Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-18
Gil IS
FIXED To
[)ERA|L
Fl YER
Attempt to Send Fast Passenger.
Train Into Ditch at Hampton,
Gap Is Thwarted.

Engineer Tom Ragsdale. driver os
Dixie Flyer, Train No. "a, at bis room,
No. lo1S Whitehall street, Wednesday
afternoon told hof he foiled a most
astounding attempt at wholesale MUIR
der when he discovered a switch that
mad been split to derail Dixie Flyer
No. 80 at Hampton, Ga, and send it
crashing into a high embankment at
$50 o'clock Tuesday night.
Only by the engineers keen-siRiit.
edness was the wreck averted. The
switch had been broken open. Small e
cubes Of steel had been placed on
either side Of the tapering rail TO pre-
vent the wheels OF the on-cominr
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 go miles an hour
at this point, coming down small
grade, bad wreck was inevitable.
Striking the split switch. the enigma
with its train of vestibuled coaches
would have hurtled the tracks and
plunged into a high embankment to
the left, carrying its passengers to
death.
Trap Carefully Set.
The carefulness with which the
death trap was plar ned showed thar
the perpetrators had made their CAL
culations with expert eyes. They
aimed at but the one grim end for
the flying train.
BY the strong headlight on his en-
CINE, Engineer Ragsdale discovered
the trap which was set for the other
train just 10 minutes before it WAS
due
Il was driving westbound at Il
speed Of 45 miles and hour" said the
engineer. when l approached Hamp-
ton. Neither aof the hiers stop there.
As hit ten switch cor the sidetracle
at the west END O. the Hampton
yards, 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 open
switch. 1t was set not against NV
train, but against 20. 90, which was
due TO pass over that spot within u
minutes.
Instantly I threw on brakes and
brought my train to a halt after tx
Of my coaches hd,. nassed over the
switch. My fireman and 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 ~revl. It's moving frorI
its position. Also the light had be 4
torn off its post and extinguished.
We later found it over in a cotton
field
NO. 95 was then almost due to hit
this switch. At this mt it goes az
d rate of 60 miles an hour. The ones
who fixed that switch made a death
trap from which il would have been
almost impossible lOr any passenger
on the tram TO nave 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 r
through Georgia, ae securing no
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 tho
work OF the bloodh amos difficult.
Sheriff L. D. Hudson, of Spalding
County, together with his men, il
aiding the railroad detectives
This attempt is the fourth made %
Go 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 piotters live near tia
scene of their activities and have
taken this action as te'. result ct
some ill-feelins they bear against the
railroad,