The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1918-07-12
TRAIN COLLISION
TAKES HEAVY TOLL
TWO COACHES CATCH FIRE AT.
TER CRASH AND MANY ARE
BURNED TO DEATH.
WRECK NEAR NASHVILLE
Trains Came Together With Awful
crash-Work Of Removing the
Dead and Injured Was Most
Difficult.

Nashville, Tenn-Because someone
Numbered at least 100 persons were
killed and many more injured when
passenger trains No. l, from Memphis,
and No. 4, from Nashville, on the
Nashville, Chattanooga & ST. Louis
railway cOllided head-on at 7:15 a. M,
at the foot of Dutchman's grade, five
miles from here.
Both locomotives, three baggage
cars and six passenger coaches were
demolished.
Fire, starting from the engine boil
ers, consumed two coaches, and a
number of persons are reported to
have persisted in the flames.
Most Of the casualties appear to be
among negroes, many of whom were
en- route from Memphis and Little
Rock in special coaches to Nashville
to work at the DUPONT powder plant.
The trains came together with ter
rlble crash that reVerberated through
out the downtown section OF Nash
vile and the enginemen of both trains
we're almost instantly killed. The
trains telescoped so badly that work
of removing the dead and injured was
made most difficult Long lines of
automobiles piled the roads to tue
city, taking the injured to hospitals.
Just where lies the blame It is i'm
possible now to say. Officials Of the
road are silent, but one of three things
Is reasonably sure-that the engineer
of No was given wrong instructions,
ran by his signal or overlooked the
schedule on which he was supposed to
run. That he knew the Memphis train
to be little late leads to the con-
lecture that he was attempting TO
reach the switch at Harding Station, a
short distance beyond the scene of the
wreck before the inbound train ar
rived at that point.
The wreck is the worst disaster in
the history OF the Nashville, Chat.l-
VOUBh az Ot. IOuih runway.
Reports from the collision and frotl
the various hospitals indicated tn It
the casualty list will be large. The
lowest estimates OF the dead say 100
we're killed and many more injured.
The railroad rushed relief trains 10
the scene of the wreck and in short
time hundreds of men we're working
to rescue the victims Automobiles
by the hundreds sped to the scene,
and those who escaped unhurt in the
wreck also assisted in the relief work.
Mrs. John w. Thomas, widow If
the late John w. Thomas, president of
Nashville, Chattanooga G St Louis
railway, arrived on the scene as soon
As the news of the wreck reached her
She brought bandages and worked he.
roicalIy with the injured Many girls
assisted her.
Two hundred negroes were on the
Memphis train, coming to Nashville
to work at the powder plant. Only
40 of these are accounted for.
The smoker of No. was telescoped
bv the baggage car OF No. 1. Four
white men were caught between the
trails and their legs crushed. They
we're visible from the outside. Slim
giants we're handed through to the =,
and they we're finally gotten out
Lieut. J. d. Andrews. Jr., of the
United States engineering corps. was
the first to escape from the wreckage
and begin the work of assisting those
pinned in the shattered cars.
Lieut.. Don Long. of the United
States aviation service, son OF Lieut..
n. N. Long, of Nashville, was among
the seriously injured. being caught be
tween two car seats and his body bad
" crushed. For more than two hours
he was thus imprisoned with three
dead men piled across his lap.
In the two coaches and two sleepers
Of train No. 1 that remained on the
track all the passengers escaped in
fury except that two ladies in one o.
the sleepers were badly shaken up.
Train No. / left Memphis at $50
pm and was due in Nashville next
morning. No left Nashville at
am. and was due in Memphis at 1928
the same evening. No. l was due 10
pass Harding. the station near Belle
Meade park. at tbs in the evening
while No. 4 was due there at 6;45 am.
Soda Tank Expiodes.