The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-05-26
DISASTROUS WRECK FOL-
LOWS TORRENT|AL RAINS
Two SIeepers Leave the Track Near
Goodwin and Fall Down Embark
.ment Into Flooded Stream.

ToTrentIsl rains Monday night caused
all streams in the county to overflow
their banks washeu out fences anC
embankments and resulted In a disas
trous passenger wreck of south bound
l.. & N. train No. at bridge No. j.
Ovef Rutherford creek, about foul
miles north of Columbia. First re-
ports of the wreck stated that fourtee1
we've killed and five coaches were in
the water but this proved erroneous,
as only two coaches, the two sleepeIs
were wrecked, no one was killed, and
but six passengers and tralnmen were
more or less injured. The injured
are:
r. R. Williams, Evansville, Ind, a
passenger, right arm badly wrenched
and spralned, removed to DIR. Pillow s
intirmaIy.
Flagman W. A. Farmer, 1915 SIgleI
street, Nashville, internally injured,
but not serious
Mrs. w. N. Carney, Atmere, Ala.
bady bruised ON head.
Fl. Malone. pullman porter, 313S
AIdmore, Chicago. right arm badly
wIenched and spraIned.
j. q. CantIell. Asst. Gen. Freight
ASbsB 0CdbOulu AlIlluCt
bruised and cut on arm, foot and Leg
r. G. Cawthorne, Nashville, fingers,
foot and leg bruised and cut.
Lonnie Woods. fireman, Columbia,
right hand badly cut.
p. NJ. Roland, Birmingham. hands
cut.
7. B. Parker. Birmingham, back
and loins badly buised.
- .Ek l. II 4 A.
most dangerous along this division and
was only one bundled yards from the
spot. where seven men we're killed IN a
collision few years since.
The train was behind time and was
running at high speed. The south
embankment leading to the bridge had
been undermined fer a distance of
thirty feet by the high water, and
while the engine and all the train
passed over, the two sleepers went
down, the front sleeper rolling over
INTO about seven feet of water and the
rear sleeper going into the breach, and
was torn almost into spllnters. The
engine and lear coach left the rails
but remained on the track, running
along the ties for distance of four
hundred feet with the balance of the
tram, the track being torn up for
that distance
Only three passengers were in the
first sleeper and one of them, woman,
was pulled out of the water by her
hair by another passenger, after nearly
drowning.
There were twenty-o ne passengers
on the rear sleeper and their escape
from death was miraculous They
were pinned in by broken timueIs,
with the water washing over the legs
and bodies of some OF them, and 1t
was only after hole was cut in the
coach side that they we're rescued.
a relief train with doctors and train
men went out from Columbia and
the work of iescue and repair was soon
under way, but on account of high
water. travel Will be tied up twelve or
fifteen hours.
A large crowd reached the wreck
soon after the news had spread, many
going out from Colum 5ia. Excited
groops were standing all about the
place, examining the broken wood
work and twisted iron OF listening to
some passenger tell the tale of wild
scenes following the disaster and pic
ture the sensations of the moment.
All along the track section hands
were at work putting in new ties and
splking down rails Railroad officials
were checking up the passenger list
getting list OF the injured and pro-
viding fol their comfort and .necessl-
ties. Other officials were searching
fol missing clothing ana lost grips
and guarding the broken coaches By
8 o'clock another relief train had come
cut from Columbia and the passengers
were transferred and brought to Co
mmbia. where later on train was
made up and the n 1ioTiry went OH
theiI way southwark. A wlecker from
Nashville reached the scene as the
relief tain pulled out and all efforts
were bent toward clearing the road,
repairing the bridge and shaping
things for renewed traffic.