Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-23
WIFE STRICKEN ILL
BY TRAGIC NEWS
ENGINEER VIM. j. O'NEAL, OF AT
LANTA, is KILLED IN WRECK
OF SOUTHERN PASSENGER AT
HARDIN, s. O.

Cropping her way feebly from her sick
bed in the faint light of, early dawn, Mrs.
william ]. O'Neal, of 1876 Cherokee ave-
nue., who was waiting eagerly to hear the
footsteps of her husband, coming in from
his night run as engineer on a fast pas
senger train of the Southern railway, an
swered the call of the telephone only to
learn that he had met his death in the
scalding steam of his engine in a wreck
that happened early in the morning at
Hardin, s. G.
AS the message of disaster came to her
over the phone, she fell PROSTATE to the
floor in a death-like swoon, and lay there,
herself lowering between life and death,
until other members of the fanny bore
her again to her bed of sorrow. Mrs
O'Neal has been i'll for several weeks,
during which time she has been confined
to her bed until last Friday, when for
the first time since her illness she ven
tured to take meal at the family table.
Telephone Rings
Awaling early on Monday morning, she
noted the time and awaited with expect
ancy the coming OF her husband as the
darkness of night gave way to the gray,
haif-light of the dawn. The hands of the
clock pointed to $50 and 1t was time to
hear his step in the doorway, when a
long, piercing call rang from the phone.
Mrs. O'Neal, knowing that 1t was time
for her husband to have come and with
a prophetic fear that something was
wrong, summoned all her strength and
made her way to the phone as rapidly as
her feeble condition would permit.
She remained unconscious for a long
time after she had heard the news of her
husbands death, and at a late hour on
n
from the terrible shock, and her condition
was regarded as most serious.
Sons Go to Wreck
The first message was followed later by
another which indicated that Mr.. O'Neal
was seriously hurt but would recover,
but Mrs. O'Neal refused to believe any
news other than that her husband was
dead. At 6:55 o'clock, her three sons left
for the scene of the wreck with the moth
ers prayer that If her husband had not
already passed away that the sons might
reach his bedside before his death
The mothers prayer was not answered.
for as the sons were speeding swiftly or
their way the father breathed his last at
Toccoa about o'clock. A message to
this effect reached Atlanta about $50
o'clock announcing that Engineer O'Neal
and his fireman were pinned beneath the
scalded by the escaping steam so badly
that Mr.. O'Neal died about 9 o'clock on
Monday morning at Toccoa, whittier he
was taken after the wreck His fireman,
Joe Clay, a negro, was also badly scald-
ed and hurt and is not expected to live.
Switch Properly Set
The wreck occurred at 2:45 o'clock at
Hardin, a block office station beyond Toe
Goa and just across the line in South Car
DINA, and the cause of the wreck is a
mystery, as the switch was properly set.
The engine and baggage car turned COM
pletely over, and the passenger coaches
turned on the side. From the best in
formation obtainable it is understood that
no passengers were injured, though the
coaches as well as the engine were badly
damaged.
1t is understood from o. V. O'Neal, a
brother of the dead engineer, that the
track at Hardin has steep grade just
before reaching the station, where It is
nearly level, and it is his opinion that a
wreck could hardly occur there unless
on account of an open switch, which the
dispatches say was not the case, or OF
some impeachment purpOsely placed in the
way of the advancing train. There were
rumors current that the train was wreck
ed in the latter way, but no details of
such conditions were indicated.
The reports received from places near
the wreck say that it will be late on Mon
day afternoon before the track can be
cleared, on account of the debris and the
damage to the track. Passengers are be-
ing transferred until the track can be,
put into passable shape once more.
Mr.. O'Neal is survived by his wife and