Sumter-Wilcox County GaArchives News.....Three Killed in Seaboard Wreck:  Engineer and White Firemand and Colored Flagman Killed in Head-on Collision September 26, 1912
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Elaine Turk Nell emturk1976@hotmail.com October 13, 2005, 3:51 pm

Abbeville Chronicle September 26, 1912
     Americus, Sept. 21 - Two killed out-right, one fatally injured and 
several trainmen more or less hurt, was the result of a head-on collision 
between two Seaboard railroad trains tonight at Stewart's Mill, eight miles 
west of Americus.
     The dead are:
     Engineer Robert Finch, of freight train No. 19, Americus to Montgomery.
     John Colbert, colored flagman on No. 19.
     Fatally injured:
     Fireman Thos. Stanley, white of No. 19, left leg crushed and badly 
mutilated, besides severely scalded on body; his injuries regarded as 
necessarily fatal.
     Several of the negro crew of the two trains were more or less injured but 
none others fatal.
     The collision occurred early in the night.  The trains, a through freight 
and a construction train, were to have met at Newport, seven miles from 
Americus.
     Failure to give order to the freight train, it is believed, caused the 
wreck, as the train ran past Newport and met the construction train two miles 
beyond that station.
     Engineer Finch attempted to jump as did Fireman Stanley and the colored 
brakeman, Colbert, but were too late all being caught under the mass of 
wreckage.
     The crew of the construction train saw the approaching freight No. 19 in 
time to jump, and no one aboard the construction train was injured seriously.  
The construction train was coming into Americus for the night.  The collision 
occurred at the foot of a steep grade, the impact stopping the greater portion 
of the freight train on the Stewart Mill trestle.  Both engines were 
demolished, as were six cars of the freight train.
     Engineer Finch's watch stopped at 6:25 o'clock.  He was 25 years old and 
was to have been married shortly.
     Hundreds of sight-seers went out in automobiles to see the disaster.
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     Mr. Stanley died in a hospital at Americus Sunday morning at 4:30 o'clock 
and his remains were brought to Abbeville Sunday afternoon, escorted by five 
fireman of the road.
     Funeral services were held at the Baptist church Monday afternoon and 
interment was in Stubbs cemetery.
     Deceased leaves a wife and one child, besides a mother and several 
brothhrs [sic] and sisters to mourn his sad end.  

Additional Comments:
Thomas "Tom" Lee Stanley was born 26 July 1890 in Georgia, the son of Jesse 
Exela "Oliver" Stanley and Mary Anna (Rowell) Stanley.  He married Evie
 and had two children, one of whom was named Arthur.  I do not know the name 
of the other one.

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