Crushed By The Cars.
The Horrible Death of Mr. Thomas Word.
The Brake Wheel Loosens, Throwing Him Under the Wheels – Two Cars Pass Over Him.

The people of this city were shocked last Monday afternoon to learn of the horrible accident which occurred to Mr. Thomas Word, a resident of this city, and an employee of the W. & A. R. R., which resulted in his death.

The accident occurred on the road that runs from the W. & A. R. R. at Rogers to the ore beds.  The switch engine had backed up on that road and was going after some cars which were loaded with ore. On the engines and flats were Engineer Johnson, Fireman Whitehead, Conductor Whitehead, Trainmen D. G. Underwood and W. T. Wingo and the deceased.

After leaving Mumford’s mill the engine backed at a fair rate of speed.  On the front flat sat Mr. Word and the two trainmen.  Suddenly the train turned a curve and a few feet on the track was a cow.  The road at this place runs along a mountain side, the mountain on one side and a steep embankment on the other.  This is an extremely dangerous locality for a train to come in contact with anything liable to hurl it off the track, and to the crew on this occasion such a catastrophe seemed probable.  As quick as lightening the engineer reversed the engine and Word sprang to the brake.  With great force he began turning the brake wheel, which suddenly flew off, causing the unfortunate man to lose his balance and falling under the wheels of the moving cars.  Two flats and two wheels of the tender passed over him, horribly mangling his body.

As soon as possible the train hands sprang to the place where he laid and got him from under the tender.  He was at first perfectly unconscious and it was thought that he was dead. But after he was gotten out and placed on a flat car he regained consciousness which he kept to the moment of his death.  The first thing he said was to ask his co-laborers to “take him home quick.”

The train reached this city with him about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. He was placed on a cot and moved to his home on Gilmer street.  Here Dr. Johnson made an examination of his wounds and found him to be horribly cut up from head to his feet.  His left leg was mangled from the hip to the toes, there probably not being left a bone an inch long.  His left arm was cut off just above the elbow, scalp was torn from the skull and there were innumerable cuts and bruises on his face and body.

The sight around the bedside of the dying man was most affecting.  The grief stricken family and sorrowing friends were administering to the last wants of the man whose life was then going out.  Mr. Word called for his two little children and affectionately bade them good bye and told them to meet him in Heaven.  Thus surrounded he breathed his last.

The Funeral Services.

The funeral services were conducted by the pastors of the city churches, Rev. J. S. Hillhouse taking the lead.  These services were conducted at the house, after which the remains were followed to their last resting place by a large number of friends and relatives.

Mr. Word was born Nov. 5th 1855, making him on the day of his death 32 years, five months and eight days old.  He was the son of the late Col. Thomas A. Word, who for many years was the beloved and efficient clerk of Bartow Superior Court.  He was married to Miss Fannie Satterfield, of this city, in 1880, and three children blessed the union, one of whom preceded its father to it last resting place.  The deceased’s aged mother is still living and he was a brother of Mr. M. F. Word, the druggist.

There are few men who had more friends than Mr. Word.  He was always kind and considerate to others and in manners was quiet and unassuming.  By his gentleness of disposition he endeared himself to all with whom he came in contact, and his sudden death cast a gloom over the city.  The bereaved have the sincere sympathy of all in their sad affliction.