were de-
molished were piled on the wrecked
engines
Congressman Gibson's Experience.
Congressman Henry r. Gibson,
from the Second Congressional district
of Tennessee, was a passenger in the
day coach of the eastbound train. He
and one other man. whose name is
not known, were the only persons to
escape alive from their demolished
car.
Congressman Gibson was en- route
to RuSSellville, Tenn, to deliver a po-
litical address and was reading his
address when the collision occurred.
When he realized what had happened.
managed to extricate himself. One
glance at the car showed it to be a
mass of human beings, backs of car
seats, grips, baskets and wearing ap-
parel of all sorts. There was not a
sign of life except that near his side,
Il young man VINO had escaped death
and was struggling to get out
Another Account.
Knoxville, Tenn, September 24.-The
u
in this section occurred this morning at
l0:1S O'Clock on the Southern Railway,
about one and one-half miles west of
Hodges station, and eighteen and a
half miles east of Knoxville. The result
of the collision of two passenger trains
is that about fifty people are dead and
over one hundred and twenty-five are
injured.
Wreck Due to Failure to Obey
Orders.
The colliding trains were eastbound
! through passenger train No. II from.
| Chattanooga TO Salisbury, n. c.. leav-
| ing Knoxville at 9:35 a. m, and west
| bound local passenger train No Is, from
Bristol to Knoxville due to arrive here
| at II a. m. According to the best in
| formation, the wreck was due to a fail
| ure of the crew of the weStbound train
| to carry out it's orders to meet the east
pdSScilSSI dl I1OuSSS
| Instead of taking the siding at Hodges
| it proceeded toward Knoxville. with the
result that a frightful collision occurred.
Both trains were running on time and
| at a speed of about thirty miles an
| hour. The locomotives were demolish-
| ed 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 suffer
| ing terrible in the extreme. The wreck
| ed coaches were filed with dead and
| injured and the rescue work was ac.
| complished with great difficulty
! A wrecking and special relief train
| left this city as soon as possible afte,
| the news of the disaster had been re-
| ceived here.
The Work OF Rescue.
The removal of the wreckage and thu
rescuing of the dead and wounded COM
menced Immediately upon the arriva
1 of this train, Hundreds of people had
/ been attracted from Hodges station
| New Market and the many farm house:
in the vicinity of the wreck. The peo-
/ pie thereaboutS rendered every possible
| assistance, and nearby homes were
| thrown open to the dead and sufferins
The corps of physicians on the Specia
| administered to the wounded, who, witt
! the dead We're placed on the specia
| train and brought to Knoxville, arriving
| here about o'clock About five of tn
| injured died while en- route TO this city
Some were taken to the Knoxville gen
eral hospital, and others TO their home.
| or homes of friends A local undertak
er had received orders to have 150 cot
in readiness and these were at tn,
MunSon street crossing, where the deat
and injured were removed from tn
train. Fully 2.GO0 people had gathered
about the Southern passenger station
expecting the train to unload at tina
place. One of the passengers state
that the wreck occurred without tn
least warning and that the trains wer
telescoped.
Statement froni Vice Presiden
Andrews.
Raleigh, N. c., September A.-Coio
mel A. 3. Andrews, vice president o
tte Southern Railway was seen her