TRAGIC RAILROAD WRECK

Atlanta, Ga., June 24. --- A passenger train on the Macon branch of the Southern railway ran into a washout one and one-half miles north of McDonough, Ga., last night and was completely wrecked.

The wreck caught fire and the entire train, with the exception of the sleeper, was destroyed.

Every person on the train except the occupants of the Pullman car perished. Not a member of the train crew escaped.

Thirty-five people in all were killed. A cloudburst broke over that section of the country about 6 o'clock last night, and presumably washed out a section of the track nearly 100 feet in length.

Into this the swiftly moving train plunged. The storm was still raging, and all the car windows were closed. The passengers, secure, as they thought, and sheltered comfortably from the inclement weather, went to death without an instant's warning.

The train, consisting of a baggage car, second class coach, first class coach and a Pullman sleeper, was knocked into kindling wood by the fall.
The wreck caught fire in a few minutes after the fall and all the coaches were burned except the Pullman car.

Every person on the train except the occupants of the Pullman car perished in the disaster. There was no escape as the heavy Pullman weighted down the others and the few alive in the sleeper were unable to render assistance to their fellow passengers.

For a brief time there was silence. Then the occupants of the Pullman car recovered from their bewilderment and after hard work managed to get out of their car, and found themselves on the track in the pouring rain. The extent of the catastrophe was quickly apparent.

Flames were already seen coming from that part of the wreck not covered by water. As the wreck began to go to pieces under the destructive work of both flames and flood, human bodies floated out from the mass and were carried down stream by the swift current. The storm did not abate in fury. Flashes of lightning added to the steady glow of the burning train and lit up the scene with fearful distinctness.

Flagman QUINLAN, who was one of the first to get out, at once started for the nearest telegraph station. Making his way as rapidly as possible in the face of the blinding storm, he stumbled into the office at McDonough and after telling the night operator of the wreck, fell fainting to the floor. Word was quickly sent to both Atlanta and Macon but no assistance was to be had except in the latter city, as the interrupted track prevented the arrival of any train from Macon.

Summit County Journal Colorado 1900-06-30

Transcriber's Note: In response to an email I received I would like to add the following information from The New York Times New York 1900-06-24
"The following passengers escaped without serious injury:
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 Chattanooga, Tenn.
E. T. MACK, of Chattanooga, Tenn.
J. J. QUINLAN, flagman.
T. C. CARTER, Pullman porter.
HANDY TOMLINSON."

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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!