Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-08-13
FIREMAN LOSES LIFE
fRqiRGer'S HGrOism Saved
Many Lives in Wreck

ScaIded and crushed into a mass OF
shapeless flesh by the steam and de-
bris of the locomotive and tender ii
the train he had been driving, Engl-
neer Ed Adams, of Macon, died a he
roic death at the throttle OF the
early morning southbound Central Of
Georgia train, which was wrecked oy
an open switch at the site of the new
acid plant just outside the southern
limits of the city yesterday morning
about 6:2O O'Clock. Twice did the
brave and faithful engineer apply the
emergency brakes when he saw the
train had entered the switch, only to
be overwhelmed by scalding steam
and tons of crushing debris, but his
heoric death resulted inthe saving Of
the lives of many passengers.
Extra Fireman A. S. Dixon, of
Cuthbert, who was assisting Engineer
Adams in the engin9Hcab while on his
way home to see hisswife and mother,
was so badly bruised and mangled N
the wreck that he died about 1890
o'clock yesterday morning at the City
Hospital, whittier he had been taken
Immediately after the wreck for med
ical and surgical treaement. Morgan
Dewberry, the regular negro fireman
on the train, escaped injury in a re-
markable manner, though he claims
that he did not jump from the moving
train. The negro was on the side Of
the engine cab that turned upWar1,
while the engineer and white fireman
We've on, the opposite side. Other than
receiving a severe shaking up, no in
jury was done to the mail and bag
gage clerks in these two cars, nor to
the large number off passengers the
train carried. This remarkable cir
cumstance is attributed to the apply
ing of the emergency brakes by En-
gineer Adams, as soon as he saw the
train had left the track.
To Mr.. Don Weeks, local lineman
who was on the train en- route to
Dawson, belongs the credit for first
discovering the body of Engineer Ad-
ans, pinned beneath one corner of the
engine tender so that it could hardly
be seen. The engineers death must
have been almost instantaneous, as
the weight of the heavy tender fell
upon him, while bursting steam pipes
only a few feet away poured their
deadly food upon him. 1t was neecs-
sary to raise the corner Of the ten
der in order to remove the engineers
body which was then taken to a local
establishment prior 70
being sent to Macon, where his fam
lily resides.
1t is claimed that the wreck was
caused by an open switch, from
which, it is alleged, a bolt had been
removed. The switch had only recent
ly been installed for the use of the
who are building the new
acid plant and it had not been COM
pleted. Though efforts We're made yes
terday to trace a possible criminal
by means of bloOdhounds, which We're
started near the scene of the wreck,
was accomplished in this par
ticular, so that the real cause of the
wreck is a mystery still. No motive
can be assigned for. the opening #
the switch in the manner Gained
while the railroad authorities disclaim
any knowledge of negligence on their
pat.
Throughout the entire morning peo-
pie from the city thronged the scene
of the wreck, viewing the havoc that
had been wrought and marvelling at
the manner in which the wrecked en-
CINE and tender We're left. The To-
comotive went toward the left of the
main line when it jumped the track
but turned over on its right as it lit
orally burrowed its way into the en-
bankment, while the tender was so
quickly and effectively overturned
that hardly a piece of coal fell from
it. The car next the tender almost
vaulted the tender, as it lay in its
path, while the remaining cars stay
ed upright on or near the track.
A wre king train arrived at II
O'Clock and went promptly to work
to clear away the shattered tender and
a part of the locomtive, so as to leave
the main track clear for the renewal
of traffic. The midday north and