Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-07
DRIVER Of CAR AND
FIREMAN ARE DEAD;
COACH IS DERA|LED

] Two men were killed and four in
jured when the Central of Georgia
accommodation train from Atlanta
! to Jonesboro hit an automobile an6
the engine and one coach overturned
at GAS o'clock Tuesday morning al
Tillman'a Crossing near Camp Jes-
up.
! The dead are:
e. L. HARRISON, Sc years old. OF
los Claremont avenue, Colonial Hills
East Point, the driver Of the auto
mobile.
HENRY M. EMERSON, known as
| midget" "a years old. of $50 Muir
ply avenue. Oakland City. fireman on
| the train.
The injured are:
NJ. E. Courtney, of Jonesboro, the
engineer on the train, who was
slightly scalded.
Ebert Gates, colored, employee of
the Central of Georgia, slightly
bruised.
Ernest Starr, colored, employee of
the Central of Georgia, possible
fractured skull and other injuries.
Arthur Appliag, colored, employe
of the Central Of Georgia, cuts on
head, sprained leg, may be blinded
in one eye.
The injured are at the hospital at
Fort Mcpherson. Harrison's body
was taken to Hemperley's chapel at
East Point. Emerson's body was pin
ned beneath the engine and it took
several hours to dig it out.
How Accident Occurred
The accommodation train known
as the Jonesboro dummy" runs
morning and evening between Jones'
boro and Atlanta at a. m. and p.
m. 1t consists of an engine, tender
and three coaches. two of which are
passenger coaches and one a COM
bination passenger, mail and baggage
coach.
The train had reached Atlanta and
was returning to Jonesboro so that
there were only. few people on
board. The engine was running
backwards pulling the train and
pushing the tender ahead of it. Thus
it was the tender which hit the au-
tomobile.
Mr.. Harrison was on his way to
Atlanta where he is employed at the
Capital City laundry. He was driv-
ing Chevrolet car.
Just why Mr. Harrison did not
hear or see the train coming is a
mystery as Tillman's crossing is not
considered a bad crossing. 1t is
open country on all sides and there
was nothing to interfere with a
Ynnt0ric ST. wi cinr
sible in this case there were freight
trains backed up on the siding.
The tender Of the train hit the au-
tomobile squarely in the middle. The
car was tossed fifty feet or more
rison was caught beneath the car.
He was still breathing when the car
was lifted but he died in a few min
utes without regaining conscious
ness: He was identified by papers
in his pocket and by his father, j. D.
Harrison, who reached the scene
shortly after the accident.
Train Is Derai1ed
The collision was so terrific that
the train was derailed. It plowed
along the side of the track for 200
feet VIXEN tender. locomotive and
the first passenger coach turned over
off the track but remained standing
upright.
Engineer Courtney saved his life
by jumping after the train left the
track. Fireman Emerson was caught
with the whole weight of the loco
motive on his body. He was literally
mashed to death. The three negroes
in the first coach were knocked about
inside the coach, but were taken out
without much difficulty and rushed
to the fort hospital.
The few passengers in the other
two coaches were shaken up, but not
injured to any extent. Andrew Floyd.
conductor of the train, was in one of
these coaches and was not hurt
Pending the arrival of a wrecking
train. a crew, of soldiers from Camp
Jesup busted themselves trying to
get Emerson's body from beneath the
engine and attending 10 the injured.
Mr.. Harrison is survived by his
wife. two children. Elmer. Jr., and
Ruby; his father; two brothers, Err
nest and Charlie Harrison, and five
sisters, Mrs. Dora Smith, Mrs. Ella
Jackson, Mrs. BERTHE Ford Mrs. Lee
ona Brant and Miss Kate Harrison.