| From the Augusta Constitutionalist |
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| June 14, 1864 |
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| Railroad Collision |
| Marietta, Saturday, June 11, 1864 |
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| Quite a collision has just
occurred on the {Western & Atlantic} railroad,
ten miles below this place, at Vining's station, the half-way point
between here and Atlanta. It was a freight train coming up, and the
passenger express going down. |
| The accident occurred about
five o'clock on yesterday (Friday) afternoon. The conductor, it seems,
had failed to notice the flag of the regular freight train at Tough's
station, and when the two engines appeared in sight, they were going
at too rapid a speed to admit of stopping. The engineers leaped off,
and escaped unhurt. The trains jammed into one another, utterly
crushing all in front. The engines, the tenders, and several box and
baggage cars were completely destroyed. Fortunately, no one was
killed. One man had his leg broken. He foolishly tried to leap from
the train, and was caught in the collision. The passengers were
terribly frightened but escaped uninjured. There were several wounded
soldiers on board, and quite a quantity of stores. |
| Among the latter was a heavy
twenty pounder Parrott gun, which was hurled upon one of the passenger
cars, breaking through the roof and falling to the floor below, but
injuring on one. Several little children were playing in the car at
the time. |
| Our railroad people should be
very particular. You remember the horrible collision near Cartersville
before the battle of Chickamauga. That and the present accident,
should be a warning and a lesson. Too much care can not be taken of
the lives of the soldiers. |
| The food they gave the
soldiers was fully equal to what they would find at our hotels, and
was enjoyed by them in a way that the ladies can hardly appreciate;
for everybody is hungry who comes from Atlanta. All the way down the
soldiers talked about it, and ever and anon some one would say,
"Didn't them ladies treat us nice? and wasn't it good?" |
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