Fatal Train Wreck, 1906, Boyce Station, Near Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

Fatal Train Wreck, 1906: Extract from North Georgia Citizen

Database/Library: GA Library of Learning Online (GALILEO)
Newspaper/Publication: North Georgia Citizen 
Place of Publication: Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia
Date of Publication: Thursday, 12 July 1906
Placement: Page 1, Column 1
Contributor (of this extract): D.K. Pritchett
Source URL: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers/id:ngc1906-0218
Access Date: 20 July 2018

Subject: Fatal train wreck on the Western & Atlantic Railroad line, near Boyce Station, near Chattanooga (Hamilton), Tennessee.

Title of Article: "Daltonian Killed in a Collision"

Subtitles of Article:
"Early Sunday Morning on W & A. Railroad"
"Three Others Were Killed"
"Engineer Will P. Hamilton of This City Crushed to Death Instantly by the Impact"

Facts of Accident: Head-on collision; two freight trains involved

Day and Date: Sunday morning (est. 08 July 1906)
Company/Railroad: Western & Atlantic railroad
Location: "near Boyce Station, six miles from Chattanooga"
Location (concluded): Boyce, Hamilton, Tennessee
Speed (Atlanta-bound train): 30 mph

Remarks: "The wreck occurred a few feet from a considerable curve and on an embankment about fifteen feet high."

Remarks: "According to the statements of employes of the railroad, the wreck resulted from the failure of Engineer Atkinson, who was in charge of the Atlanta bound freight, to obey orders. It was stated that he was ordered to take the switch, but this he failed to do, instead coming in contact while running at an estimated speed of 30 miles an hour."

Number of Deceased: four ("enginemen")
Number of Injured: "several trainmen"
Number of Engines Destroyed: 2
Number of Cars Destroyed: 10
Other Property Damage: 1 car of cattle and 1 car of eggs burned

Date of Death (for all below): "Sunday" (08 July 1906, concluded)

Place of Death (for all below, as stated): "near Boyce Station, six miles from Chattanooga"

Place of Death (for all below, concluded): (Boyce, Hamilton, Tennessee)
_____________________

Name of Deceased: W. P. Hamilton (Will P. Hamilton)
Age: "about 43 years old"
Birth Year Estimate: (1863)
Residence: Atlanta, , Georgia
Former Residence: Dalton, (Whitfield), Georgia
Occupation: Engineer of Train no. 8, Western & Atlantic Railroad
Length of (Current) Occupation: "eighteen years" (est. 1888 - 1906)
Manner of Death: "Crushed to Death Instantly"
Removal of Remains: ("brought to") Dalton, (Whitfield), Georgia, "Sunday" (est. 08 July 1906)
Wife (Surviving): formerly Miss Longley
Daughter (Surviving): Mrs. John Boston, of Calhoun, (Gordon, Georgia, concluded)
Son (Surviving): Mr. Will Hamilton, of Rome, (Floyd, Georgia)

Brothers: E. F. Hamilton; F. A. Hamilton; R. E. Hamilton - all of Dalton (Whitfield, Georgia)

Burial: (concluded, Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia) "Monday" (est. 09 July 1906)

Memorial Ceremony: "Odd Fellows' rites"; "escort of twelve locomotive engineers from the brotherhood in Atlanta, headed by Mr. Gus Manning"

Remarks: "No blame is attached to Mr. Hamilton...."
_____________________

Name of Deceased: E. F. Pinson
Residence: Ellijay, (Gilmer), Georgia
Occupation: Fireman of train No. 8, Western & Atlantic Railroad
_____________________

Name of Deceased: Robert Atkinson
Residence: Atlanta, , Georgia
Occupation: Engineer of train no. 13, Western & Atlantic Railroad
Manner of Death (concluded, probably died on impact; afterwards, burned); torso recovered
Removal of Remains: found "Monday" (est. 09 July 1906); shipped to Atlanta
Other: Atlanta-bound train
Other: Faulted with accident (failed to take the switch when ordered)

Remarks: "Immediately after the collision fire broke out, burning the remains of the engineer of the Atlanta bound train..."

_____________________

Name of Deceased: A. O. Gentry
Residence: Atlanta, , Georgia
Former Residence: Kennesaw, (Cobb), Georgia
Occupation: Fireman of train no. 13, Western & Atlantic Railroad 
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

Injured Trainmen ("all slight"):
_______________________

Name of Injured: J. E. Collum
Residence: Atlanta, , (Georgia)
Occupation: Conductor No. 13, Western & Atlantic Railroad 
_______________________

Name of Injured: Walter Stradley
Residence: Atlanta, , (Georgia)
Former Residence: Dalton, (Whitfield), Georgia
Occupation: Conductor No. 8, Western & Atlantic Railroad 
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Cephus Stradley 
________________________

Name of Injured: Luther Dover
Residence: Atlanta, , (Georgia)
Occupation: Brakeman, No. 13, Western & Atlantic Railroad
________________________________

SURNAMES: ATKINSON, COLLUM, DOVER, GENTRY, HAMILTON, PINSON, STRADLEY

Other Surnames (related to Hamilton): LONGLEY, BOSTON
________________________________

END OF EXTRACT
________________________________

LINK TO HISTORICAL ARTICLE ABOUT TRAIN WRECK
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers/id:ngc1906-0218

Transcriber's Note: Boyce Station is now part of East Chattanooga, Hamilton, Tennessee.

Citation:

"Fatal Train Wreck, 1906, Boyce Station, Near Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee," (D.K. Pritchett, contributor), NorthGeorgiaKin.blogspot.com, [Source: "Daltonian Killed in a Collision," North Georgia Citizen (Dalton, Whitfield, Georgia), 12 Jul. 1906, page 1 (via GALILEO)]. Source URL: http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/ngnewspapers/id:ngc1906-0218 (accessed 20 July 2018).

Historical Background (Related Site): 

Lanier: Becoming the Boyce Station Neighborhood Association

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/opinion/columns/story/2018/feb/18/lanier-becoming-boyce-statineighborhood-assoc/463914/