Times-promoter., 1908-09-18
WRECK ON Y. & M. v.
TWO PASSENGER CARS HURLED
FROM RAILS AND CRUSHED.
-Four Killed and Score Injured.
Bodies of Those Who Were
Killed Horribly Mangled.

Memphis, Tenn.-Three women anc
one man, j. II. Perkins, of this city
were killed, and two score of passenger.
on the fast train between Jackson ant
Clarksdale, on the Y. & NJ. V. railroad
were injured yesterday in u wreck whicl
occurred at a point two miles south o.
Clarksdalc, Miss.
The wreck, according to reports made
to the local division officers of the Y. i
NJ. Y. road, was indirectly due to the
intense heat which prevailed all day yes.
terday. This caused the rails OH one
side of the track to "buckle," or OK
pand with the heat, drawing them up
from the crossties, and throwing the two
rear coaches, in which the majority Of
the passengers were riding, from the
rails.
These two coaches were the first class
ladies' coach and the chair car. Both
were thrown clear off the tracks, over
turned and dragged for short distance
before the train was brought to a stop
The engine and tender and the first two
coaches of the train did not leave the
rails, and the people in the forward
cars were uninjured except for slight
bruises.
The rescuers found the dead and dying
pinned beneath the wreckage and lying
amid the ruins, the dead crushed and
mangled practically beyond recognition.
At first it appeared that score at least
must be among the dead, and it took
the work of the men with the rescue
train and the members of the section
crew who were working near by, some
time to chop and pry away the wreckage
and rescue the wounded.
Miss Sharp, daughter of Capt. E. E.
Sharp the conductor of the train, was
caught in the window of the ladies'
coach, her limbs pinned to the ground
by the weight of the debris piled upon
them. M. Metzger, the news agent of
the train, assisted in prying off the
weight of the wreckage, although he
was himself seriously cut and bruised.
Miss Sharp had tainted, and was uncon-
Scious when she was taken from the
wreck, but it is reported that her in
uries are not serious
One of those killed was Mrs. A. M.
Graham, the ~pfoprietor of boarding
louse at Glendora, Miss. Her body was
nangled, her face and skull torn away.
Ter brains scattered over the ground, 50
hat recognition would have been impos-
lble under ordinary circumstances. Her
aughter, who was with her, Mrs. Rob-
rt M. Gray, also of Glendora, was al
most as badly mangled, but lived a few
ours after being taken from the debris.
Miss Amber Russell, a young girl of
7 years, was also taken from the ruins
cad. Her home was at Anding, Miss,
nd her ticket, bought to Memphis,
howed that she was on her way here
resume her work as stenographer.
AS majority of those injured in the
'reek had come from points south of
larksdale, a special train was ordered
D be run over the line as soon as pos
lble after the accident occurred, to
ring the relatives and friends of the
ounded to Clarksdale, to care for them.
Another special train was made UP
Clarksdale later, which brought
lumber of the more seriously injured to
Lemphis. 1t had been difficult to get
'ports of the extent of the accident
ere, even at the railroad Offices. The
rst reports said that six or more were
ead, while at least twice that number
ere probably fatally injured. In con-
quence, six ambulances were in wait
G at the Poplar street station, with a
'zen physicians, including the regular
ilroad staff of surgeons, when the spe-
al train arrived. But two of the
ounded passengers, MISS Willie Helms !
Id G. E. Harris, were SO seriously In
red that they had to be carried from ,
e train to the ambulances on stretch t
$. The others were able to walk to car
ages and 60 to their homes or to up !,
wn hotels.
1t was reported last night that Mr.. |
arris was seriously injured, but that
iss Helms injuries were not so serious z
had been feared at first.
Aged Man Charged With Murder.