Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-10
OF TWO TRAIN CREWS, NONE
SURVIVES TO TELL STORY
Worst Accident in History Of
Nashville, Chattanooga and
St. Louis Road.
MAJORITY OF DEAD NEGROES
We're on Way to Work in Munition
Plant When Death Over.
took Them.
IRy Associated Pres,l

NASHVILLE, TENN, July o.-At least
100 persons. most OF them negroes.
we're killed and As many more injured.
score seriously, in hcad-on collision
to-day between two passenger trains
on the Nashville, Chattanooga and St.
Louis Railway at Dutchmans Bend. five
miles from this city.
Most OF the killed and injured were
on local train from Nashville, which
carried several coaches full of work
men going TO a nearby powder plant.
The other train was express from
Memphis and the West. and after the
two engines had reared and fallen be-
side the track the heavy coaches OF the
express plowed through the baggage
car on the accommodation train and
demolished two other coaches.
Many OF the dead were killed aim os.
instantly. but others were pinned be-
meath the wrcckage, and could not be
removed before they succumhcd
Doctors and nurses were rushed to
the scene from Nashville. and assist cd
in rescu!ng injured as we'll as caring
for them. The work of clearing away
the wrcckagc is proceeding slowly. and
II is believed that some dead bodies
still are buried In the debris. For that
not been determined tonight
INJURED nRoUGHr ro
HOSPITALS OF NASHVILLE;
The injured, some of whom are
thought to be fatally hurt, were
brought 10 Nashville in ambulances
and automobiles. and are being cared
for at hospitals here. The dead were
brought TO morgues in this city. and
la ph
but in some cases this was impossible
AS the crews Of both locomotives
were Killed, the cause of the collision
may never be established. The express
train was running late. and one
theory advanced was that the engineer
OF tho accomm odation trail may have
disreEarded signals and tried to make
switch just beyond where the wreck
occurred before the Memphis train ar
rived. There also was the possibility
that he may have been given wrong N :
struction.
Three invcstiGa tions OF the wreck
were expected. one by officials OF the
road. another by State officials and a
thFd by the railroad administration.
IL was understood that an agent OF
the administration had been ordered to
NashVille, and that he will undertake
particularly to fix responsibility for
the collision.
ONLY FEW WOMEN
AMONG THOSE KILLED
Only few women were among the
killed. Most OF the white persons were
in the telescoped smoking car of the
accomm odation train. Train crews
finally succeeded In lifting the heavy
baggage car Of the express train by
jacks and releasing the men under it
Thirty were taken out, all but one OF
them dead.
Among the killed were several SOL
diers and sailors. including Private
John P. Hussey. OF Uhlian, Ill; Will
son b. Harris, of the naval reserves,
whose address was not known, and a
member OF the marine corps named
Alexander. whose address also could not
be ascertained
The identified white dead ,nc1ud.
Robert Long, United States aviation
corps: William Farris. Dave Gardner
and John 7. Whitefeld, all Of Nash
vile: Newton NJ. Vandcrbrook, Jack
son, Tenn, and S. ]. Vaughan, Green
Vile, S. c.
Mrs. John w. Thomas, widow of tho
president OF the Nashville. Chattanoopa
and st. Louis Railway. hurried to the
scene with bandages and worked with
the injured. Many girls assisted her.
Engineer William F. Lloyd and Fire
man Tom Kelly, OF No. 4. and Enei-
ncer Dave c. Kennedy and Fireman
Luther L. Meadows, Of No. l. Of Nash
Vile. were killed. Kennedy had been
in the roads service thirty-fve years.
In the two coaches and two sleepers
OF train No. l. which remained on the
track. all the passengers escaped In
jury except two women In one of the
sleepers. who were badly shaken up.
PASSENGER TELLS STORY
OF HIS EXPERIENCE,
One OF the passengers on the train
from Memphis. w. E. Hutton. OF Dick
son. said his train was making about
thirty miles an hour at the time.
My coach. was crowded, and I was
unable to get a seat" said Hutton.
THE aisle was jammed and many of
the passengers in our car were in
jured. ] was unaware OF the ;mpend-
ing disaster until the crash came
There was an awful crash, and ! was
knocked off my feet"
AS doctor dressed his cut hand, Mr..
Hutton described the panic among the
passengers following the crash. Many
went through closed windows, he said
and blood covered everything.
Another passenger on the same train
said: THE whistle of the Memphis
train started shrieking at least a min
ute before the engines met In the head.
on collision.
II dropped to the floor with the crash
and that was all I remembered until
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