Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-18
swift Gil IS
FI"[:D To
DERA|L
FL YER
Attempt to Send Fast Passenger
Train Into Ditch at Hampton,
Ga, Is Thwarted.

Engineer Tom Ragsdale. driver ~
Dixie Flyer, Train No "a. at his room.
No. l01' Whitehall street, Wednesday
afternoon told hor he foiled a most
astounding attempt at wholesale MIR
der when he discovered a switch thai
had been split to derail Dixie Flyer
No. 20 at Hampton, Ga and send it
crashing into high embankment at
800 o'clock Tuesday night
only by the engineers keen sight
edness was the wreck averted. The
switch had been broken open. Small
cubes Of steel had been placed On
either side OF the tapering rail to pre-
vent the wheels OF the on-coming
train from resetting it AUTOMATICALLY.
and destruction had been made dou-
bly, sure by the tearing off Of the
switch light
As the Flyer runs 60 miles an hour
at this point, coming down small
grade, bad wreck was inevitable.
Striking the split switch. the engine
with it's train Of vestibuled coaches
would have hurtled the tracks and
plunged into a high embankment n
the left, carrying its passengers to
death.
Trap Carefully Set.
The carefuness with which the
death trap was plar red showed that
the perpetrators had made heir ca
culations with expert eyes. The
aimed at but the one grim end for
the flying train
BY the strong headlight on his en-
gine. Engineer RagsdaIe discovered
the trap which was set for the other
train just 10 minutes before it was
due
81 was driving westbound at a
speed Of 45 miles and hour" said the
engineer. when | approached Hamp-
ton. Neither aof the fiers stop there.
AS ! hit teh switch cor the sidetrack
al the west end O. the Hampton
yards l noticed that the switchlighr
at the east end was not burning.
This popularity made me LOOK
closer BY the light Of my engines
headlight I caught flash Of the opel
switch. 1t was set not against nv
train, but against 30. 90, which was
due to pass over that spot within l.
minutes
Instantly l threw on brakes and
brought my train to a halt after TX
Of my coaches ha- 0assed over the
switch My fireman and 7 ran back t
examine the switch, thinking its be-
ing open was due to carelessness.
Dogs Put on Trail.
We found that the lock had been
broken. The switch had been opened
halfway and steel cubes placed on
either side to rev, its moving frorr
its position. Also the light had be n
torn off its post and extingmshed.
We later found it over in cotton
field
no. IS was then almost due to h..
this switch. At tins mt it goes a
a rate of 90 miles an hour The ones
who fixed that switch made death
trap from which ii would have been
almost impossible iOr any passenger
on the train to have escaped.
Appalled, at the gravity Of the at
tempt officials Of the Central of Geor-
gia Railroad, which receives the
Dixie Flyer at Atlanta ard carries s-
through Georgia, 4.e securing The
State for the guilty persons. Detec-
tives with bloOdhOundS secured from
the Fulton County Police, picked Up
their trails at the broken switch.
Rain Tuesday night has made the
work Of the bloodh 4nCs difficult
Sheriff l.. y. Hudson, Of SpaIdinC
County together with his men, Is
aiding the railroad detectives
This attempt is the fourth made 70
do injury to Train No. IS in the past
four months in this section. Detec-
tives have taken this fact to work on
and believe the plOtters live near thu
scene of their activities and have
taken this action as tie. result CT
some ill-feeling they bear against the
railroad.