Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-17
swift Gil IS
FIXED To
DERA|L
LIVER
Attempt to Send Fast Passenger
Train Into Ditch at Hampton,
Ga, Is Thwarted, 1

Engineer Tom Ragsdale driver &c
Dixie Flyer Train No. "a. at his room.
No. 101' 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. IS at Hampton, Ca, and send IT
crashing into high embankment ar
$50 o'clock Tuesday night.
only by the engineers keen -sights
edness was the wreck averted. The
switch had been broken open. Small
cubes Of steel had been placed Oh
either side OF the tapering rail to pre-
vent the wheels OF the on-comine-
train from resetting it AUTOMATICALLY.
and destruction had been made dpu-
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 inevfta bIa.
Striking the split switch, the engirs
with its train Of vestibuied coaches
would have hurtled the tracks and
plunged into a high embankment to
the left, carrying its passengers to
death.
Trap Carefully Set.
The carefuIness with which ths
death trap was plarled showed that
the perpetrators had made their caLs
culations with expert eyes. They
aimed at but the one grim end for
the flying train.
BY the strong headlight on his en-
gine, Engineer Ragsdale discovered
the trap which was set for the other
train just Is minutes before it was
due
81 was driving westbound at a
speed Of A. miles and hour" said the
engineer, when I approached Hamp-
ron. Neither aof the fiers stop there,
AS l hit ten 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 open
switch. 1t was set not against nv
train. but against No. IS, which was
due to pass over that spot within Is
minutes.
Instantly I threw on brakes AMI
brought my train to a halt after 5Ix
Of my coaches hau nassed over the
switch. My fireman and I ran back "A
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 81
halfway and steel cubes placed on
either side to ~revo. its moving from
its position. Also the light had be n
torn off its post and extinguished.
We later found it over in a cotton
field.
No. 95 was then almost due to hts
this switch. At this int it goes az
a rate Of 90 miles an hour. The ones
who fixed that switch made a death
trap from which II would have besn
almost impossible cor any passenger
on the train TO have escaped"
Appa led at the gravity Of the at%
tempt, officials of the Central Of Geona
gia Railroad, which receives tha
Dixie Flyer at Atlanta and carries -
through Georgia, are securing ths
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 tbs
work Of the bloodh- unGs difficult
Sheriff l. .. Hudson, of Spaldfng
County, together with his men. il
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 mar the
scene of their activities and havr
taken this action as tell result Ct
some tll-feeling they bear against Shm
railroad,