The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-03-25
Nine Coaches Left the Rails
but Five of Them Did Not
Drop into River - Few
Bodies Found.
A BIG SEA DISASTER
Steamer Goes Down Off the
British Columbian Coast,
Taking 35 Passengers and
the Grew of Four.
(American News Seryice)
BULLETIN.

Atlanta, March 25.-Later reports
indicate the loss of life will not ex-
ceed twenty-five. No attempt has been
made to ascertain the cause Of the
accident. All efforts are being di-
rected toward rescue work. The
north bound train had safely passed
over the same trestle an hour before.
The disaster came without warming
The trestle which was seventy feet
high was torn from its abutments
on both banks of the river and has
sunk OF the level of the water Or
ficials of the road are mystifed. The
route taken by the train after leay-
ing Chicago was via Terre Haute,
Evansville, Marlin, Tenn, Nashville,
Chattanooga, Atlanta, Macon, Jack
sonville
Atlanta, Ga, March 25.-Between
twenty and thirty persons perished
when the Dixie Flyer from Chicago
for Jacksonville plunged through a
bridge while crossing the Alapaha
river on the Atlantic Coast Line
railroad at Ave o'clock this morning.
| Ten bodies had been recovered up to
five hours after the wreck occurred
Owing to the fact that several coaches
were submerged in ten feet of water
J it was believed at least ten others
met death by injury or drowning. Al
together nine coaches left the rails,
five being badly smashed and the
other four plunging into the river
The bodies recovered were from
coaches derailed and wrecked which
did not go into the water. The acci-
dent happened near Ocilla, fifteen
miles from Triton
Most of the passengers were still
in their Pullman berths. The train
left Chicago. picking up sleeper at
Evansville, which passed through In
dianapolis Nine persons, including
Engineer Green, were taken from the
wreck. probably fatally injured and
ten others were seriously hurt.
Four Cars in River.
The Dixie Flyer left Atlanta at $50
last night via Macon. over the Central
Railroad of Georgia, thence taking
the Atlantic Coast Line for Florida
The greatest loss OF life is feared in
the four forward coaches which to-
gether with the engine plunged into
the river. AS the locomotive left the
bridge Engineer Green leaped for life
into the river. His fireman also leap
ed, but struck projecting beam and
was instantly killed.
Immediately following the receipt
of news of the disaster relief trains
were rushed to the scene of the ca
tastrophe from Triton with all the
available doctors. nurses and medical
supplies. The Dixie Flyer is not an
Atlantic Coast Line train, but uses
the tracks of that line from Triton.
Ga. to Florida. The following is a
partial list of the dead: w Culpep-
:. per. Tifton. Ga: o. +. Bomwart. Hen
derson, Ky: Mrs. w. D. Fletcher,
Ill. Conductor G. J. Parnell. Savannah
Ga: Express Messenger Woodward,
Fireman Lucius Ellis (colored); por-
of the wreck is at one of the most
dCSO1oIC pciAtS III Lh- iooA-
Was Going Rapidly.
!, The train had left Tifton at 1928
a. m. and was running at regular
schedule time, which is a fast one
> for this particular train. The trestle
of the Alapaha river had always been
!, regarded as one of the safest on the
road. Any accident that may have
: occurred to the trestle could hardly
have been detected by Engineer Green
as the big headlight of his train was
plunged into shadow that hung from
the moss covered trees that are at
the approaches TO the river.
There was no warning OF impend-
ing danger when suddenly the great
train crashed through the trestle
were plunged 20 the waters below
:. Owing to the location of the wreck
the reports of the disaster were slow