The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1922-06-24
KILLED In WRECK.
Graphic Account of Tragic Death of
Engineer Landry.

A newspaper published at Perry
Florida, had the following graphic
account of the tragic death of Engi-
neer Clarence Landry, formerly OF
this parish, who was killed in rail
road wreck at that place on the End
instant:
~"The worst railroad wreck that
ever occurred in Taylor county took
place this afternoon when the Bur
ton-Swartz log train ran into a sink
hole, almost instantly killing Engl-
neer "Bilp' Landry and severly in
juring a colored brakeman. -
"The log train, which goes over
the Coast l;Es< railroad. was on its
way to Carbur On its daily trip to
bring back load of logs for the
mills in this city and when few
miles this side of Athena and nearly
opposite Henry Bethea's home the
colored fireman noticed the sink,
which had left the track dip to a
considerable extent, and shouting to
Engineer Landry, said, Mr.. Bill
there is sink ahead, jump for your
life Mr.. Landry rose from his seat
and exclaimed, 4 see it and can
stop before we reach it. and apply
ing the air brakes. rode on to his
death, which occurred when the en-
gine struck the sink hole, the weight
of the engine causing the earth to
fall in for space twenty feet In
diameter.
1.-The tender jumped to one side
Of the engine and two empty steel
cars followed the tender and appar-
emily leaped clear over the engine
and tender. Two fiat cars leaped
over the locomotive and other steel
fiat cars landed square on top OF the
engine, knocking off the smoke
stack and steam dome and crushing
the cab of the engine and tender
down upon Mr.. Landry, horribly
mangling his body. About the same
time the boiler exploded which badly
scalded the lifeless body of Mr.. Ian
dry. The colored fireman jumped be-
fore the engine struck the sink hole
and was uninjured. The -colored
brakeman, who was sitting on the
tender, received bad cut on the
forehead and was brought to the
city for treatment. The conductor,
who was riding in the caboose, was
badly shaken up but escaped serious
injury.
"Word was hurriedly sent to the
city and soon large crowd was pres
ent. the train crew taking out the
body of Mr.. Landry which was
brought to the undertaking pariors
of Whiddon and Markey. 49,,
''The news of the wreck quickly
spread over the city and and the trag-
ic and sad death of Mr.. Landry
caused a gloom to settle over the
people. for he was loved, honored
and respected by all who knew him,
being of an affable and genial dis,
position which made friends OF all
whom he met.
"Clarence L. Landry, or "Blil' as
he was lovingly called by everybody,
was born in Darrow, Louisiana,
in August 1892, spending the great
er part of his life lin his home state
where he was an engineer for sever
al years before coming to Perry
nearly five years ago and where ne
has since resided with his family in
the west end. In 1915 he was united
in marriage to Miss, Maude Marchand
of Donaldsonville, La, and two flne
little boys blessed the union, Clayton,
three and one-half years Of age and
William, four and one-half years oid.
Besides his loving and devoted Wl1e
and two small sons, he leaves an
aged mother and four brothers, one
residing in California and the others
at his old home at Donaldsonvllle:.
The body will be taken to Donald
sonville for burial tomorrow. His re-
mains will rest near his old home far
away from his many friends in Per
ry, but his loved ones, who will be
near may rest assured he will long
be remembered by those who knew
him here and whose hearts go out to
them in their great sorrow"