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

Engineer Tom Ragsdale, driver of
Dixie Flyer, Train No "a, at his room.
No. l01" Whitehall street, Wednesday
afternoon told hof he foiled a most
astounding attempt at wholesale muir
der when he discovered a switch that
had been split to derail Dixie Flyer
No. 80 at Hampton, Ga, and send it
crashing into a high embankment at
S:2O 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 automaticaliv,
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 a small
grade. bad wreck was Inevitable
Striking the split switch, the engire
with its train of vestibuled coaches
would have hurtled the tracks and
plunged into a high embankment to
the left, carrying It's passengers to
death.
Trap Carefully Set.
The carefuness with which the
death trap was plar ned showed that
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- j..
CINE, Engineer Ragsdale discovered
the trap which was set for the other
train just Is minutes before it was
due.
Il was driving westbound at a
speed of 45 miles and hour" said the
engineer, when I approached Hamp-
ton. Neither aof the fiers stop there.
AS hit teh switch Cor the sidetrack
at the west end o. the Hampton
yards, I noticed that the switchlight
at the east end was not burning.
This popularity made me look
closer. BY the light of my engines
headlight l caught a flash Of the opeu
switch. 1t was set not against nv
train. but against No. 50, which was
due to pass over that spot within Is
minutes
Instantly l threw on brakes and
brought my train to a halt after TX
Of my coaches ha, rassed 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.
I'VE found that the lock had been
broken. The switch had been open I'd
halfway and steel cubes placed on
either side to ~revo it's moving froat
its position. Also the light had be-
torn off its post and extinguished.
We later found 1t over In a cotton
field.
NO. IS was then almost due to his
this switch. At this mt it goes az
a rate of 60 miles an hour. The ones
Wlo fixed that switch made a death
trap from which it would have been
almost impossible Tor 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 II
through Georgia, a-e securing tho
State for the guilty persons. Deteo-
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 unCs difficult
Sheriff L. d. Hudson, of Spalding
County. together with his men, is
aiding the railroad detectives.
This attempt is the fourth made to
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 te,. result CT
some ill-feeling they bear against the
railroad.