Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-10-10
CONCLUSION OF CAUSE
A. B. &, A. WRECK
CONTINUED from First Page

ample to blow off the wheel In
nlathemat cal sense the acceeration
Of the mass Of the metal Of the wheel
and that nj the axle mast be consid
cred. = force suddenly applied to
the iacC Of thc wheel, if sufficiently
sudden, would remove the wheel from
the axle without importing much move
mcnt' to the axle.
The wheel was detached without
imparting much movement to the ak
lie.
The wheel was detached without in
jury to its flange, indicating that the
wheel must have been raised from
the head OF the rail a sufficient height
to permit the flange to clear the rail
when the wheel left its axle. There
was testimony to the effect that the
engine was raised or felt to be.
Other circumstances connected with
the derailment confirm the belief that
the engine was materially raised at its
forward end and the wheel given the
opportunity to pass over the top of
the rail at stage i'll the explosion.
The wheel was clearly acted upon
by force against its inner face. Gas
ses under diminished pressure doubt
less filled the space between the sur
face OF the roadbed and the engine
truck. which expended their energy
in part in blowing off the left hand
wheel When detached from its axle
it DETECTED from a tangent course, de
WAITING outwardly, ricochetted up the
left bank Of the cut. rolled around a
cQnvolute circle Of small diameter at
the top Of the bank and came to resi-
upon It's side faces.
The axle was bent. 1t had de-
Election OF about So" tie sharpest
part of the bend being located in the
journal bearing near the inner face
Of the chilled iron wheel.
A fragment of the inntt flare 90
the rail was bent into an in,rr. p.
shape. The middle Of tie leur.h
this fragment was located over the
tie. The tics in this vicinity were re
ported as having been shattered \
number OF shattered. shredded, ties
were lying about in the vicinity of the
de~ailment when a later inspection of
the track was made. The crater made
by the explosive was in evidence fol-
owing the derailment.
Fragments of the pilot were disper-
Scd. some having been found at a dis
lance Of several hundred feet from
the point OF dorailmcnt, some coming
70 rest on each side Of the track
The engine did not take tangent
course as would be expected in an or
binary derajln1 Mt on a curve. it was
DETECTED to the right and inwardlv
with reference to the curvature Of the
track. This change in the direction
Of the course OF the engine is account
cd for by the action 81 the explosive
being directed chiefly against the
left forward part of the truck
Information was not furnished upon
he condition of the low rail of the
-urve at the point in the track abreast
The outer rail which displayed the
short kink. Not unlikely the explos-
i've which made a crater in the road
bed at the high side of the track caus-
ed more or less destruction to the in
side or low rail of the curve. and facil-
ltated the derailment of the engine on
the inside OF the curve. The center
OF effort OF the explosive opposed the
progress of the engine in a tangent
direction, and tended to change its
course toward the right. the direction
which the engine actually took.
Slight evidence was presented OF the
explosion beyond limited zone which
included the roadbed, the kinked por-
ton Of the rail, the fragment of the
rail flange, the detached wheel. its
axle and boxes and pilot. There was
OF course diffusion of the explosive
gasseS and reduction of intensity of
pressure following their immediate
Encouragement at the time of the ex-
plosion. The gases not being con-
fined, the reduction in pressure took
place very soon after the instant of
explosion The forward end of the en-
CINE was raised by the total pressure
of moderate intensity per square inch
the detachment of the truck wheel
from its axle furnishing evidence OF
such immediate reduction of pressure
The effects of an explosion rather
that of a defamation were presented
by the track. roadbed and derailed
train. The evidence presented in de-
tail and in its entirely harmonizes with
this train was caused by an explosive
which was located OH or against the
high rail of the curve and doubtless
SO prepared and disposed that the i'll
fated train ignited the charge.
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