TRAIN WRECKED BY A BOULDER

At Least Seven Men Killed Near Little Rock by Its Crashing Into a Huge Stone of Fifteen Tons Weight.

CHOCTAW, OKLAHOMA AND GULF RAILWAY WORK TRAIN CARRYING FIFTY-FOUR WORKMEN.

Engineer Observed the Great Rock Rolling Down the Mountain but Not in Time to Avert the Disaster – Most of the Killed Were in the Caboose Which Was Being Pushed at the Head of the Train – Fourteen Men Injured More or Less Seriously.

Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 14. -- Seven men were killed and at least 14 seriously injured by a huge boulder, weighing 15 tons, crashing into the caboose of a work train on the Choctow, Oklahoma and Gulf railway, 20 miles west of Little Rock, at 10 o'clock this morning.
The dead:
SAMUEL SIMON, white, Booneville, Ark.
B. T. JONES, white, Booneville, Ark.
ORANGE FOSTER, colored, Little Rock.
JOHN WILLIAMS, colored, North Little Rock.
HENRY McGEE, colored, Little Rock.
Two Unknown Men.

The injured are:
BILL PENNINGER, foreman of gang, serious.
WILLIAM LOGAN, Booneville, serious.
ANDREW McGEE, colored, Little Rock, will die.
FREEMAN DAVIS.
JOHN CONNOR.
ED. McGINNIS, foreman extra gang.
FRANK POWELL, colored.
EMMETT BURNETT, colored.
JOHN HOLLINS, colored.
JIM CARROLL, colored.
WILLIAM H. BEDEW, white.
D. C. HARDIN, colored.
OTTO PAYLOR.

The work train was headed west, the engine pushing six cars and a caboose. It was in charge of Conductor GAMBLE, Engineer NAZOR and Fireman EVANS. As the train was passing under the high bluffs bordering the river, two miles west of Little Maumelle, the crew saw a heavy rock rolling down the steep declivity, having been detached from the hill side by the heavy rains. The train was going slowly, but was almost upon the rock when it struck the track. Engineer NAZOR reversed his engine at once, but the train struck the rock with almose[sic] full force.

The caboose was at the head of the train and was shivered to splinters. Most of the men who were killed were in the caboose. There was a crew of 54 men, white and colored. Just back of the caboose there were three cars of sand and many of the men were buried beneath the sand which was thrown forward by the terrific impact.

Six men are known to have been killed outright. Three men were left on the scene and three were brought to Little Rock and a relief train dispatched to the scene as soon as the news could be sent to the city. Fifteen injured were brought to Little Rock and are now at St. Vincent's Infirmary. One of the most desperately injured died on the way to the hospital.

It is thought there are others killed or buried under the sand at the scene of the wreck as there are several missing and yet unaccounted for. A crew of workmen is clearing the wreck and looking for the bodies. If the engineer had not stopped the train when he did, the entire train must have been hurled down the embankment.

The Idaho Daily Statesman Boise Idaho 1902-02-15
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!