Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-18
THREE GORDON MEN
DIE AS TRUCK FALLS.
THROUGH RIVER BRIDGE
CONTINUED From Page IL


part in the rescue work. Marshal helms
played a prominent part in the rescue,
as did Ray White, of the Constitution,
and Frank Davies. Constitution photog-
rapher.
Fearing that other bodies might still
remain under the truck, Lieutenant
kimberling ordered that the truck be
turned over. and this was accomplished
when about thirty men planted them
selves on one side of the huge vehicle,
and pushed with all their strength. No
more bodies were found Guns, ammuni-
ton and packs were scraped up from
the Shiny river bottom
At the top of the bank. under the
shade of trees, an outdoor hospital was
organized. The injured men were given
constant attention, and shortly after the
accident Mr.. and Mrs. c. c. Carpenter
who live near by, arrived. Mrs. Carpen-
ter, bringing a large quantity of gauze
and bandages, applied these to the acct
dent victims. and did much TO alleviate
the pain.
Wait for Ambulance
1t was more than an hour-perhaps
one hour and a half-before physicians
arrived. When word was spread of the
accident people began to reach the scene
from all over the surrounding country,
and residents of Canton and vicinity did
much to help the sufferers and summon
ambulanceS and doctors. AmbulanceS
came from Camp Gordon. fully equip
ped with all the necessary medical and
enlisted men. A great crowd had gath
cred at the scene by S o'clock in the
afternoon and remained until the in
jured and dead had been borne away.
1t was a sick, sad lot of soldiers that
sat in the grass at the edge of the
river and waited for these ambulances
m side
with a piece of canvas, were the bodies
of the less fortunate soldiers-the dead
men. Tel minutes before it had hap
pened all of them had been in the best
of spirits, eager for action, craving for
something to happen"
Headquarters at Camp Gordon was
notified shortly after the happening by
Lieutenant Kimbeling, who rode to the
home of George Brown, son of former
Governor Joseph e. Brown, to get in
touch with the cantonment by telephone.
The relatives of the dead men were i'm
mediately notified by telegraph me
ambulances went back to Camp Gordon
via Marietta, and when they reached
Marietta people clustered around them
and had to be kept back by sentry
Narrow Escapes
There were about eighteen men on
the truck when the timbers broke, and
those who got off with bruises and
scratches had narrow, narrow escapes.
Hugh Fitzpatrick chung to one side OF
the bridge, and in this way saved his
life. others who were on the truck
were Sergeant Jerald A. Clune, Lee
Bobet, J. Y. lyman, Corporal Walter E.
Eberhardt and William Bruck.
William S. Ormerod, who suffered
bruised right arm, says he never before
experienced such a sickening feeling as
H. -aOLyIi n If
wood, and realized that the vehicle was
going through into the river below. The
hole torn in the bridge by the truck
was clean, hardly any ragged ends being
left. 1t dropped like a rock through
window pane.
w. e. Bullard. of Marietta, and A.
S. Johnson, of Norcross, and John c.
Bellah, of Atlanta, were three OF the
Georgia boys on the expedition. There
were only one or two more from this
state.
A full-blooded Indian by the name
of Baptist Powes, who was picked for
the expedition because of the fact that
he is a crack shot with a rifle, was on
the truck directly behind the one that
broke through the bridge. He took an
active and an able hand in the work OF
rescue.
Bridge Caused Complaint
After the accident, residents OF the
county stated that much complaint about
the condition of the bridge had been
made. and that while it had always been
regarded as unsafe, had never been con-
demned One gray-haired woman, liv-
ing in the neighborhood of the Etowah,
said that the bridge was there when she
was little girl.
I'D to the time of the fatal accident
nothing of note had occurred. At 1870
o'clock Sunday morning, a ghostly car
AVIAN. composed of six automobiles and
three trucks, stole out of Camp Black
Jack and began the expedition into Cher
>kee county.
For several hours this grim process
sion, with lights darkened, followed the
winding, twisting highways, the silence
only being interrupted by the grinding
and grating of brakes as the vehicles
obediently climbed the sharp grades of
Cherokee and Cobb. The automobile of
Tom Curtis deputy United States mar
shall, was leading the procession. Major
Joel b. Mallet and Major Arthur Nc
Collum were in charge of the expedition
Silently, cautiously, Gordon's EXpedi-
tionary Force, as il mad been called,
went on through the darkness and from
car behind the trucks, could be seen
the little stream of liquid gold that
poured from the nedullsnl VI NAlS iCe'NAAAS
machine, as it picked it's way through
the hills. Above, the SKY was dimly
starry; on both sides of the road the
forests were black and still.
Farm house after farm house, mail
box after mail box, were passed. Oc-
casionally window glowed in house.
but the majority of them were darkened
The expedition had been kept an abso-
Lutte secret, it had been hoped that
surprise might be sprung on a number
of deserters.
Ready for Business
After several hours riding, and the
long procession had gone several miles
into Cherokee, it suddenly halted. up
front" were the leaders of the expedi-
ton; in the rear the newspaper men
were in ignorance of what steps would
be taken. Get out" was the command.
1t was then that ghostly shapes and
forms clambered from the immense
army trucks and the automobiles de-
posted their occupants in the dark road.
The lonely highway was populated; the
caravan had come to a halt. The clatter
of feet was accompanied by the clicking
of rifle bolts. Camp Gordons expedition
airy force was ready for business
When the first faint flush of dawn
appeared in the east, the soldiers sur
rounded a farm house, and the govern
ment agents approached ii and entered.
1t was the home of Charlie Armstrong,
and after a search of the house was
made, the government men and the SOL
diers departed taking with them two