The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-11-23
HOW VIRGIL RANDALL
MET HIS DEATH

NET HIS DEATH
There were very few railroad accl-
dents in France during the war, OWING
To the fact that the French are always
careful and American trains were
handled by the pick of our railroad
men. The worst accident in which
Americans were injured was that IN
which Private Randall met his death.
The following account of it is taken
from the "Pontanezen blackboard"
the official paper of Camp Pontanezen,
near Brest, of April 10, 1919:
Twelve American soldiers are known
to have been killed in the wreck near
lie Mans early Thursday morning,
when the American special from Paris
to Brest for soldiers on leave crashed
into the rear end of a stalled French
rermissionaire train.
Nineteen dead were counted at the
time. which included a French boy,
mascot of an American outfit, and SIX
French soldiers.
Nine of the men are from perma-
nent troops in Camp Pontanezen, ana
had been enjoying a furlough which
was the reward of Jealous work IN re-
building the bathing plant in camp.
Military police from Conlie, the
nearest station, made immeiiate check
over the bodies for identification, but
no such record was made at the time
of the injured men who were taken TO
the hospital at LIE Mans. Twenty
nine American and French soldiers
are known to have been tagged for
the hospital.
The collision occurred about one
o'clock in the morning, the force OF
the impact splintering and Smashing
three cars on the French train, throw
ing the engine across both tracks, ane
telescoping the baggage car into tins
first passenger coach of the American
train.
The men who were in the compart
ments telescoped we're killed or badis
smashed up, to man, the last o.
them being taken from the debris
about five o'clock. The lapse OF time
was due to lack of tools for getting
into the packed interior.
The accident is said to be due u
wrong instructions received at Con
lie. which gave the American leav'
train clearance when the French TRAIN
was really on the track between Con
lie and the next station west In
French train stalled and torpedoe
said to have been placed on the traci
to the read for warning failed IN tnei
purpose. The fireman on the Amer
can engine jumped and saved hlmseil
later disappearing. The engineer !
said to have stayed by the engine I'll
the last, was thrown from the cab uh
hurt and prevented disastrous mr.
and explosion by opening all valves
The crew was French.
American doughboys. aided by
few energetic sailors, Were the neroe
of the occasion, Immediately THROWING
themselves into the work of freelnI
the men who were under the mass
wreclage. From one o'clock unit
daylight they toiled untiringly, say
ing many lives by giving prompt al
tention. The train carried numDe
Of nurses who rendered invaluable al
to the injured. Y M. G. A. girls, en-
tertainers and canteen workers, turn
ed nurse, and gave frst-aid to Tn
bruised and smashed yanks an
poilus. A number of Y. M. c. A. SEQ
retaries also on board were in tn
thick of the business of life-salvage.
Within couple of hours of tn
crash car of injured had been mad
up and taken back to lie Mans. In
jurcd men taken out later were care
for by ambulances sent from LIE Man
hospital.
Amputation was necessary in tW
instances in order to free men frol
the wreckage before they should b.
come too weakened to live.
The collision took place about 2
kilometres west lf lie Mans, betwee
the stations Of Conlie and Sille-l'
Guillaume.
The Paris express, following clos'
" upon the American special, Wa
stopped at Conlie by prompt actio
and rerouted around the wreckag
The cars of the American train whie
we're not injured were also re-route
ae4d not beanrfr fured