DISASTROUS WRECK
Two Men Killed in Head End Collision Near Mortons Gap.
Slight Injuries to Others and Much Loss of Rolling Stock.
The wreck of two freight trains which occurred between Mortons Gap and Barnsley last Thursday evening—the day of The Bee’s last issue—was the most disastrous to life and property of any wreck that has occurred on this division for a long time. Two men were killed, Brakeman E. N. Corbett and Cleveland Harris, of Barnsley, who was with other boys stealing a ride. Arthur Wade had a leg broken. He was with Harris and Earnest Durham and the latter was also somewhat bruised.
Engineers McGrath and Porter, Conductor Ingram and Brakeman Eastwood were hurt more or less by jumping from their trains.
The damage to freight and engines and rolling stock was enormous and hard to estimate. Both trains were going at a good speed and were almost together before either train crew had the least warning. Engineer McGrath says he could only give a quick signal with his whistle and jump. He wondered as he jumped which way the cars would pile up and whether he would be able to get out of the way. He was bruised and wrenched so that he has been quite sore since.
Train No. 57 through freight going south, with Conductor Harper and Engineer McGrath, and the north bound local, No. 82, Conductor Ingram and Engineer Porter, met by a confusion of orders. One set of orders gave Mortons Gap as the meeting place and the other set said Earlington. No official investigation has been made as yet.
E. N. Corbett, who was killed, was head brakeman on the south bound train. He evidently did not realize any danger until the shock came, when he was thrown as from a catapult high in air and over both engines. His neck was broken. He was a young and popular railroad man and leaves a wife and one child who live in Nashville.
The cars were piled forty feet high and much of the wreckage had to be burned. Very quick work by the efficient wrecking crew and railroad officials is recorded and there was only slight delay in the movement of trains.