The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-30
TERRIBLE DISASTER ON
THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY.
President Samuel Spencer Instantly
Killed and Body Burned Almost
Beyond Recognition.
Five Others Meet Death and Many Were Badly Injured P
Morgan CoIapSeS When Told the News

juTed were crushed. They were unable
TO escape from the baggage hurled upon
them and many would have died but the
reScuerS saved them.
Several cases were reported in which
persons ransacked the wrecked cars for
plumber. Some of the passengers were
said TO have participated in this, and a
large amount of Yaluables and money
scattered about the debris was taken.
Story of Passenger.
Mr.. Curtis, the jamestown. N Y. man
who led the rescue work in talking to the
representative Of the Associated Press
said:
1T appeared to me that the passengers
who were uninjured were dazed and they
dld not appear TO realize that something
must be done. / talked to them and they
began to work. You never saw men work
harder in your life.
In the rear of the Pullman which was
smashed, there was mother with a six
months old babe. They were in a draw
ing room which had been smashed. but
strange TO say. they were not hurt in
the slightest. They were gotten out and
taken to safety. / think there were at
that We're cremated. AS far as know
the train attaches did not aid in the first
relief, because they had gone both ways
TO protect the two trains from other and
more serious trouble
Mr.. Curtis has in his possession val
liable case of jewels. which was handed TO
him by a lady. He does not know to whom
II belongs and why it was handed to him.
IL evidently is the property of some one
OF means, as il contains a heavy set dia-
mond ring and other jewels OF value.
Thievish Porter.
Mr. Curtis says he saw a porter search
woman's grip. throw away things of
no value to him and take those things
that he wanted. Mr.. Curtis declared he
would have killed the porter had he had
a weapon.
Coroner C. w. Davis. at the request of
the Souther officials. went to the wreck
TO hold an inquest, but found the bodies
had been removed. He could not say to-
night what steps would be taken.
The jacksonville express had the right
away from the train and proceeded
mile beyond Lawyers before the engineer
noticed he was without his train. IL
may be that when he passed Lawyers
without noticing whether the rear end
markers were visible before he did So
In the absence of an official statement
this explanation is being accepted here
1t is possible that the Rangoon operator
let the Atlanta train into the block on an
order from Lawyers that the block was
clear. the operator there thinking the
trainlesS engine cleared the block. and
that the rear train was past Rangoon
before il could be stopped when the mis-
take was discovered. Should investiga-
ton show that the Lawyers operator
gave clear track without noticing the
absence of rear end markers, then the
cause of the accident was at LAWYERS
Only an official investigation will re-
veal this.
AT 1920 O'Clock tonight it was aseer
tanned from a reliable source that d. J.
Maddux. the operator at Rangoon, who
was on duty at the time of the accident
had disappeared. Railway officials are
trying TO locate him.