The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-24
Engine Is Derailed and Plunges Through Trestle at NauvoO-Engineer and Mail Clerk Injured
SPIKE ON TRACK Is
 BELIEVED TO HAVE
 CAUSED DERAILMENT
Engineers Courage Saves Passengers, But Engine and Baggage Car Are Completely Destroyed

Nauvoo, June 23.-(Special.) )-Mark B. Lawrence, engineer, and Bob Car lisle, mail clerk, were seriously if not fatally injured here this after noon when the Seminole Limited, northbound, Jacksonville, Fla, to Chicago, crashed through a trestle, hurling the engine 50 feet into creek below and dashing the baggage car down an adjoining embankment. | Lawrence was thrown 50 feet from his engine and landed on the bank of the creek His collarbone was crushed and he suffered other internal injuries. His condition is serious Carlisle was pinned within the mail car as 1t hurtled over the embankment. He suffered serious cuts about the head and neck, and is also in- ternally Injured. The wreck Is believed to be the work of vandals.
 Thinks Spike Cause
 1 According to l.. IT, Pierce. fireman, who jumped to safety when the wreck oe- cured. the engine was derailed by d spike placed upon the track near the curve 1 just south of the trestle. Pierces conten- ton is borne out by others who witnessed 1 the' wreck, including Roadmaster Lee Johnston of Sheffield, who reached the | scene late this afternoon Bud Edwards engineer the relief train sent from Birmingham to the scene late this after noon, found the spike which, it Is be- | tt. tt,. ...t.., The instrument was in crushed condi- ton, and was found near the spot whcfe the engine first left the tracks.
 Railroad mechanics who investigated the wreck declare that the spike was placed on the track by some one familiar with railway construction. According to these mechanics the spike was adjusted pointing toward the direction from which the train would come, and in such d man ner that it would lift the front wheels of the engine sufficiently to force the | flange of the wheels opposite from the track. and send the train crashing along the crosstes to the trestle beyond Pierce claims to have felt the engine rise up on the spike and plunge over on the cross ties. No theory is advanced as to the purpose of the alleged derailment
 Crashes Through Trestlc
 The train was moving at about D miles an hour and was turning a curve about 300 feet south of the trestle when the en- zine left the tracks. Engineer Lawrence threw on his brakes as the train crashed along the crosstios, but was unable To l stop his engine before reaching the trestle As the engine passed over the trestle the i ties gave way and 1t plunged 10 feet Into | the creek tlrnino n @ mi i in the air. and almost burying itself in | the mud below. The baggage car was hurled over the side of the embankment near the trestle and was wrecked cons ] pletely. The third car a combination smoker and a mail car was derailed, but remained upright. The engineer had thrown on the brakes in time to keep the passenger cars from following the engine through the trestle, and the passengers escaped with but a few jolts ana msnor l injuries.
 A relief train reached the scene from | Birming ham this afternoon With phy- sicians and officers. Passengers on the Seminole were sent to Jasper, and proceed 1 ed to Chicago by way of Tupelo. Miss The wreck occurred on the Northern Alabama railroad tracks, which are owned by the Southern railroad.
 Passengers who were on board the | Seminole attribute their escape to the l courage of Engineer Lawrence, who stuck with his engine as it rushed toward al most certain destruction and continued to do everything in his power to check the speed of his cars Had the engineer | jumped when his engine first left the | track. several cars. it Is believed would | have been drawn through the trestle be- | hind the engine.
 | MT. Lawrence is one of the best known engineers in the south He had recently | lt.s.tt A1 tt.t. | hn 5.T 1 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1 Columbus, O. He is a prominent mesHber 1 of the organizations. and is secretary and | treasurer of division No. 93.
 1 Illinois Central officials tonight declared l that the detectives were at work on the | case, and that every effort will be made to apprehend the party or parties who are believed responsible for the defail- , ment.