Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-11-18
final REPORT
RECENT WRECK
NEAR CLAYTON
SUBMITTED BY RAILWAY co.
Official Report Of Superin'
tpDdeDt Harlan

Superintendent r. J. Harlan, of the
Central of Georgia Railway, has
issued an official report of the recent
nine lives were lost and a great many
people injured. Superintendent Har-
Ian declares the reports which have
been sent out about the wreck have
been exaggerated; that the train was
only travelling about thirty miles en-
hours at the time of the wreck, which
was not excessive; that the track Yves
In good shape with the exception of
the rail which broke, causing the
wreck, and that about forty people
were seriously hurt and two hundred
others slightly injured.
The fact that the train was so
crowded is explained byAreason OF the
act that the railroad had been gwen NJ
previous notice to expect such a
crowd as that which started to the
county fair, and therefore had not
provided the extra equipment that
was needed. The report in full:
Official Report.
/ I'm view of the exaggerated reports
of the loss of life, and of rumors re-
speeding the cause of the accident thet
have been published in the daily pa
pers since the derailment of a pas
senger train near Clayton, Ala, last
Thursday morning, the management Of
the Central of Georgia Railway Corr
pany feels that the public is entitled
to brief statement of the facts as far
as they have been ascertainod.
''The usual equipment of the train
was one coach and enc combination
car. The train on this occasion con-
sisted of four coaches and one comb-
nation car and was crowded with be-
tween 400 and 500 excursionists for
the county fair at Eufaula, Ala.
THE attendance on Tuesday and
Wednesday had been small, and no
information had been received that
such large crowd would travel to the
fair on Thursday, otherwise more am
pie accommodations would and could
have been furnished
THE train was running only five
minutes late at Clayton, and consumed
ten or twelve minutes in running the
three and one-half miles from Clayton
|
Cured on a descending grade and on
q two-degree curve. 1t is hardly prob
able, therefore, that the train was
running more than thirty miles an
hour, which was neither unusual or
excessive speed.
The engineer states that he felt
the broken rail as he passed over il
and applied the brakes. The engine
and two cars passed safely over the
break and the three rear cars wee
derailed and turned over on one side
of the embankment and one on the
other.
THE track was laid with fifty-six-
pound steel rail on pine cypress ties,
which were reported in good condition.
The latest report Sunday morning
is to the effect that as the result of til ;
accident there have been nine deaths
tie list being as follows:
Monroe Floyd (white) Clayton, Ala >.
Curb Bell, Jr (white), Clayton, Ala;
Aeack Peak (white). Clayton, Ala,
Pompe Utsey (white), Clayton, Ala;
Miss Bonnie Brock (white), Clio, Ala,
Mrs. Wilbur Mclean (white), Clio,
Ala. Miss Annie Wilkerson (whitei,
Clio, Ala; Wash McRae (white), Clio,
Ala; Mordecai McRae (colored), Clio.
Ala.
There are about forty seriously in
jured passengers, all of whom are ex~
pected to recover except possibly one
elderly lady. There are also about 200
passengers who were slightly injured