The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1912-11-16

miles north of New Orleans, when
a manifest freight train crashed into
the rear of an excursion train, on
the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Rail-
road, crushing out lives and render
ing locomotive and coaches into so
much kindling wood and scrap iron.
To increase the horror, the debris
caught fire from the wrecked locomo-
tive, and three of the coaches were
burned, many of the wounded pas
sengers being severely burned before
they could be rescued.
Fifteen are known to have lost
their lives and this list of fatalities
is likely to be increased at any time,
as scores of persons are now in New
Orleans hospitals suffering from in1u-
ries in the wreck. Probably a hun
dred others received assistance from
physicians at the scene of the wreck,
but were able to proceed to their
journeys end.
The wrecked excursion train Orlgl-
mated at Woodyille, and left Bayou
Sara at 2:15 o'clock Saturday after
noon, in charge of Conductor Stin-
son. There were probably 200 passen.
gers on board from East and West
Feliciana and Wilkinson County.
The train left New Orleans for the
return at II p. M, Sunday. At a
point midway between Sellers and
MONTE, one of the two engines pull
ing the train became disabled and
the train was stopped to make neces-
sary repairs. The flagman, Mark
Cunningham, of Wilson, was sent to
! the rear to protect his train from
the oncoming freight train. His duty
was to proceed one fourth of a mile
to the rear and fasten torpedo tc
the rail, then to go back another
fourth of mile and fasten two tor
pedoes to the rail, thirty feet from
each other. After this he should
have returned to the first torpedo
and remained there with a red light
until recalled by the whistle Of the
engine pulling his train. The rail-
road officials have given out a state
ment claiming that Cunningham did
not fulfill his duty in this regard and
Lay the blame for the collision at
his door. Cunningham is quoted in
some of the papers as being able to
establish his innocence of the charge
The oncoming freight train was
permitted to approach full speed upol
: the still passenger train. The freight
engineer, Joe Drehr, received no sig
mails until he was so close to the
: other train that he could not stop
He threw on the emergency brake:
and jumped. Engineer Joe Wrigh
: was underneath the disabled engine
of the excursion train making re
: pairs when the impact came. He ha(
presence of mind to grasp at some
of the machinery and was dragged
some distance.
The crash was something terrific
s The freight engine ploughed its wa!
completely through the rear coach
which was filled with white pas5en
gers, and telescoped the second ana
s third coaches. To add to this terri
Bile destruction, the wreckage caugh
fire from the freight engine.
The work Of rescue was organic
ed at once. An engine and GREY
was dispatched to Laplace, wher
the railroad authorities were noe
fled of the wreck, and DR.. Monte
gut was secured to minister to tn
injured.
DIR. E. NJ: Levert of this place wa
a passenger on the train and labor
ed heroically to alleviate the suffer
ing of the wounded. Not five mir
utes before the shock came he ha
wanted to move back into the rea
coach, but Mrs. Levert, who wa
with him, demurred, and probably o
this account they were spared. The
returned with the injured to New O
leans, the DR.. still attending to the
sufferings.
Relief trains were sent to tt
scene from both New Orleans an
Baton Rouge. The dead and mol
seriously wounded were taken
New Orleans. The rest of the e
cursionists were taken to their de
tination, the train reaching Bayt
Sara at 1880 a. m. Monday Uni
= that time it was not known what hi
ben the fate of the West Felicia1
people on the Inflated train, and
, large crowd was at the station, ca
er to hear from their friends. tt