The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13
Freight Train on the L. 6 N. Crashes Into Frisco
 Sleeper
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
 IS NOT YET DE ETERMiNED
Dead Man Was Brother of Eli p. Smith-Passenoers Taken From Coach Through the
 Windows.


 on the Frico limited between Birmingham and Memphis yesterday morning about 5:45 o'clock at the Pratt City crossing, resulting in the death of Pullman Conduc- tor Julius Clifford Smitla and the in jury of eight or ten passengers. Judging from the circumstances it IS supposed that Mir Smith was thrown by the force of the collision from the front vestibule of his car under the wheels Of the Louisville and Nashville engine; and death must have been Instantaneous. Among the injured were E. T. Wilcox, assistant general freight agent of the
 Frisco railroad, with headquarters in Memphis, slightly injured about the knee. He was able to go home.
 William Goldsmith of Rochester, Y, seriously cut about the head. He was taken to St. Vincents hospital, but after receiving the proper medical attention he left the hospital and went to his hotel. B. B. BIaKeney, an attorney of Shawnee, Okla, slightly injured, was taken to the Hillman hotel.
 L. II. Weathers of Memphis, slightly in jured, was carried to the Hillman hotel. A. R. Bartholomew of Memphis slight ly injured, was carried to the Hillman hotel.
 John c. Hill of Vernon, Ala, was cut attention.
 i A MT. Wedding and MT. Stern were re- moved to the Florence hotel suffering slighty from injuries received. L. D. Gully of Birmingham was injured
 about the neck. o. B. Newman. a postal clerk of Birmingham, was slightly in-
 jured about the arms. Several others
 sustained bruises and small cuts. Mr. Goldsmith, who was removed to St. Vincents hospital was the only pas- l senger who was seriously injured. None
 of the injuries will prove fatal.
 Cause of Collision Undetermined. The cause of the collision is not known
 unless it is attributed to the inability
 of the engineer of the freight train to | stop his engine. It is claimed that the l air brakes oif the freight cars were faulty; that the connections between the , cars were not good, and thus rendered 1 it impossible for the engineer to stop the 1 train. No investigation has been made. however
 The Frisco and the Louisville and Nash vile tracks cross where the accident oc-
 cured, about 50 yards from the Pratt City station but not exactly at right angles. The freight engine struck the sleeping car in just about the middle and toppled
 it over. All of the passengers inside were asleep at the time and were thrown from their berths when the car was overturned.
 Conductor Smith. it is supposed, was
 standing on the front vestibule of the Leeds" when it was struck. It is
 thought that the force of the collision
 threw him through the glass doors un-
 der the wheels of the big engine which
 caused the damage. His body was horribly mangled. He was picked up off the track carried to the Pratt City
 station a short distance away. It is considered miraculous that a number of the passengers were not killed. The sleeper was turned over on it's side and carried up the track a short distance before the engine stopped The passengers were toppled out of their berths, and had to be drawn. out of the windows on the up- per side of the car. In the confusion number of the passengers lost their
 baggage and other valuables Both Jump for Lives.
 The accident is thought to have been caused by the faulty air brakes on the freight train. The Louisville and Nash vile engine was in charge of Engineer Donahue and seeing that the crash was inevitable he and his fireman both jumped from the engine. The freight train was one of thirty-four heavily laden cars.
 According to the statement of En- gineer Donahue. the Frisco engine did not blow for the crossing, which is not more than fifty yards from the Pratt City station.
 The Frisco train was in charge of Engineer D. smth and Conductor Frank Baldwin, and was due to arrive in Birmingham from Memphis at 5:45, and was running just few minutes late. It was composed of a baggage car, a ombination car, a chair car, and three sleepers.
 Coroner w. D. Paris was notified of the wreck early yesterday morning and he set about immediately to investi-
 gate the cause of the wreck. A jury was empaneled yesterday afternoon and the matter will be carefully investi- gated.
 Brother of Eli p. Smith.
 Julius Clifford Smith, the decea sed conductor, was the son of the last Capt D. A. Smith and of Mrs. Alice
 Smith, now living at 2319 Highland avenue. He was the brother of Eli F. Smith, vice president and managing editor of the Birmingham News; Au-
 gustus W. Smith of this city, and Dr. M Smith of Pages Mill. s. c. He was the third of four sons and was 34 years of age at the time of his death, and was single.
 He was born in Marion county, South Carolina, and came to ngham in 1890. He was for a number of years night clerk of the Postal Telegraph
 company's local office. He entered the
 service of the Pullman company in May
 of this year and was assigned to the Memphis district, west of the Misss
 sippi river. Four weeks ago he was assigned to the Memphis-B Birmingham
 division in the absence of the regular conductor. He left Birmingham on Thursday and was making his return trip to the city when he was killed.
 He was a member of the First Metho- dist church of this city.
 The funeral services will be held from the residence of Eli P. Smith,
 2319 Highland avenue, this afternoon at 3 o'clock. The following have been
 c1r fn aot l1-bo