Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-08-16
FATAL CRASH NEAR GR'NVILLE,
Engineer Harris Killed Instantly
Two Slightly Injured.
(Grccaville Piedmont, 10TH

Engineer John II. Harris, of
are injured. but not seriously. as
the result Of a hcad-on collision OF
Il north-bound double header freight
train with southern railway passen-
ger train No. II, which occurred
Wednesday afternoon at All at
Croswcll, small station eight miles
west Of Grecnville, between here and
I;aslcy.
The injured are: Warren Haw-
kins, OF Toccoa, Ca, fireman Of
freight train, ankle sprained.
J. NJ. McBrayer. negro, passenger
on No. II, finger cut Off by slam
ming door.
Wrcckage Cleared.
The local passenger train, bound
from Charlotte to Atlanta, in charge
Of Engineer Harris ana Capt. Rose
borough, was running an hour late
and had orders to wait at Croswell
until north-bound freight train No.
7G arrived. Instead of taking the
siding as expected, the double
header freight train, hauling 20
cars Of coal, dashed down the main
line. Realizing the impending dan
ger Engineer J. l.. Silks and crew
OF the freight engines jumped, and
all, with the exception OF Fireman
Hawkins, escaped injury.
The brakes on the head freight
engine refused to work, it seems,
and the reverse brakes Of the second
engine proved OF no avail against the
momentum OF the train pushing
down grade, although the train was
Stacked to a speed Of about Is miles
an hour.
Heroic Death.
In his last stand to pilot his train
to safety Engineer Harris made a
noble effort to back his train. and
while in the act Of pulling the re-
verse lever the wild freight moved
its way down the main line. Engi-
neer Harris, after sticking to his
post until all that was possible could
be done. started to jump, but the
crash came. and he was pinned by
parts Of his engine and crushed to
death. His body remained in an up
right position, his spectacles and cap
still in their places when he was re-
moved from the wreckage.
The engines were jammed to-
gether, one Of them being almost
lifted from the tracks. Seven freight
cars were overturned and some
badly damaged. The tracks were
torn up for hundred yards and
twisted rails and spilled coal were
scattered down the track. Western
Union telegraph wires were torn
down in the immediate vicinity.
4 derrick engine from Greenville'
was soon on the scene and the
wrcckage was cleared at 5 o'clock
Thursday morning and all trains are
being operated on the main line to-
day without hindrance.
30 and 38 Dctourcd.
Southern railway trains Nos. 80
and 3S were detoured by way Of
Seneca and Anderson. over the Blue
Ridge. to Belton and thence to
Grcenville. Sngularly enough An
derson has tried vainly for all these
years to get tho north-bound vesti-
bulcs to pass through that place, and
the hope was realized Just for
night.
Hundreds Visit Wreck.
Several hundred persons from
Easlcy. Grcenville and surrounding
sections visited the wreck Physi-
clans from Easley were soon on the
scene and cared for the injured who
were not hurt badly enough to be
carried to hospital. Mr.. FIarris's
body was carried to his home at
Gainesville or genial disposition,
Mr.. Harris was very popular with
his crew and the officials, who re-
sardcd him a very efficient engineer.
The wrod "khaki" was not used in
the way it is to-day until the Roer
war