Camp Creek train wreck
| Camp Creek train wreck | |
|---|---|
 Camp Creek train wreck of 1900 | |
| Details | |
| Date | June 23, 1900 Around 9:45pm (21:45) |
| Location | Just outside McDonough, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Southern Railway (northbound) |
| Operator | Southern Railway |
| Cause | Washout of trestle bridge due to heavy rain. |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 45 |
| Deaths | 37 or 35[note 1] |
| Injured | 10 |
The Camp Creek train wreck was a
Events preceding the wreck
The train, consisting of Southern engine No. 7 with two coaches and a
The wreck
Shortly after leaving McDonough, No. 7 came upon the Camp Creek trestle. The trestle's brick supports had been washed away by the raging waters of the creek, which had been fed by more than two weeks of continuous rain. The engineer saw this and applied the brakes, but it was too late. The bridge collapsed under the weight of the train, sending No. 7 crashing into the rushing water. Shortly after hitting the water, the locomotive burst into flames, followed by the two coaches. Only the Pullman car remained unburned. All 10 of the survivors were in the Pullman car at the time of the crash, as there were no survivors from the locomotive and first two cars, which had splintered upon impact.
The flagman, J.J. Quinlan, was the first of the survivors to successfully scale the muddy embankment, and quickly procured a length of rope that was then used to save two women from
Response and aftermath
The entire male population of McDonough was quickly mobilized shortly after Quinlan delivered the news of the wreck. However, they were unable to assist those who may have still been alive in the cars because of the flames. Word was sent out to Atlanta of the crash, and a train with doctors and ministers arrived the next morning.
The bodies of the dead were not able to be recovered until the next morning when the flames died out. Many of the dead were disfiguringly crushed and charred, and identification was dependent on the documents in their pockets. The bodies of those without identifying documents were laid out in the McDonough town square for families to come and identify their loved ones. Some claim this has resulted in the square being haunted.
List of the dead
WILLIAM A. BARCLAY,
J. E. WOOD, Conductor, Atlanta.
J. A. HUNNICUT, Conductor, Atlanta.
J. T. SULLIVAN, Engineer.
W. W. BENNETT, baggage master, Atlanta.
T. E. MADDOX, cotton buyer, Atlanta.
W. J. PATE, Atlanta.
12-year-old son of W. J. Pate, Atlanta.
H. R. CRESSINAS, Pullman conductor.
GEORGE W. FLOURNOY, Atlanta.
D. C. HIGHTOWER, Stockbridge, Ga.
W. W. SPARK, Macon, Ga.
ELDER HENSON, traveling man, believed to be of Florida.
J. R. FLORIDA, Nashville, Tenn.
W. O. ELLIS, bridgeman, Stockbridge.
D. Y. GRIFFITH, supervisor.
J. H. RHODE, flagman.
JOHN BRANTLEY, white.
WILL GREEN, extra fireman.
W. L. MORRISETT, pump repairer.
W. R. LAWRENCE, foreman extra gang.
ED. BYRD, colored fireman, Atlanta.
ROBERT SPENCER, train porter.
Four Bodies Unidentified.
Eight Negro Section Hands.
List of survivors
JESSE L. ROHR of Baltimore.
WALTER POPE of Atlanta.
J. C. FLYNN of Atlanta.
MISS MARY B. MERRITT, of Boston, Mass.
MISS CLARA ALDEN, of Boston, Mass.
E. SCHRINER, of
E. T. MACK, of Chattanooga, Tenn.
J. J. QUINLAN, flagman.
T. C. CARTER, Pullman porter.
HANDY TOMLINSON
References
- ^ "Whole Car Load Of Travellers Killed". The New York Times. New York City. 1900-06-25.
- ^ "Camp Creek Train Wreck of 1900 Might Be Responsible for Haunted McDonough Square". Georgia Mysteries. 2008-08-30.
- ^ Different news articles that were published after the crash and fire used 35 and 37 respectively. This may be due to those who were unidentified, and perhaps a lack of communication due to the technology at the time and the accounts of those who survived.
Railway accidents in 1900 | |
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| Location and date |
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