Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-22
EXPLOSIVE CAUSED
WRECK ON A.,B.&A.,
MAJORITY REPORTS

The Atlanta, Birmingham and At
lantic freight train wreck at Cas-
cade crossing, near Atlanta, on the
night of September Z, resulting In
two deaths, was directly caused by
the force of a high explosive" in
the opinion of c. NJ. Gambler, chair
man CT the state railroad commits
sion, and Woods H. Hudson, vice
president and general manager of
the Atlanta Car and Locomotive
works, constituting a majority of
the special committee that investi-
gated the wreck to determine its
cause.
William T. Turner, a mechanic at
: :. the Georgia railroad shops. the third
member of the committee, dissented
from the findings of Messrs. Gambler
and Hudson, and filed with Governor
Hardwick a minority report, setting
forth his reasons for attributing the
wreck to defective equipment.
The reports of the committee were
filed with the governor Wednesday
morning, and were made public by
him without comment.
The majority report declares that
IN the opinion Of its authors-Messrs.
Gambler and Hudson-"the explosive
apparently was a composition with
chlorate of potassium and sugar as
a base, placed underneath or near
the left rail of the track In the
direction the train was moving, at a
point under or nearly so, the over
head highway bridge on the Fairburn
road"
In the opinion of Messrs. Gambler
and Hudson the circumstances sur
rounding the wreck indicate that the
explosive was placed under the rail
with criminal intent.
The Majority Report
The majority report follows:
September 20, 1921.
Hon. Thomas W. Hardwick, Gov
ernor, State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga.
Sir: Freight train No. 90, engine
No. 102. under charge of Conductor
Ross and Engineer Morris, on the
Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic
railroad, Weaving Be1lwood yard, At
day, September Z, 1921, was derailed
at or near point on said railroad
under the overhead Fulton county.
highway bridge on Fairburn road,
$500 miles from Bellwood yard.
"Under date Of September 10 you
appointed w. T. Turner and w. H.
Hudson, of Atlanta, and c. NJ. Can
dler, Of Decatur, as a committee to
make an investigation into the facts
, and incidents of the derai1ment, to
determine whether or not the wreck
was caused by the criminal use of
dynamite or other explosive, as as
. serted by the railroad authorities, or
was an ordinary railroad wreck oc-
casioned by defective machinery, as
asserted by committee representing
organized labor.
"Your direction was to promptly
report your (our) conclusions as to
the cause of such wreck
Notices in writing of their APP
pointment by you were received on
Monday, September II.
Inspected the Wreck
1.-THE committee proceeded to the
scene of the derailment about noon
of the same day, and spent pract1-
cally the remainder of the day in
careful and thorough inspection of
the scene of the derailment, the
wreckage and material then on the
ground, including the engine and its
equipment, the road bed and track
where the derailment occurred and
Si
4 all other physical facts seemingly
Z 1elavant in our inquiry.
1.-THE committee spent the entire
days of Tuesday and Wednesday.
September 10 and IA, in publicly
hearing in the senate chamber, state
ments from every person presented
to it as having any knowledge OF the
relevant facts, these persons being
resnectiyely pres ented and examined
by attorneys representing the rail-
road authorities and organized labor,
and questioned by members OF the
committee as seemed to them proper.
These statements were not maze
under subpoena or oath, your com
mfttee being without legal authority
tn subpoena or administer oaths'
They were phically reported
and a transcript of the same is here
with submitted, together with certain
photographs rendered by the attor-
news for organized labor ana solle
received from inspectors Of the bureau
oP safety. interstate commerce com
,ission showing certain physical
facts. o,,,
"Subsejuent to the nearing youi
Committee witnessed certal tests ant
civilizations as to the front axle ah'
,,-bee1s of the engine truck made un
dor the supervision of the bureau
insnectors and also examined plec'
of the base of the rail alleged U
have heen broken off by an eXplo
sion recovered since the hearing
"From the oral testimony submit
ted and from the physical facts as
ceretained by our personal inspection
of the scene of the derailment and
careful examination of the Wrechage
materials and equipment involved
the undersigned are firmly OF tn
oninion. and so report to your ex
ceIIencv. that the derailment was di
rectly caused by the force on an eX
Dlosion of charge OF a nigh expo
siye, apparently composition witt
chlorate of potassium and sugar a
base. placed underneath or nea
the left rail of the track in the di
rection the train was moving at
point under or nearly so, the over
head highway bridge on the Fail
burn road. Tire circumstances indi
sive charge was so placed with Grim
inal intent.