Georgia: Chattooga County: Newspaper Account of the Railroad Accident That killed George W. Owens Friday, 26 July 1893 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Wyndell Taylor gagenie@att.net ==================================================================== On Monday, February 12, 2001, Bernice and I made a trip to the Chattooga County Georgia Library in Summerville, Georgia to research the death of her great grandfather, George Washington Owens. The following is what we found in the microfilm of the old newspapers there. We searched later edition of the papers, but did not find any other information. Time did not allow us to research during the years of the court cases that followed. From reading the newspaper account, this was a terrible accident that allowed only about 5 seconds for the men to abandon the car and save themselves. The only question I have, if the Engineer had been blowing his whistle, why did the men not hear this prior to seeing the train? Wyndell O. Taylor The Chattooga News Summerville, Chattooga County, Georgia July 26, 1893 (**Friday) DEATH ON THE RAILS A Trackman Meets a Violent End Last Thursday Engine 1400 Collides With A Crankcar On a Trestle and Owens Is Killed George Owens, a trackman on the Trion section of the Central railroad was killed on the trestle above J. J. P. Henry's last Thursday (**July 20, 1893) morning at 5:30 o'clock, S. C. Refrow, section boss, was slightly injured by jumping from the trestle as was also Frank Jolly, white and Cecil Harris, colored. The "lever" in charge of Mr Renfrow, left this place at about 5:15 on the morning in question, with Frank Jolly and George Owens, white and Cecil Harris, Lew Montgomery, and Andrew Thomas, colored on board, bound for some point on the Trion Section. A heavy fog, caused by a rain the previous evening was prevaling at the time, and made it difficult to distinguish objects more than fifty yards away. They had proceeded as far as the Henry trestle in safety, when just as they touched the south end of the trestle, Renfrow distinguished the headlight of an approaching engine on the farther end, prehaps a little more than a hundred feet away. He at once told his men to jump for their lives, which they did, all escaping serious injury except Owens, who was struck by the engine, producing injuries which resulted in death in thirty minutes. The wounded man was put on the train which consisted of engine 1400 and caboose in charge of Conductor Chastain and Engineer Ritchey and brought to Summerville where he died soon after. In the afternoon a jury was summoned by Coroner Palmour, who proceeded to investigate the causes leading to his death. The jury consisted of the following gentlemen: H. H. Arrington, forman, E. N. Martin, J. N. Rush, B. O. Henry, B. L. Knox, T. N. Butler, E. C. Smith, J. C. Fuller, J. S. MaGinnis, M. G. Merritt, and W. B. Hollis. S. C. Renfrow, having been sworn testified as follows: "I am section forman of Trion Section. Started to work at usual time. When I got on other side of Mr. Henry's met train on trestle. When I saw engine I told the men to leave car and jump. All got off trestle but George Owens. If track had been dry think we could have stopped to lever car in time to have avoided the accident. As it was brake wouldn't hold car. Owens left car and tried to run off of trestle. The last I saw of him was in front of the engine. Looked like lever car was going on him. Engine was probably fifty yards away when I saw headlight. It was very foggy. Could not stop lever car as brakes were not very good and track was wet.Don't think Owens tried to jump off trestle. Engine struck car before I let go. Owens got off back end of car. I left depot for my work at 5:20 a. m. All the orders I ever had was to make full days work; no specific time. I had no rule book showing it but understood I had right of track for one hour in the morning and in the evening; but I would not run under such understanding. I look out for trains all the time when my car is on the track. George Owens had same chance or better to escape than the other men." Engineer Ritchey testified: "When near the bridge I saw the men and blew their whistle and reversed my engine. Was running extra, carrying white signals; had right of track to Summerville against 43. Had orders to run 25 miles an hour. Had light engine and caboose. It was very foggy, could not see the man when engine hit him. Was looking out for section men from Martindale to where my engine struck the car. Had blown my whistle at all curves as it was time for section hands to go to work." Mr. Alex Bonnyman testified: "I am Supervisor of track. Section formen have no orders to men on the road but are requested to look out for extra trains and protect themselves against them. It is not a rule for section foremen to inquire for trains before going to work, as most offices are not open before work time. I do not require my section men to to work at any specified time." The evidence of the remaining witnesses was substantially the same and the jury, after a thorough and mature consideration of the facts as shown by the evidence returned the following verdict: "In accordance with an inquisition taken this the 20th day of July 1893, before Simeon Palmour, Coroner of said county, upon the body of George Owens, a section hand now lying before us, was killed about 5:30 o'clock A. M. July 20, 1893 by engine 1400 on Central Railroad of Georgia on a trestle near the 42 mile post, by being knocked off the trestle. From the evidence before us, we the jury, find the killing accidental." The deceased was a citizen of Summerville at the time of his death, having recently removed here from Lavender. He leaves a wife and five little children in destitute circumstances, as they were dependent on the proceeds of his daily labor for a support. The generous Christian-hearted people of the town, have come nobly to the assistance of the widow woman, however quite a nice little sum of money being raised in a few hours, besides a quantity of provision, clothing, etc.