Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-12-24

E1kA Ait NhNt ~ FA-1Hf
In hospital al Rome brought the
total known dead TO eighteen. Rail-
road officials said they did not be-
lieve more bodies would be found in
the wrcckage. which had been thor
oughly searched.
Four Of the dead are negroes.
The Ponce de Leon, with J. VI.
Pearce. road foreman Of engines n
the throttle. was maintaining its
schedule with long train. II was
under orders to take siding at Rock
mart 10 pass the Royal Palm. which
had pulled up on the main line 10
await the northbound train. Railroad
officials said the siding was occu-
pied partly BY a freight train, which
was believed to have caused Pearce
To think that the Royal Palm was on
the side track.
The Ponce de Leon, coming down an
eight mile grade ut high speed, hat
the Royal Palm engine head-on.
Gillespie Leads Rescuers
John Gillespie. former Detroit
police commissioner, who was un-
hurt in the wreck. led the rescue
work under the red flare Of
danger fuses placed by railroad
men. Today he told OF see
ing dead men hanging out Of win
dows. Necapitated women. unrecog-
nizable corpses and badly mutilated
injured.
"The crash came at 6:40 p. m.
entirely without warning and while
our train the Ponce de Leon was
making about fifty miles per hour.
said Mr.. Gillespie. II was in th'
second car behind the diner ant
every person in our car was thrown
10 the floor The impact was ter
rifle and the train ierked. groanec
and creaked-
"There was, great crunching
crashing sound and windows cavee
in almost the length of the car.
"The day coach was virtually
driven through the dining ear. anc
telescoped almost the entire length
with its top extending several feel
above the top Of the diner.
''The lights in the diner were out
and because of the extrme darkness
and pouring rain il was impossible
TO see inside. but il was evident tha'
death had stalked heavily. ] gathered
two or three uninjured men ant
Communicated an automobile which
had been stopped in passing an We
went into Rockmart for aid"
Town People Aid.
At Rockmart Mr.. Gillespie oh
tained several ladders and lantern,
and with doctors and volunteer nurs
es following and with relief request
ed from Rome. Atlantis and othc
cities. returned t. the wreck. Their
honfires were lighted from wreck
age both for purposes of light an'
warmth.
"The uninjured and the people o
Rockmnrt soon cooperated in tn
work of rescue and went at ,
coolly and in determ med manner.
he said. "As fast as bodies were re
moved they were laid aside in ;
nearby field and we did not TAX
tiine to try TO identify those w
knew were dead. Lives had to b'
saved. and ii was the injured tha
we worked after"
As light was made available
scenes Of sorrow greeted the eye
said Mr.. Gillespie.
Bodies Hang Out Window
From two windows or the wreckc'
diner. I saw terribly torn parts o
two negro walters bodies hanging
their white coats smeared witt
blood. From another window W
dragged the decapitated body or M
apparently middle aged white WON
an. Two tots. who expected Z
greet Santa Claus tomorrow. wer
so badly crushed that identification
would be almost impossible. Throug
one window of the diner we saw
mRn stfli seated at hi.s chair AZ th
table. Apparently he was only dazed
We got him out somehow and foun
his body he'd been sevesed Just be
low the waist"
Detailing the rescue work. Mr
Gillespie said men stood on on
another's shoulders to talk to IN
voices in the dark car Of death an
to obtain directions rs 70 how bcs
to extricate them. Ladders were
placed against the sides OF III
wrecked cars.
The diner was split down tn
middle and the day coach had beei
forced down and split with its 20
overlapping the divided roof Of th
diner. By way Of emphasizing to
force Of the impact, Mr.. Gillesp
pointed out that the dining cai
was one Of modern all-steel con
struction. This was confirmed at the
southern railway offices here.