St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1912-11-16

| anu @ 0CoIOAACAI ScCuISu lIOuI HIN I,
it will be mystery why he did not
conform to the rules. He must have
known the responsibility for the safe
ty of the human freight which rest.
ed on his performance of duty. It
is said that he should have been
aware of the fact that freight train
coming up close behind. and that
unless II was warned it would pillow
into the back of the excursion train.
Freight Going IS Miles an Hour.
In the light Of what is known of
the accident, Cunningham, IL he knew
these things, failed to act In accord
ance with the responsibility that
rested with him. His reasons for not
placing the torpedoes no one except
himself can explain. Statements of
those who watched him make his
| way to the rear indicate that he
was moving much slower than he
| should have been moving under the
circumstances.
It was approximately thirty-nve
minutes after the passenger train
stopped that the freight struck, &C
cording to the best calculations of
railroad officials. The engineers Of
the excursion train were making re-
pairs, and Engineer Monty had just
gotten up from under the broken
engine when the awful crash told
that disaster had overtaken the
train.
The freight was running at the rate
of about IS miles an hour. It ram
med its nose through the last car,
throwing human beings in all direc-
tiOns and crushing and manglin9
limbs in frightful manner. The
last coach was torn to splinters. Its |
both sides of the track. The freight |
engine carried great load Of debris |
on its pilot, and as it went on its |
death-dealing mission it telescoped |
the second coach and toppled over,
crushing down into the roof of the
car and emptying its hot water and
steam into the midst of the unfor-
tunates, who were caught like rats
in q trap.
Agonizing Scenes at Wreck.
Burning Goals from the fire-box set
fire to the wreckage and it was not
very long before the two cars were
ablaze. The train crew acted hero
ically. Freight and passenger en-
gineers, firemen, conductors anf
brakemen went to work quickly, pull
ing the dead and dying from the
debris and helping the injured into
the woods. Great trouble was ex-
perienced with terrified negroes, who
ran wildly about, stunned and unable,
to render any organized help.
Fortunately, the dead and injured
wore removed from the wreck before
The hr. .ad gotten well under way
after citing OF the front cars
from the burning wreck, the engine
was started for La Place, the nearest
Office. DIR. Sidney Monte
gut was gotten out of bed there, and
4 telephone message was sent to New
Orleans. DR.. Montegut went to the
scene with bandages and liniments
and worked heroically among the
He saw many awe-inspir- :.
ing scenes and helped many whom he
saw die as they were being worked
On.
DR.. Montegut was working on Thos
of New Orleans, and on
he poor fellows two little children,
when McGuinness looked up appeal
ngly and asked:
First Inquiry for His Wife, Who Was II
Dead,
Doctor, is my wife safe?"
shes Dead" whispered one of the
rain crew to the doctor.
"Your wife is very badly hurt;
lon't give up, old man. She may ,
e all r,;;ht." and McGuinness, to
.yoid stcne. was hurried away. Iie'
:amc to New Orleans on the RELIEF:
rain, not aware that his wife hal
,nen terribl. crushed, and that sh,
S dead. rhe two children We .e
bruised. They behaved with wonder
ul heroisnl.