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Subject: Ga-Marion-Schley Co. News (Train Wreck on t)
Date: 15 Nov 2004 09:05:25 -0000


Marion-Schley County GaArchives News.....Train Wreck on the Buena Vista & Ellaville Railroad - Nov. 1888 November 9 1888
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Carla Miles http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00010.html#0002476 November 15, 2004, 4:05 am

The Marion County Patriot
The Marion County Patriot, No. 44
November 9, 1888
Page Two

TRAIN WRECKED

ON THE BUENA VISTA AND ELLAVILLE RAILROAD AT WALKER’S CROSSING

THREE PERSONS KILLED

AND ONE DIES OF INJURIES AFTER BEING PULLED FROM THE WRECK

Last Wednesday morning the train left Buena Vista at 4:05 to make connection
with the train that passes Americus at 6:15 for Macon. About thirty or forty
people boarded the train here bound for the fair at Macon, principally boys and
men, and at Ellaville the crowd was increased to about eighty or more. The
train left Ellaville just about day and sped on its way towards Americus, with
the merry crowd on board thoroughly unconscious of the great danger, death and
destruction that awaited them.

About five miles beyond Ellaville and about one hundred yards beyond Walker’s
crossing one freight car, the express car and the passenger coach left the
track on a slight curve to the right. After leaving the rails the three cars
ran a short distance on the ties and careened to the right and fell broad side
into the ditch, carrying death and destruction with them. It took but the
tenth part of a second for those on board to realize the situation, and faces
were blanched with fear of the consequences. The commotion of the cars and in
turning the lights went out, and it was as dark as Erebus when the coaches came
to a halt, which was fortunate as the burning oil would have saturated and
consumed all the inflammable material in the car, and with it many persons
would have met a horrible death. No one but an eyewitness can imagine the
consternation and dismay within those cars at that moment. Some were praying,
some were hysterical on account of being penned in the overturned coaches and
did not know which way to go to get out, mothers were shrieking for their
children, and in the darkness no one knew the extent of damages save to himself
or herself individually. Finally quiet was restored to some extent by the more
somber-minded and the egress from the cars began, those near the doors getting
out there and those in the middle of the car climbed out through the windows
above.

After the cars had been emptied those who escaped injury began a survey of the
extent of the damages and administer to the wants of the suffering. Dr. D.M.
Hall of Buena Vista and Dr. J.N. Cheney of Ellaville were on board and did
heroic work for the relief of the wounded. Below we print a list of the killed
and seriously wounded:

CHARLES SCOVILLE, Ellaville, horribly mangled

GEORGE TISON, Ellaville, killed

HENRY MARTIN, colored, Ellaville, killed

JOHN VANOVER, colored, train hand, lower extremities crushed and injured
internally, died in 30 minutes after being taken out.

W.C. SINGLETON, conductor, Buena Vista, left arm broken, bruises and cuts about
the head and injured internally. He was carried to Ellaville where every
medical attention was given him and at last accounts was doing well.

NATHAN STEWART, Taylor County, had his left arm between the elbow and shoulder
crushed. He was carried to Ellaville and arm amputated.

GEORGE DAVIS, colored, Ellaville, received severe bruises about the head and
face and internal injuries. He was living at last accounts but in critical
condition.

PIG FARRIS, colored, Ellaville, was also hurt about the head with internal
injuries. He is living but his condition is serious.

CHARLIE GOODSON, Putnam, scalp torn nearly off. His head struck the pine stump
which killed Charlie Scoville and did so much damage in the express and smoking
car. His wounds were dressed and is doing well.

Judge Lowe, J.J. Woods, Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, Miss Evie Wiggins, Mrs. Nutt, Tom
Lowe and many others received slight flesh wounds and bruises.

The cause of the accident was a broken rail. On account of rotten ties the up
train the afternoon before broke out a piece of rail about six feet long which
seems to have escaped the notice of the train crew. A little negro girl
noticed the broken rail after the train passed the afternoon before and told
her father about it. He said he did not know of the early morning run and
intended to go out and wave the train down on its regular schedule. It seems
to us that for humanity’s sake the negro would have informed the section boss
of the break, even at a little trouble for himself, as the train was liable to
make an extra run most anytime.

The engine and two freight cars passed over the break safely, and the third
freight car jumped the track and as it and the express and passenger cares
turned into the ditch, the back end of the second car was torn out. The
engineer run about three-quarters of a mile before he stopped, and backed up to
the wreck. The train ran on to Americus and brought up Drs. Raines and Brooks,
President Harrold and some necessary articles for the wounded.

After everything was done that could be done for the wounded they were taken in
vehicles to Ellaville where they could receive better attention.

The dead bodies of Charlie Scoville, George Tison and Henry Martin, colored,
were carried to Ellaville and prepared for burial. The body of John VanOver
was brought to Buena Vista on the train at night and was buried yesterday.

The wreck was cleared away sufficiently for the train to return to Buena Vista
Wednesday night and those who had not already gone to their homes by private
conveyance returned on it.

Rev. Bascom Sentell escaped the wreck by getting on the engine at Ellaville.

Clarance Bivins was right in among the killed at that fatal stump, and had his
coat torn from him and his hat mashed to pieces, but escaped without injury.

Mrs. Scoville was the first to find her boy, who was so horribly mashed between
the pine stump and the car. She could only recognize him by the ring which he
wore on his finger. She proved herself a brave little woman in this instance.

We might go on and write a column of the scenes and incidents, the death and
suffering of the unfortunate, but our time and space forbids.

We passed safely through this horrible wreck, and may God forbid that we every
witness another one.


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