The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-13
Z!
NOT
FIXED FOR
COLLISION
Condition Of Injured
Men is Reported. at
Hospital to Be Salts
factory


Charleston, Dec. 11.-After max
ing preliminary investigation into
the rear-end collision of passeng-
er trains at Hanatan flag station
Saturday morning at Z o'clock.
Messrs. Frank w. Shealy, chair
man. and John G. Coney, of the
South Carolina Railroad Commis-
sion. left yesterday afternoon for
Columbia. They said that the
blame for the wreck has not yet
been fixed and that the inquiry
will be renewed when Mr.. ". A.
Williams, engineman on train sec
ond so. is sufficiently recovered
from his injuries to appear before
the commission.
An Inspector for the Interstate
Commerce Commission was ex-
pected here yesterday to begin his
INQUIRY into the collision, but it
WAS said that this official would
arrive today. having been delayed
in leaving for Charleston. He will
so thoroughly into the matter Of
the condition of the equipment in
service on both trains, SO and sec
ond 80.
When second so piled into the
rear of train SO. Mr.. W. NJ. Smith,
engineman for 50. was under his
locomotive attending to a hot box.
He had, of course. no prenlonition
of the impending collision. BY
instinct he grasped braces and was
carried in this position for 49,
measured feet, trainmen marvel
ing that he has escaped with his
life.
It was commented yesterday that
this fearful collision had occurred
on stretch of railroad which is
equipped with great protective
measures" a double track and au-
tomato signals. The fact that the
automatic signals were passed has
been attributed to the. foggy con-
ditions. It is declared that when
second so piled into 90. the enslne
on the former had not been shut
off. and that the brakes We're on
the wheels of the former.
Railroad men yesterday were
free to coneede that a steel coach
at the rear of train SO had saved
many lives, for this coach, tns
Pullman sleeping car Gaspard. bore
the terrific impact from the on
rushing locomotive. Had this been
an ordinary wooden coach, the To-
comotive would have ploughed
through without perceptible slack
ening and none in the coach would
have escaped.
By the force of impact, it has
been established, train 81 was
broken in twain, the locomotive
and three coaches being hurled
forward a distance of 49, feet,
practically without leaving the
rails, while the two rear cars We're
showed 15S feet. The fact that the
tday coach was crashed and showed
to one side probably accounts for
the breaking of the couplings.
Four Of the injured are still in
1.-THE Riverside 1nfirmary and four
I'm the Roper Hospital. It was
said last night that the condition
I of Frank r. Putnam, express mes
lsenger, and Seth w. Scruggs, mail
clerk, was satisfactory, that Of r.
J. Talon, mail clerk, and w. A.
Williams. engineman on second 80
was fair. and that of Samuel 8.
Whaley. passenger; Hayes Miller.
porter, and A. P. Beard and Sam
Pinckney, passengers, was good.
Service on the Atlantic Coast
Line was not. Interrupted, as all
trains were operated on the south
bound track while the northbound
track was blockade by the wreck.
A large wrecking crew was assign
led By the superintendent's Office
Ito clear up the wreckase. good
progress being made by these men.
The general comment Of people
! who Inspected the wreck is that
1.-The wonder of it is that more. peo-
pie were not killed or injured, for
the impact. of train second 80, a
heavy express. on train 50. a COM
paratively light accommodation
train, was terrific. Those who in
Ispected the Pullman sleeping car
Gaspard and the day coach to
which it was coupled appreciate the
tremendous force of the blow.
County Coroner. John G. Mans
field will hold an inquest, as a
result of the death of Mr.. Isaac
a. Edwards, of Sumter, and it