Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-06-08
DEATD FOLLOWS
RAILWAY COLLISION
Central Train Plows Into West
Point Special.
/ KILLED; 10 OTHERS INJURED
Engine Plowed Its Way Into Rear Car.
Picnic Car Contained so People.
Flagman Relied on Whitehall Block
to Notify Central Train.

Atlanta, June Tn a rear end col
lision Wednesday night at o'clock at
the West Fair street crossing between
the incoming Central railway passen-
ger train, No. Is, from Macon, and a
picnic train on the Atlanta and West
Point railroad, which was preceding
the Central train to the depot, Oscar
Cook, a printer, was instantly killed;
Miss Luella Lancaster was seriously
injured, while several other persons,
occupants of the rear coach which
was telescoped by the Central locomo-
tive, were more or less painfully in
jured
The dead: Oscar Cook, of Atlanta.
The injured:
Miss Luella Lancaster, injuries to
head, breast and arms, and cut in
throat; j. w. Dickerson, struck by
switch engine and received injuries
of spine; Herbert Talley, cut about
the head; Ben Strickland, bruised;
Miss Mamie Heard, bruised; Miss Ivy
Lancaster, feet crushed, and burned;
Mamie Lancaster, bruised and burn
ed; Miss Rosa Ham, of McDonough,
Ca, internally injured; Alex Fulton
cut and bruised; W. H. Brown, fingers
crushed and internal injuries; Alex
Fulton, cut about feet; R. G. Cook,
badly bruised; Miss Bagby, back and
hips bruised; Miss Nellie Ward, at
Grady hospital with broken leg; E. S.
Ward, her brother, badly bruised; Mr.
Oliver, at Grady hospital with painful
bruises on right leg.
The following injured were report
ed to the Atlanta and West Point of
ticials:
E. A. Wallace, H. K. Cleveland, Mrs
j. A. Hall. The exact injuries of
these three are unknown.
SuccOr was at once rendered to the
injured by the other passengers of the
train and Chief Joyner, of the fire de-
partment, and Chief Jennings, of the
police force, each of whom arrived at
the scene with a detail Of f1remen
and policemen shortly after the wreck
occurred
The Atlanta and West Point train
of 16 coaches, crowded with a merry
party of men, women and children,
who had spent the day at a picnic
given by the Junior Order of United
Mechanics of Atlanta, and the Daugh-
ters of America, at Pearl Springs, was
on its return trip to the Atlanta ter
minal station, and had just cleared the
Fair street crossing about 10 or IS
feet when it stopped. A moment
later the Central passenger train No
Is, from Macon, due at the terminal
station at 1853 o'clock, crashed into
and telescoped the rear coach of the
picnic train.
The Central train, drawn by engine
1017, with Engineer Cosby at the throt-
tie, was moving at speed of 10
miles an hour when it struck the rear
coach of the picnic train, and so great
was It's momentum that the big engine
plOwed It's way through half the length
of the passenger car, as though it were
made Of cobwebs. This car contained
about 60 people, and it is little short
of miracle that more than half of
them were not killed or fatally injured.
A scene of the widest confusion en-
sued, screams and means from the in
jured following the crash Of the en-
gine into the car. Women tainted.
The shock was felt in all sixteen cars.
Some idea Of the impact OF the en-
gine with the picnic coach may be
imagined when 1t is stated that the en-
gine of the picnic train was uncoupled
and thrown a car length ahead. The
smoke stack of the Central engine rip
ped up to the top of the passenger
coach for a distance of Is feet, and
the flooring Of the car, the rear plat
form and seats were ground into splin-
ters.
1t is said Flagman billiard, of the
picnic train, a son of Conductor w. T.
billiard, who had the train in charge,
relied on the Whitehall street block
to notify the engineer Of the Central
of the presence of the picnic train.
Engineer Cosby, of the Central, states
that he failed to flag him.
1t is said hat when he saw the col
lision was inevitable, he yelled to En-
gineer Cosby, of the Central, that it
was his fault. He could not be found
Wednesday night.