The Springdale news., 1912-09-20
FAST FREIGHT BUMPS INTO LOCAL, DEMOIISHING A Nlh- BIER OF CARS.

Johnson, Sept. 1.-The long predicted wreck at the Johnson de- pot occurred at 1:15 Monday morning when fast freight 133 teIe- scoped the rear end of local freight T43, both south bound trains.
 The engine of the local train was doing some switching between John son and the lime kiln spur while it's cars were left standing on the main line by the depot The Spring dale section crew was helping load some track material from the de- pot platform into one of the cars when the engine of 143 dashed around the curve north of John son and came laundering down the grade at a high rate of speed. The flagmans signal was answered by Engineer O'Neal, who yainly en- deavored to stop his train, but the air brakes failed to work and the crew of the fast freight all jumped safely before their engine struck the caboose of the local A drug sales man, Mir. Peel, of Ft. Smith. ehanc- ed to be the lone occupant of the caboose, and he was watching the coming freight and left the caboose when he saw the engine crew leave the engine The agent and section men, along with the local crew. all made a run for safety before the crumpled up cars came tumbhng along like car boards before the big freight which knocked some fifteen cars a dozen car lengths be fore it's momentum was checked. The front of the big engine WAS de- molished, but it's running gear suffered little dan1age. The ca boose and four cars of the local were wrecked. besides the breakage of the mail crane, two switch tar gets and one telegraph pole. One coal car ploWed through the depot platform and rolled almost against Boswells store. All traffic was de layed five hours. The wreck drew d big crowd to watch the wreeking crews clear away the wreckage dur ing the afternoon The railroad track suffered scarcely any damage.
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 4 run of bad luck attended the south going of the two Frisco freights that had trouble here yes terday morning No 33 caused a frightened horse 10 tear up yehi- cle and seriously hurt man at Rog- CTS, while 743. while switching at Springdale, had struck and demol- ished a wagon also =inflicting ser ious wounds on the owner, Rush Stewart, who resides on the Fuller ton place, north of here
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 The Johnson depot, also the Bos- we'll store, came very near being right in the midst" of the freight wreck yesterday. big telegraph pole was probably all that saved Boswelrs store. as one big coal car was whirled around against the pole which was snapped into three pieces but the ear failed to reach the store by few feet Every one had got out of there except Mrs Bos- well and her little girl Bessie. and they had failed to understand the warning cries in time to escape.
 Did you ever see train wreck :? Mully heard the warning signal of 733 Monday morning, also the yells Of the conductor of the local freight when he saw the fast freight was coming on into his train. I ran out into my yard and watched the fast freight rush down grade and strike the rear of the train of cars near the berry shed-then the cars bump ed, buckled up, crumpled up, boards and tim bers flying high into the air-dust steam and smoke, helping to make the scene most indescrib- able, A bunch of men was noticed running from the depot platform. one whirled from the freight engine just before the crash--then a series of crashes, rumbles-and silence followed by mad run to the scene of the smash-up, where happily. no one was found to be injured. It Is far better than seeing a moving pie ture scene of wreck k-but I'd rather not witness another,
 Mulkeepmo.