A Railroad Horror.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5211, 4 May 1888, Page 2

A Railroad Horror.

BiiAoksheab, Gα., March 17. A terriblo accident took place, ono and α-half miles north of this village, on the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad. Train No. 27, from Savannah to Jacksonville, , left Savannah half an hour late. It was running in two sections. At about half-past nine this morning, while near the eighty-six mile post, the first section plunged through a trestle about fifty feet high which crossed Hurricano Kivor, a email stream. It wae morning; and many of the tourists sat at their car windows looking out over tho sloping land when suddenly—thought stopped—horror seized all—with a quick jerk, violent pull and; wrenching, the curs plunged down—smash?! Common cars and fine Pullmans were broken into pieces. Hardly had the dreadful sound of crashing oak and grating iron died out into a momentary silence when tho piteous cries of tho injured and others pinned into the wreckage by their clothing rent the air. It

was an awful moment. As tho injured few escaped from their cars, aud, half-stunned crept out they saw tho locomotive still speeding away and ovory car a complete wreck.

The cries of their fellow -passeugore summoned them to the scone, and seizin? the axes, thoy speedily cut away the wreckage, and relieved those whose heads and arms were visible At this junoturo a now danger threatened the lives of all those whoso clothes were caught in the debris, or upon whom heavy beams or boards rested. It was lire. The flames crackled and curled themselves up from more than one place. The overturned stoves hud done the mischief. Every man's attention was turned to them. The fire whs put out. Even in their misery there was rejoicing, for death by crushing , is terrible enough, but death by roasting is worse. Voices called for help. Strongmen moaned and cried, -'For God's sako, help mo," whi'e women cried out plaintively. Voices hero and thero from high points and the bottom of the shapeless mass were heard. Then, some voioes grew faint and somo were heard no more. Pinioned by heavy bed things, mattresses and blankets, men and women could not otir and moaned in their agony. Somo fainted. Somo implored God's mercy. Some swore. And all the while the men, somo bruised and bleeding, some maimed and faint, courageously worked to save thorn. Then the people came from all parts. First they were dazed and worked clumsily. Then they struggled to freo tho captives from death by suffocation. Oh, it was horrible, horrible ! Doctors, tho few thero were, brought in buggies. Somo came on boreebaok. And still the cries came—thoso I awful cries. Cries from the dying. The doad wero laid out. Nineteen dead porsons, whito and black, \vcro laid sjdo by side. Tho rich and tho poor—the tourist and tho worker—aSl staring up at the bright, blue sky with eyes that saw nothing , . The people from the village flocked to the scone and lent all tho assistance they could render. Their work was appreciated by all. Villagers, brought their waggons and took somo of the wounded to tho neighboring yillago of Wayoross. All tho available medical skill was brought to tho spot. Accounts differ as to the cause of the %vreck. Tho railroad company reports that an axlo on tho forward car broke, throwing tho train from the track and causing tho collapse of tho trestle. Another version, attributes it to the collap.aq of the trestle and delares that the structure was shaky.