The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-10-17
FATAL FREIGHT WRECK AT
THE RANKIN BLOCK OFFICE
Brakeman Killed and the Engineer Who Lay Under the
Wreck for Over Seven Hours is Rescued Suffering From
Scads and Bruises Eighteen Cars Are Demolished and
Car Load of Cattle Perish in the Wreck

One man was killed, one man in
lured, car load of cattle slaughtered
and eighteen cars demolished in N
wreck on the southern at the Rankin
hlocko'fice, Wednesday night.
The wreck occurred Wednesday
night at 9:l5 when freight train No 81
drawn by engine 1912 was speeding
by the block office at Rankin. The
train was making fifty or sixty miles
per hour when il either struck an open
switch orsplit the switch at the block
office. The operator says that the first
thing he saw was the cars leaving the
middle of the train and he fed from
the box office which was demolished
by the cars which crashed into it.
The Dig engine which but a second
before had been going at such high
rate OF speed turned over on it's side
and brakeman, A. A. Ward of Bulls
Gap met instant death. Engineer
Joseph Wade suffered from scalds and
burns, but the conductor and the fire.
man escaped with hardly any injuries.
The fireman made his escape through
the ventilator and landed over into
the plowed field.
As soon As the members of the crew
could lend assistance, the body of the
dead brakeman was easily seen In the
cab and he was in sitting position.
The engineer was no where to be seen,
but he was soon located lying across
the lower limbs of the dead man. He
was almost entirely submerged by
coal and his face was under the coal.
1t was expected that he was dead, but
when the coal was scratched from his
face it was seen that he was alive.
and he complained but little of his
hurts. He was pinioned under the
big engine, however, and he lay in that
position from the time of the accident,
S:l5 until $3.50 o'clock Thursday morn
ing when the big derrick of the wreck
er managed TO eXtricate him. Then
1t was found that no bones were brok-
EN- but he was suffering from bruises
and his face and arms were scalded.
The ill-fated train was enroute from
Ashville to Bulls Gap at the time. At
Newport it picked up carload Of
cattle which was consigned IRON this
onn c;uoo.i from, th;v ,,looa q, r>ctro -
where j. G. Allen had sold them. The
cattle car was next to the engine and
the entire top of the car was stripped
of, leaving ii looking like fiat ear.
Nineof the cattle were killed outright.
while Others were manned and some
of them were shot. The peculiar
feature about this was that the cattle
were killed in the very same field ON
the Steele place, where they had been
raised and from which Mr.. Allen had
brought them the day before. They
were returned and were slaughtered.
The Carolina Special which leaves
Newport at 905 carried DR.. II. q.
Smith TO the scene of the wreck. The
switch engine crew was called Ont
and spent the night on Che scene. The
Carolina Special went as far as RAN
kin and then backed up to Yalu4
where it remained until nearly 6 o'clock
Thursday morning. Train No. 80
was held at this point also, and No IS
was two hours late.
Engineer Wade was taken TO the
Lincoln Memorial hospital at Knox
vile. The body of A. A. Ward was
taken TO Knoxville and prepared for.
burial. II
The wreck crews remained on the
scene until Thursday night it reguir-
ing the whole of Thursday to get the
track back in shape.
several people from Newport visit
ed the scene of the wreck Wednesday
night and Thursday.
Il