Death of Hugh Young

Our Community Mourns the Loss of One of Its Best Young Men.

Hugh Young is dead!

It was spoken on the streets – it was whispered in the churches during service Sunday before Christmas day.

Our readers are already familiar with the details of the terrible accident on the W. & A. Railroad on the morning of that day, at McIvor’s station.  The train left Chattanooga at 1:30 a. m., and everything progressed in the customary good order until about 6 o’clock, when the train approached McIvors, Ga., about twelve miles this side of Atlanta.  At this point there is a switch to the main line a short distance this side of a cut through a steep embankment. On this side of the cut is a fill, with an embankment fifty feet high or more.

The passenger train sped on its journey until the switch was reached.  At that point the engine passed the switch all right, but by some means the mail car went off and was followed by the rest of the train.

The Result Was Terrible.

The mail car was demolished, and Mail Agent J. H. Young was instantly killed.  At the time of the accident he was in the act of rising from his bed, when the shock threw him against the side of the car, and his death was evidently caused by a terrible fracture of the skull.  This is not certain, however, as in the completely demolished condition of the car it is wonderful that everyone in it was not killed.  Agents Brown and Alexander, who were in the car with him, were injured.  It is feared that Alexander’s injuries may prove fatal.  The mail in the car was slightly damaged by water.

Fireman Burnett received a severe injury, although nothing worse than a broken arm.  Several passengers were also slightly injured, but not to any extent.  The sleeper was not injured, and was easily replaced on the track.

Mail Agent J. H. Young, who was killed in the wreck, was the victim of a series of surprising circumstances.  He was a new agent on the Chattanooga and Atlanta mail division, this being only his second trip over the road.  He succeeded Agent Brown, of the Western & Atlantic, at Atlanta, who, in a service of twenty three years has never had an accident of any moment.  Had Mr. Brown made the run, he would undoubtedly be the dead man instead of his successor.  Mr. Young had his life insured for $5,000 only a few days ago.  He was a single man, his residence being Cartersville.  He was 33 years old.

The remains were brought to this city, accompanied by a number of friends who went down after them, and on Christmas day, after a most touching service, conducted by Rev. J. S. Hillhouse at the Presbyterian church, were followed by a vast throng to their last resting place at the city cemetery.

Mr. Young was the main stay of his widowed mother, to whom he was tenderly devoted.  He was a gentleman in every sense of the word –noble, brave, generous—like a brother to many of our young men.  A social gathering without Hugh Young was incomplete, and he was greatly missed.

The Methodist church had been handsomely decorated for a Christmas service, but it was abandoned; a number of entertainments were also abandoned on account of this sad death, and a shadow still hangs over the hearts of all who knew him.