Calera, AL Train Wreck, Jun 1890

PECULIAR ACCIDENT

The Throttle of a Passenger Engine Flies Open and it Dashes Into a Train Killing One and Injuring Others.

BIRMINGHAM, ALA., June 23 – One person was killed and several badly injured on the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia road at Calera yesterday by an accident which happened in a very peculiar manner. The engine of a passenger train had been detached from the cars and started for a coal chute, three quarters of a mile away leaving the cars standing on the track. The engine had gone but a short distance when the engineer saw a freight train coming down the track toward him. The engineer seeing that a collision was inevitable reversed his engine and shut off steam. He then jumped from his engine closely followed by his fireman. The freight engine
Struck the Passenger Engine
with full force. The collision opened the throttle of the passenger engine, which, without any occupant, started back toward the train. It was going forty miles an hour when it struck the passenger train. An express car and a passenger coach were completely wrecked. A negro nurse employed by O. M. REYNOLDS was instantly killed and the infant child of MRS. REYNOLDS severely injured. MRS. ABNER PITHER, wife of the conductor of the train, was badly hurt and several other passengers more or less bruised.

Indian County Gazette Pennsylvania 1890-06-26
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!