Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-07

screams; then a grinding and tearing a
few feet beyond; then sharp explosion;
then another crash. For a moment.
Z stiffness. Then. mingled with the faint
er screams. were grosns and means,
In a moment the horror of disaster
had gripped the neart-cnords of all who
were within hearing of the spot.
George Mckenzie. in an upstairs room
of his home nearby. heard it all and ran
TO the telephone without waiting for
more. 1t was he who turned in the
record call for the ambulance. --.
Charley Black. in his own home, also
heard the alarming confusion. He was
the first outside to reach the scene
He found. just beyond the trolley car
a big green automobile upside down,
ldiaEonally cross the double car tracks.
i Scattered over the surface Of the broad
I street, he saw human figures tumbled
about. some moving. some crying. and
1 some lying still Protruding from I'M
der the overturned automobile he saw
the lower limbs and feet of man who
was apparently lying on his face and
stomach and who was ominously sun
CAR CATCHES IN FLAMES.
| lust at this moment little flicker of
flame made itself visible under the front
of the overturned car, confirming the
/ suspicious odor OF burning Kerosene that
4 had begun to permeate the air.
Stripping off his coat Mr.. Black COM
bated the flames, his fury of strife grow
ing to keep pace with their own. Wmle
ne was fighting. the boulevard began to
ian with people, and within two minutes
after the disaster scores OF hands ana
arms were tenderly ministering TO the
Injured who were lying about the street.
Beating upon the insidious flames. M.
Black finally conquered them and extin-
Suished the last spark. His own coat was
ruined. and later investigation showed
that ne had lost an insurance policy that
had been in one of the pockets.
MANGLED- BODY RECOVERED.
Then the automobile. tremendous,
weighty. unwieldly, was lifted up of the
still figure of the man underneath 1t. The
big car was left on its side while the
Undiscovered individual who had been
pinned down by it's weight was lifted
from the pool Of blood in which his head
llay. His injury was gruesome. 1t was
seen even then that by no chance could
he live long. That was Charles b. It'd
we'll
Almost by some magic, the news of the
disaster seemed to have spread, for by
now not only were residents pouring from
their homes in the neighborhoOd, but au-
ltomobiles from town were whisking into
view and stopping TO discharge their
lclamorously questioning passengers upon
the scene One after another the auto
mobiles hocked up, then in pairs and
groups.
Finally among them was heard the rat
| tie and clamor of an ambulance gong,
and down the hill swept the Grady We
II icie that brought the first doctors TO
the scene. The horses staggered with
WEAKNESS as they came, for their run
of three miles and half from the hos
pital had been a hard one, and the FAST
est ever witnessed, probably, In the city.
A moment more. and professional skill
was caring for the injured ones OF the
disaster. -i s. H-
BY now the whole bridge was covered
with automobiles and people, and deeply
packed in both directions along the ave-
nue. stood the cars that were not able
to reach the spot. Never before, 1t is
raid, had an accident in Atlanta ATTRACTED
so very many people to the scene, of Its
happening. The fact that the. disaster oc-
CURED at an hour OF the evening when
nearly every automobile of the city Is
out on the roads, was held to account for
the remarkable gathering that grew ev-
cry moment and with the arrival of ev-
| cry trolley car at the bridge. Nobody
knew more than the bare fact of the
accident till he arrived at the bridge.
Behind the Grady ambulance came an
other. This was followed shortly by a
third. And after lapse of a few mo-
ments a fourth and than a fifth came. All
had made the run from town at break
neck speed out the length OF Peachtree.t
FIVE AMBULANCES ARRIVE ~
BY the time the fifth Ambulance ar
rived Charley Tidwell, dying and u1con-
scious. and his bride had been lifted into
the Grady hospital ambulance and i-the
tired horses were plunging on their start
back to town. -N 50
c. ]. Hightower and Mrs. Hightower
were placed in the Patterson ambulance
and rushed off on the road to the Wes-
ley Memorial hospital.
About this time another gong was heard
sounding its approach. and the hose
wagon from No. II fire engine house on
North avenue came upon the scene. Some
body had telephoned an alarm while. the
wrecked automobile was still burning.
On its wild way back to town, the
Grady ambulance developed a hot box
in one of its wheels. and was locked
at stop i'm front of the English home
on Peachtree. The automobile OF Com
missioner of Public Works II. L. Col
uer passed at that moment, Mr.. Col
Iier Offering the services of his car. Sew
eraI ladies' who were passengers in. 1t at
the moment disembarked; and in the.
Collier car the dying man and his bride
] were rushed the rest of the way to the
hospital.
Mrs. Tidwelrs wounds were dressed.
! She was found TO have been badly
shocked and stunned. but her injuries
were not considered serious.
The bride was frantic with grief
when she realized the desperate condh
tion OF her husband. She begged to be
allowed to die with him, or to stay with
him till the end came.
MARRIED AUGUST p.
Mr. Tidwell was formerly conductor
in the employ of the Georgia Railway and
Electric company. Later he served with
the Atlanta Taxicab company as a driver.
perfecting his automobile knowledge in
the employ Of that company and winning
/ the confidence of his chief.
! On Sunday. August p, u brief days be-
! fore the disaster. Charles B. Tidwell and
Miss Alice Matte Pope. daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. J. c. Pope. were married at 1880
O'Clock I'm the evening at the home of
Rev. DR.. Grogan. 1862 Jackson street. DR..
Grogan officiating. Mrs. Tidwelrs parents
! live at 100 Jones avenue.