The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-03-16
SEVEN KILLED, MANY INJURED.
When Train is Wrecked on A. B. and
A. Railroad near Atlanta.

SeVen persons were klileu i.llu Slh-
teen injured Sunday morning when
a passenger coach of an Atlanta,
Birmingham and Atlantic train, en-
route to Fitzgerald, Ga, was dcrail-
ed fifteen miles from Atlanta and
sent crashing into Camp creek, fifty
feet below.
Approximately thirty persons were
in the coach, the last of the train,
when a wheel on the first truck burst,
sending the car humping over a
hundred yards Of ties before the tres
tie was reached and almost crossed,
when it suddenly turned over. The
coach tore away from the preceding
car as it fell and was almost COM
pletely demolished when it dropped
into the shallow creek.
The seven persons killed, six men
ard one woman, met instcnt death,
their bodies being badly mutilated.
All of the injured are expected to
live. Scores of other passengers and
persons from nearby towns, spurred
by the cries of the injured, worked
in the wreckage, releasing those i'm
prisoned and removing the dead.
"The first indication Of any wrong
was noticed just before the train
reached the trestle," caid b. F.
Hentz. "A rumbling noise, sounding
as if one of the wheels had broken,
followed by irregular motion of the
car, was The first warning we had
that something was wrong.
"About five seconds after the first
warning we were suddenly plunged
backwards. A crash, sounding as if
the end of the world had arrived,
followed. There were screams Ct hor-
ror from all directions. The entire
rear end Of the car was demolished.
Those of us who occupied the front
section, when we regained our senses
looked for an avenue Of escape. An
opening was found through the front
door.
I managed to assist the three
women who were with me through
the opening and then turned to help
the others.
zone young man, who was appar-
emily crushed, with blood all over his
trousers, which showed he was horn
bly, injured, was the first person
found. He was pinned beneath the
debris in such a manner that it re-
quired fully fifteen minutes to extri-
cate him. He refused to let rne help
him, but urged me to assist the wom-
en- and children to safety.
"It was the most heroic example
Of courage and will power that l
ever saw. He sat there calmly smok-
ing a cigarette, as if nothing out OF
the ordinary had occurred. l learned
later on that this young man was
Willard Cope, . newspaper man.
Courage of Women.
Gall the time there were groans
reaching my ears from the wreck
age. would like 10 say that have
never seen such wonderful courage
on the part OF women passengers IN
nv whole life. Several were serious
ly injured, but they, without excep-
ton, implored the members of the
rcscuing party to pass them by and
help others who were in worse condi-
ton than they. One OF the men who
was in the rear of the car was groan-
ing terribly. He was attired in the
garb of preacher. We managed to
drag him from underneath the de-
bris. He was only slightly injured,
1 learned afterward.
another example of courage dis
played by one of the women convinces
me that in crisis of that kind wom-
en- are possessed with greater nerve
than are men. This little woman
looked rs if she were dying. Her
face was as white as sheet. bent
over and asked her how she was feel
ing?
"T'm all right. Don't bother me.
Help the others she cried. Before
I left the wreck she was being TAX
en- to an ambulance. again asked
her if there was anything l could
do for her. She shook her head"
z EnxwNrfh lead