The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-12-24
DAY COACH<DRIvEN
THROUGH DINING CAR

Atlanta, Ca, Dec. 24-lP)-Under
the blood red glare of danger fuses
placed by railroad men. John GILES
pie, former Detroit police commits
siOner, led rescucr workers in re-
moving dead and injured from the
wrecked cars Of the north bound
Ponce de Leon and the south bound
Royal Palm at Rockmart, Ga.
Mr.. Gillespie. who arrived here
this morning on that part of the
Ponce dc Leon which was able to
move, told Of dead men hanging out
Of windows, decapitatcd women, IN
recognizable corpses and badly mutt
lated injured.
''I'he crash came at $50 p. m. en-
tirely without warning and while our
train was making about SO miles per
hour" said Mr.. Gillespie. II was in
the second car behind the diner and
every person IN the car was thrown
to the floor. The impact was terrific
"There was great crunching.
almost the length Of the car. If the
all. i was at the very moment Of
the crash.
Signal Was Too Late
"As soon Us l realized what had
happened got out and began inves-
tigating the damage and how il all
happened. The fireman Of q freight
which was on the siding told me that
the Ponce de Leon had sped toward
his train aud the onc0lning Royal
Palm, which was around . slight
bend, and that as the Ponce de Leon
approached the freight, her engineer
saluted and the freight engineer.
realizing that for some reason the
north hound train was unaware Of
the existence of the other south
bound, Immediately signaled TO him
to make an emergency stop. II was
too late. however, and the crash re-
suited few seconds later.
"'Che day coach was virtually
driven through the dining ear, and
telescoped the entire length, with its
top extending several feet above the
top Of the diner. The lights in the
diner were out and because Of the
extreme darkness and pouring rain
it was impossible to see inside but
it took but one glance to prove that
death had stalked heavily. l gather
ed two or three uninjured men and
Communicated an automobile which
had stopped in passing and we went
into k0ckmRrt Tor aid.
Relief Work Started
At Rockport Mr.. Gillespie obtained
several ladders and lanterns and, with
doctors and volunteer nurses follow
ing and with relief requested from
Rome, Atlanta and other cities, re-
turned to the wreck. There bonfires
were lighted from wreckage and
clothing, both. for purposes Of light
1 i sr.Sa
the people Of Rockmart soon cooper
ut it coolly and in determined man.
ner." &.
"As fast as bodies were removed
they were laid aside in o nearby
field and we would not take time to
try to identify those we knew were
dead. Lives had to be saved, and it
was the injured that We worked
AFTER"
A. light was made available, scenes
Of borrow greeted the eye, Mr.. Gill
lespie said. "From two windows Of
the wrecked diner, / saw terribly
torn parts Of two negro walters
bodies hanging. their white coats
smeared with blood. From another
winaOw we dragged the decapitatcd
body OF an apparently middle-agcd
white woman. Two tots, who ex-
pected to greet Santa Claus tomor-
row no doubt, were so badly crushed
that Identification will be almost i'm.
possible. Through one window Of the
diner we saw man still seated Mt
his chair ut the table. apparently
he was only dazed. We got him out
somehow and found his body had
been severed just below the waist