River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-09-29
TRAINS COLLIDE
ON SHARP CURVE
ENORMOUS LOSS OF LIFE ON
SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
ENGINEERS AWFUL MISTAKE
Disobeys Orders and His Life Is For
feit-A Total of Sixty-Six Per-
sons Killed-Large Num-
Der Injured.

Knoxville, Tenn, Sept. 26.-SiXty-siX
| persons were killed and 125 injured
| (many Of whom will die) in head Oh
collision on the Southern railway Is
miles east of this city at 10: IS Saturday
morning. The engineer of the west
| bound train, so investigation shows, was
directly responsible for the disaster. He
deliberately disobeyed orders. Why
will never be known for he was crushed
| to death beneath his engine and his fire
man suffered like fate. Hodges, a
little station, was to be the meeting
point of the two trains. The west-bound
received orders to take the sidetraclz
at the depot and await the east-bound
train. The engineer received his orders
and placed the slip of yellow paper in a
little frame hanging in the cab where
| it would be constantly before him.
There are but two possible explana-
lions of his failure to follow orders; lie
may have gone to sleep or the still more
remote chance of him being suddenly
stricken blind. But there is little
chance of either theory being aught else
but surmise. There can be no excuse
of misread signals, for the accident oc-
Cured in broad daylight.
Met on Sharp Curve.
The crash came on a sharp curve, be-
tween high banks. The west-bound
train was a heavy one, it carrying the
sleepers from the east for Knoxville,
Chattanooga and other southern cities
The east-bound train was lighter, con-
sisting of day coaches and chair cars. 1t
was going 80 miles an hour, the other
40. The heavy train crashed into the
lighter one with the force of giant mis-
sile hurled from a catapult. And, by the
irony of fate, the engineer and fireman
of the train at fault were the only ones
on that train to lose their lives, While
GA travellers were killed on the train that
had the right Of way.
When the first impact came the pas
sengers on the east-bound train were
hurled from their seats and thrown to-
ward the front end of the cars. Then, in
an instant, before they could regain their
feet, the cars commenced to telescope
and close up as hatrack is compressed.
AS IuS Jaws VI WOOu anu AAOH S0AAAS W
gether they killed and MANNED the help
less, huddled masses Of humanity.
Bodies Crushed to Pulp.
Dozens of bodies were simply crushed
out of all semblance to human form,
limbs were torn off, and bones broken by
the hundred. When the doctors got to
work it seemed as if hardly victim had
escaped without at least one fracture,
and scores had half dozen. The bag
gage car of the west-bOund train was
derailed, but the Pullmans and other
coaches behind it kept the track. From
them poured trainmen and passengers to
render what aid was possible. The tool
cases in the cars were broken open, and
men, nerved to mighty deeds by the
shrieks and groans that came from the
pile of wreckage began the work OF res
cue. In one car they found a woman
pinioned by a piece of split tim Der which
had gone completely through her body.
A little child, quivering in deaths ag-
ony, lay beneath the woman. The child
lied ten minutes later. Within few
feet of the little one lay woman's head,
while the decapitated body was several
feet away.
Close Call for Congressman.
In one car but two persons escaped
alive Congressman Henry R. Gibson
from the Second congressional district
of Tennessee and one other man.
whose name is not known. were the