| From the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph |
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| July 12, 1862 |
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| The Accident on the State Road {Western
& Atlantic RR} |
| The Atlanta Intelligencer of
the 11th published the following Card and summary of evidence, by
which it will be seen that the late collision and wholesale
destruction of life and property on the State Road, was due to the
interference of the military passengers on the train with the time of
the train, compelling delay and a departure from the schedule. It is
extraordinary that an officer of common sense and prudence enough to
keep out of the fire, should be guilty of such conduct. It is against
the law and the express orders of the War Department and should be
punished. |
| A CARD |
| As soon as I heard of the
collision on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, near Johnson, I went
by the first train to the scene of disaster. After getting up all the
testimony, I am well satisfied the down train was on its proper time
at Johnson. The up train, with soldiers, had got behind its time
before getting to Dalton, on account of its being ordered to stop by
the military. When the train left Dalton it was fifty-five minutes
behind the regular leaving time. The engineer and conductor were both
anxious to get away, and blew the whistle, but were ordered by the
military not to blow again until they ordered it. After this the delay
was five to ten minutes before they started. |
| Two of our most valuable
engines were destroyed, and ten or fifteen cars stove into fragments
and others more or less injured. The engineer and fireman, both
valuable men, were instantly killed, with seven soldiers, seven
negroes, and fourteen horses. |
| J. S. Roland, Sup't. |
| With this card, Major Rowland
has placed before us a number of certificates from reliable parties,
obtained during the investigation, from which we arrived at the
conclusion that but for the interference of the military, the trains
which collided -- and by which so fearful a loss of life and of
property have occurred -- would each, in all probability, have passed
safely on to their respective destinations. One of these certify that,
at Adairsville, some of the soldiers on the cars were very unruly, and
that the cars were detained at Cartersville by them some fifteen
minutes, and were at other points detained also. Another certifies
that at Dalton the Conductor of the train to Chattanooga was ordered
by the officer in command of the troops not to move his train until
his men got water, and that when he got ready he would sound his bugle
for a start. Here another detention took place. |
| A third certifies that when
the train for Chattanooga arrived at Dalton, it was thirty minutes
behind time -- that he heard officers of the command on board tell
their men to get off and get water, that they had plenty of time --
that the Conductor had one car loaded for Knoxville to switch off at
Dalton, and when he moved the engine to switch off this car, the
officers assailed him for moving the engine until their men were on
board -- and that, through such interferences, the train was detained,
leaving Dalton fifty-five minutes behind time. The certifier asked the
Conductor why he was kept behind time? -- the reply was -- he could do
no better; that the officers would not let them move the engine until
they got ready. It is also certified by the same party, he understood
the officer in command at Ringgold, stated, if his men had stayed in
their places, or where he put them, they would not have been killed,
but some were on the tender, and some on the bumpers and platforms,
where they went contrary to orders. |
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