AMERICUS TIMES-RECORDER
AMERICUS, GEORGIA. THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 27, 1908.
ENGINEER WAS GIVEN A LICK BY FALLING BOX
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Probable Cause of Gilstrap's Death.
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Engine 609, the leviathan that hurled Engineer O. J.
Gilstrap and his colored fireman Ezekiel McKenzie, to instant death in the
Seaboard wreck west of Americus on Sunday morning last, has been brought to the
Americus shops for repairs.
The big eight wheel passenger engine, one of the best
on the division, sustained little injury.
The running gear was not hurt at all, and the
replacing of a few pipes and repainting the broken parts at the cost of a few
hundred dollars will repair the loss.
The property
loss throughout seems merely nominal.
Photographs taken of the wreck show the big engine
lying upon its right side against an embankment. Next it was a carload of beer,
going to Savannah quite likely, and in the side of the car a hole was torn, but
the beer was all right.
Not a car of the entire train got off the track,
evidencing the fact that Engineer Gilstrap as running very slowly and
exercising due caution.
A careful examination of the engine yesterday by
employees at the shops disclose the probable cause of the engineer's death.
The first theory was that he was struck upon the head
by the heavy tool box falling from the fireman's, or left side of the cab. This
box was torn loose when the engine careened, and was found lying near the dead
engineer.
When the box was examined here yesterday particles of
hair were found adhering to it, confirming the belief that Engineer Gilstrap
had been struck upon the head by it.
His skull had been crushed by some heavy instrument,
the tool box quite likely.
It is stated also that the fireman's box was not
riveted to the engine cab, as was that on the engineer's side, but was fixed
with nails instead. When the engine turned over the nails pulled out and the
box was torn from its fastening.
So far as can be ascertained, Engineer Gilstrap had
$4,500 insurance. He had applied for another policy of $2,000 in a fraternal
order here of which he was a member, but unfortunately for him, had not called
and paid for the policy.
Of the $4,500 in force, $3,000 is in the B. L. E.
order, while $1,500 is accident insurance.
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