The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-10-21
WRECK CAUSED BY
SOME ONE STARTING
|. & \. LOCOMOTIVE
JAMES PEYToN INJURED AND EN-
CINE NO. 500 BADLY
DAMAGED.
BLOODH OUNDS AT WORK
Engine Started Near Coal Bin and Be-
lieved to Be Work Of Some One
Seeking TO lnjure Company or Some
Of Its Employees.

An Engine was started somewhere
in the vicinity of the coal bin in the
North yards fthe l. & N. Railroad
Thursday night about 1885 and IT
ran southwark at a rapid rate until
It collided with an engine at the
crossing near the scale house, with
such force that the latter engine was
thrown forward about rs yards, and
James Peyton, hostler, who was on
the engine at the time, was thrown
from the cab to the ground and bruis-
ed about one arm, the head, and his
back, but it is thought not seriously
injured. The engine in which Peyton
was riding was badly damaged,
and will have to go to the shops for
extensive repairs. The engine which
struck seems not to have sustained
very much damage, although the pilot
was almost completely demolished
and most of that portion of the en-
CINE will probably go to the scrap
heap.
No one was in the engine which
started near the coal bin, and it is sus-
pected that the throttle was thrown,
and the engine started by some one
with a view to the destruction or the
property of the company or to thu in
Jury of an employee.
About 1885 last night the tele-
graph operator at the Office near the
coal bin saw the engine passing, and
Immediately wired the offices at the
other section of the yards that the en-
CINE was coming in that direction. 1t
is thought the speed of the engine
was about thirty miles an hour as
It passed the telegraph Office in the
north yards, and it's speed has been
estimated at probaly forty miles when
it struck. The engine which was
started and collided with the engine
in the yards, was No. 935. The engine
which it struck was No. 600. The lat
ter engine had been brought from the
repair works in the north yards, but
had not yet been used for switching
purposes. James Peyton, the hostler,
and young man named Moore, refer
red to as the "oil boy" seem to have
been in charge of the engine. When
they saw the wild engine approaching
the young man (Moore) attempted to
throw the switch, but was unable to
do so for lack of time, the result be-
ing as stated above.
Peyton showed remarkable pres
ence of mind in attempting to avert
the disaster, and first tried to back
onto another track in order to let
the coming engine pass, but being I'M
able to do this he started the engine
forward, with the intention of Keep
ing ahead of the other, and II 1t
struck to be moving SO as to avert the
force of the collision. He could not
have gone far, however, as 1t Is said
another engine or train was in front
of him and not great distance away.
But it is probable that the damage
would have been greater had he not
had his engine in motion at the time.
It is said that the engine which
struck had only hundred pounds of
steam at the time, and could not have
run very far.
Investigation is said to have disclos-
ed the fact that preparation had evil
IDENTIFY been made by someone for
striking the engine, and that the de-
rail in the north yards I had been
thrown before the engine was start
ed thus insuring Its progress.
The track for distance Of proba-
bly, forty feet near the scale house,
east of the crossing, was badly dam
aged by the wreck, and large force
Of men were at once put to work max
ing necessary repairs. Many ties
and timbers had to Ne replaced. and
the evidence of the force with which
he engine struck IL manifested By |
The appearance OF the tracks at this
point. The repair work on the tracks
Is being pushed as rapidly az porsi-
Die.
No. 500 was not being used ss a
switch engine at the time. as No. 700
vas used in that capacity.
The railroad authorities are making
! determined EFFORT to locate the par
y or parties responsible for the
wreck, and communication was had
with Richardson at Law
and he had his two blood
POUNDS here by 4:30 this morning.
md they were Immediately put to
york. The matter will be thorough