The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-11-27
many PERISH IN WRECK,
SIX BODIES RECOVERED FROM
GEORGIA SMASHUP.
Forty Hurt--Twelvc Others Supposed
to Have Been Cremated as %esult
Of Collision.


others are said to have : /emated.
and nearly 40 other ?, IS are In
hospitals at Column % light as a
result of headon - n between a
passenger train : Central of
Georgia railroad special train
Carrying the Co Kennedy Carni-
val shows, g hiles west of here
this afternoon.
Fred S. Kempf and his wife were
burned to death while the show peo-
pie looked helplessly on. Their 4
year-old child was saved through the
heroism of her mother alone.
Flames were licking at one Of the
palatial auto trucks of the Kempfs,
which was on a fiat car and in which
the Kempfs were imprisoned. Mrs.
Kempf, seeing that there was no
chance to escape, hurled her child
through a window, clear of the train.
Then the mother fell back and was
burned alive a minute later.
The child was badly bruised, but
Columbus doctors who picked up the
little girl and took her to a hospital
say that she will i've.
There has been much confusion at
the scene of the wreck, which is six
and a half miles east of Columbus,
and it will be morning before the car
nival company can complete its check
to ascertain the number of missing.
The known dead: Fred S. Kempf,
of Kansas City, Mrs. Fred s. Kempf,
a Kennedy Snowman known only as
Whitley" three unidentified Kennedy
showmen, whose bodies are dishgured.
Railroad officials here, where all the
reports of the wreck are coming in,
blame the crew Of the passenger train
for failure to obey orders. The pas
senger crew had orders to stop at Mus
cogee,, four miles east uf Columbus,
and wait for the special show train.
It tailed to- stop. e..ss,.. <.
The railroad officials emphasize the
fact that the crash occurred on q
straight stretch Of track. The passen-
ger coaches were Of steel construction.
three in number.
Both trains were running about 80
miles an hour.
The engines of both trains were de-
molished, yet did not leave the rails.
Cars at the head of the show train
were telescoped. There were two
carloads of animals. Most of the ami
mails were burned alive
Twelve Pullman cars, carrying the
principal people in the Kennedy shows
were not damaged, as they were at
the rear end of the special train.
The show was on it's way from At
lanta to Phoenix City, Ala, and was
booked to the first of the year at
points in southern Georgia and Ala
bama.
Superintendent r. J. Harlan, who is
at the scene of the wreck. reported
late tonight that the death list prob
ably would be between nine and IL.
He said he based this report on the
claims of Con T. Kennedy, owner of
the shows.
Mr.. Harlan also officially fixed the
blame for the disaster on the crew of
the passenger train.
The crew disobeyed orders" said
Mr.. Harlan. "They had orders to
stop at Muscogee and wait for the
show train"
1t was stated at the Columbus hos
pital at a late hour that none Of the
injured there were expected to die
during the night
Some of the trainmen are to be
brought here tomorrow. The wreckage
was still burning at a late huor- to-
night and the track will not be cleared
for several hours.
Besides the engineer and conductor
Of the passenger train there were few
injured on the regular passenger train.
Whittle and Miss Morris, who appear
in the list of injured, were on the
passenger train.
The only other passenger reported
hurt was DR.. w. Marshall of Cincin-
natl, Ohio, who has q broken wrist.
Con T. Kennedy, proprietor of the
show. stated tonight that by the num-
Der of people reported missing by the
different managers he believed the
death list would exceed "a.
I'VE will have all of these managers
checked up by morning." said Ken
nedy, and not until then will we
know the number of dead. Several
men perished in the fire, / am GER
tain"