The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-11-28

A wreck occurres at the big curve
near the Silver Springs junction on
the Seaboard railroad. three miles
northeast of town at 1920 this morn
ing which, as far as we are able to
ascertain, was one of the worst in the
history Of railroaGing in Florida. Five
men were killed and the sixth Will
probably die.
A northbound freight train with
fifteen or twenty cars. crashed into
southbound freight train with thirty
four cars. Where the trains met the
curve is so sharp that one cannot see
for two hundred yards and in addition
at the time of the wreck dense fog
prevailed.
The terrible hcad-on collision was
caused by the crew of No. 24-nOrth-
bOund-fOrgetting that No. lI-south-
bound-waS due. This train was late
and the northbound crew forgot all
about it and that they were running
on its time. -They should nave met in
the yards here whore No. "a was made
up and started from.
The trains were going at good
rate of speed. as fast as they could go.
ODdDly Ol a SlldG CuINC Will AtdNA
trains and the force of the collision
was terrific. The two heavy engines
locked and crushed into each other,
with their tenders and c0rs on each
side, into shapeless mass of broken
and twisted iron. wood and mscel-
lancoUs merchandise.
Engineer Dad" n NJ. Wakefield. of
No. IL, saw the approaching train
and shouted to his fireman, Tom Phil
lips. Phillips jumped from the engine
and had "a miraculous escape. being
painfully bruised, but not enough to
lay him up. Poor old Dad" one of
the roads oldest and best loved en-
gineers. a man of fifty five years. who
had been an engineer for twenty years.
was literally buried beneath his en-
CINE and the great mass of wrcckage,
and despite the hard work among the
wreckage, could not even up be lOcat-
ed up to l o'clock this afternoon.
Lee Bess. a negro brakeman who
was dead-heading with Wakefield.
his home was.
p. d. Smith. young white man.
barely of age and a head brakeman or
flagman with Wakefield. was killed.
His home was in. Leonard. West, Va,
where he has a brother Will. as was
ascertained by a letter in his pocket.
f. r. Philbrick. of Jacksonville.
head brakeman or flagman on north
bound train No. "a. a young married
man whose home is on Union street.
also barely of age, was so badly hurt
that he died soon after he was taken
to the hospital this morning. His home
was formerly in Tallahassee. where
his father. a physician. resides.
Fireman Bob Sabb colored, Of No
"a, northbound, was instantly killed at
his post of duty and where his body
still remains. burned and scalded be-
You'd any semblance of a human being
The body was right against the boiler
and death must have been instantan-
eOus. There was no chance to remove
the body until the engines were pulled
part.
Conductor c. D. Furman of the
southbound train, was in the cab at
the talk of the train of thirty three
cars and was only shaken up.
Conductor T. 4. Jones OF the north
bound train. whose home is at No. q
I-dSN III STREET. JdCkSbINllit. IL III
the hospital. badly injured. and his
engineer c. W. Johnson. a new man
on the road, who has been running a
switch engine in the yards ar Jack
sonville for some time is also ser
iously injured. His home is in Bridge
port, Ohio.
Conductor Jones had his little son.
ten years of age, with him and the
lad was not injured. Conductor Jones
escape is a most unaccountable one.
Ii took nearly two hours To dig him
from under the wreckage. He was at
the head of the train. presumably in
the cab and was completely buried be-
meath the debris.
Engineer Johnson jumped and was
caught and partially buried by the
wreckage. His escape was very re-
markable. Both of these men are in
the hospital, where they were brought
as soon as possible. Every care has
been given them and their wounds
dressed. They are in a serious con-