The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-09-19

headlight was burning. There were 20
cars in our train. The fog was SO
heavy | could see only a few car
lengths. The Iron Mountain conduct
or and were together after the colli-
sion. We met Clarke, the operator at
Beech Ridge, at the wreck. heard
him say: The sons of bs are try
ing to place the blame for this wreck
on me. Afterward met the operator
at Beech Ridge at the station. could
get no satisfaction out of him He
was intoxicated at the time: saw two
bottles full of whisky in his suit case.
| went to Cache. half a mile north, to
report the wreck. Returning to Beech
Ridge station at about o'clock, | saw
the operator. Mr. Ireland was there.
| asked him If Clarke was druak. He
said yes; ! never saw him before un.
til this morning. Clarke went to
Beech Ridge fom Cairo on No. 4
M. & O train; was on duty only one
hour when accident happened. We
had orders to 60 to Tamms without
further orders. as Mooreham dispatch
ed at Jackson had no orders to the
contrary from Jackson to Beech
Ridge"
E. G. Buckner of Chester, ILL.,, con-
ductor on the Iron Mountain, said:
"We have always had running or
ders to Beech Ridge. II blocks are
against us we stop. The road was
clear; the air was foggy; was riding
in the cab, as | had 10 caDoose; was
running about 25 miles an hour as we
passed the station; threw out the reg
istered order as we passed.; saw the
operator standing on the platform:
the order fell at his feet and he pick
ed it up, A minute after this as
was looking ahead | saw the headlight
of the NJ & o. CLEAN over the cloud
of fog. yelled What is the mac
ter" The engineer instantly set the
brake and we all jumped. The NJ e
o. was only five car lengths ahead at
the time | first saw the light. I was
in the air when the trains collided.
The air brake was set and our cars
did not telescope. After the wreck
went to the station and saw the oper-
ator He had telephone receiver at
his ear upside down trying to tele-
phone. He said he didn't understand
this block business; there is someth.
ing the matter" He offered whisky
to my engineer, who arrived at the
station shortly after / got there. He
pulled the bottle, when was half full
of whisky out of his pocxet. He did
not seem to realize what had happen,
ed. | left the station and walked to
Cache to report the wreck on I. G..
wires. The M. & o. wires had been
knocked down by the wreck. Cache is
where we got orders for Beech Ridge.
Have frequently gone by Beech Ridge
without stopping il blocks were clear.
My engineer stayed at Beech Ridge to
look after Clarke when | went to
Cache to report On my return to
Beech Ridge noticed the operator
had rot registered my train. He had
not opened the paper | had thrown
out to him 1t was~still twisted np."
w M. Newton, whose home is at
Illinois, Mo, brakeman on the Iron
Mountain, said he was riding on the
rear car, as there was no caboose at
tached to the train. Saw the block
was clear as he passed the station At
ter the wreck | went back to the
station; saw Operator Clark and said:
1 don't understand this business He
was drunk, / went to Cache to report
and then returned to Beech Ridge
Clarke was still there, but the agent
relieved him and he went t&sleep on
a bench"
e. E. Palsgrove of Jonesboro, Ark,
brakeman on the Iron Mountain, said
Il was on the rear car when we
passed Beech Ridge; saw everything
clear. After the wreck started to
the head of the train; met engineer,
who said: Don't go close to the en-
gine; 1t might blow up then
walked back to the station; saw Oper.
ator Clarke, who said he wanted to
call the agent. He was drunk and
laid down on a bench and went to
sleep. This was at $40 o'clock
A. Hellyar of Poplar Bluff, fireman
on the Iron Mountain, said: 1--WE left
Cache and whistled for block; seeing
everything clear, we kept on going.
Half mile south of Beech Ridge Con-
ductor Buckner, who was in the cab
with us. cried: Look there!' We saw
In an instant there was trouble.
jumped out Of the window, alighting
safely as the trains met. rushed at
once to the rear of the train for fear
one of the locomotives would explode
its boiler: then went with Conduct
or Buckner to the station When we
got there Operator Clarke looked up
and said: 4 don't understand this bus.
mess said did not think he did.
The collision occurred about 1880 a.
m. 1t was foggy; cloud hovered over
the train. We had been running in
a fog; we were going at the rate of so
miles an hour when we hit. 1t seemed