Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-02
LOCOMOTIVE !:
JUMPS TRACK,
Turns over
Fireman Badly Scald-
ed AS Passenger on
Trip North Derails
Near to Harlingen


@. g. Massey, so, OF Yoakum, vet
eran Southern Pacific engineer, wa1
instantly killed; b. X. Burkett, %,
fireman, also of Yoakum, was ses
riously injured; and a score of pass
sengers were severely shaken and
had a narrow escape from death,
when the engine. tender and three
coaches Of the outbound night pas
senger train were derailed az In
Coma, is miles north Of here abous
o'clock Tuesday night.
The heavy Southern Pacific on-
gine left the rails near a switchs
plowed along the ties for approxi-
mately a car length, and picked up
the rails of the switch. while the
engine tender continued along tho
main line. Both overturned, the end
of the tender being almost buried ia
the ground.
Mr.. Massey 1as pinned beneath
the enormous weight of the over
turned elgine and was believed 10
have been instantly killed. Tbs
fireman was badly scalded about the
hips, and was otherwise injured
about the back. He remained nc the
scene Of the wreck until after "a
O'Clock, when he was removed to tbs
Valley Baptist hospital at Harlin-
gen. His condition Wednesday was
said to be good, and doctors hold
out every hope for his recovery.
Possibility that gravel left on ths
track by a grading crew working on
an automobile read that crosses tbs
track at the point where the engine
first left the track may have caused
the wreck was expressed by off,
cials Of the road here Wednesdls.
"A full and complete investigation 10
I 20 be made, IL was announced.
In addition TO the engine and ten
| der. the baggage n, day coach AMI
/ half a length OF he front Pullman
left the rails, FL except the engine
wheels, however. The last N1ree cars
Of the train remained on tie track.
The all-steel equipment isAcredited
/ BY road officials with having pre-
vented disastrous accl0ent.
MANY persons would undoubtedly
have been killed III the old style
wooden coaches had been in use On
/ the line" one man here said.
I Train service into and out OF thu
Valley with the exception Of tina
train actually in the wreck was not
impaired A spur track was laid
around the wreckage, which was
still in place Wednesday morning.
and by daylight incoming and out
| going Valley trains we're creeping
around the scene Of the disaster
Wrecking crews from Brownsville
Harlingen and EdinburE rushed 70
the scene Immediately word Of tha
accident had been spread, and aided
in bringing order out OF the eon-
! fusion.
A spare engine and one Pullman
from Harlingen was sent to the
scene and shortly after the accident
the passengers on the traian were
on their way TO their respective des-
tinations.
With the exception of the engine
crew no one on the train was Sc
riously hurt. The train was bearing
/ in the neighborhood cf % passens
gers. according 20 j. "A. Martin, city
ticket agent here. Several persons
/ from Brownsville were among thesp,
included being Mrs. A. Volney Tay-
| Tor. wife Of Judge Taylor, who was
i in Beeville. Officials OF the road
I 0n HEE CQOAuGtta
and thanked her for her efforts in
restoring the excited women PASS
sengers 10 a state Of calm.
Other members OF the train crew
extricated the fireman from tho
wrecked cab. and the latter aided in
the work Of removing the body Of
the engineer from beneath the en-
| gine. Although suffering zreah
pain, Burkett stayed with the enc
| gine and aided in the work of clear-
ing the track until after o'clock.
Mr.. Massey. who has been on tho
/ preferred" run out of San Antonio
for the past several years. He has
been in the employ Of the Southern
Pacific almost all Of his life, and
had been ID charge OF the Vallep
train since the road opened into
Brownsville in November.
The body ~ icing held IN the
Y Thompson mortuary nc HarlinEen
/ pending word from his family re~
garding funeral arrangements.