According to information received at the scene of the accident, the elder Webb, who was driving the machine, noticed the speeding train too late to stop his car. It is said that when he was only a few feet from the engine he "cut" his car to the right and ran down the side of the tracks in an effort to avoid being struck. Evidently he was running at a fairly fast rate of speed, but was unable to turn the machine down the bank before the car crashed into the side of the engine with terrific force. The automobile was knocked for some distance, hurling the occupants out, before it was completely demolished. Several persons declared that the car was hurled over and over for probably thirty feet.

At the time of the crash it is said that the "Flier" was running between forty-five and fifty miles an hour, being due in Chattanooga a few minutes later. The engineer sounded his whistle for the crossing and evidently saw the approaching automobile, but thinking it was going to stop the speed of the train was not slackened until the engine was almost directly upon the crossing. It was at this time that Webb swerved the machine down the tracks and the engineer became aware that he was about to strike the train.

After the crash the train was stopped and the dead and injured were placed in the baggage car and rushed toward Chattanooga. O'Donohue's ambulance met the train at the King street crossing and removed those who were still alive to Newell's sanitarium. The father died only a short time after his arrival at the hospital and Arnold lived for several hours. Mrs. Webb, Dolly, and Ruth were killed almost instantly. The dead were removed to O'Donohue's mortuary and prepared for burial.

According to police officer Hugh Smith, who examined the engine when it arrived in the city, marks on the side, just below the engineer's cab, gave evidence to the fact that the accident was not a head-on collision. The front of the engine was not damaged but steam pipes and other fixtures on the side were badly wrenched, showing the terrific force with which the automobile and train crashed together.

The engineer took his train out on schedule time and could not be interviewed last night, but, according to his story, as told to Officer Smith, he had no reason to believe that the automobile was not going to be stopped. Officer Smith also learned the brakes on the automobile were very bad, but his informant could not be located by Times reporter yesterday.

A remarkable circumstance with this tragedy is that none of the limbs of the of the five persons killed were broken, death having resulted from injuries to the head, serious body lacerations, bruises, and fractures. The bodies were not badly mangled, as would be expected in an accident of this kind. It is said that Mrs. Webb died of severe concussion of the brain and other injuries.

Little Alma, who is at Newell's sanitarium in a serious condition, suffers from numerous lacerations and bruises, together with severe shock. She never lost consciousness, however, hospital attaches say that she has a chance to recover.

The surviving children who were not in the automobile, were George Webb, 21, Carl Webb, 15, Edna Webb, 11, Irene Webb, 11, and Mrs. Cora O'Rear, wife of Kelly O'Rear. Mr. Webb is also survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Webb, of Charleston, Tenn.; four sisters Mrs. Mary Lee Guffy, Mrs. Minnie Morris, Mrs. Julia Jenkins, of this city; Mrs. Viola O'Dell of Charleston, and Henry Webb of this city.

Mrs. Webb is survived by her father N. K. Bonine of Ironsburg, Tenn., and five brothers William, Dewey, Frank, Robert and Andrew Bonine; two sisters, Mrs. Rilla Williamson, of East Chattanooga, and Mrs. Eliza Jones, of Tellico Plains, Tenn. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Yesterday's deplorable tragedy was the second to occur at railroad crossings in this territory the past week, Mrs. Dade Allison, Clyde Henderson and Thomas Hughes, the latter boys, met death when the Royal Palm struck an automobile at South Dayton Sunday, Sept. 14. Three persons were also injured in the Dayton crash.

[The article above is an excerpt from The Daily Times: Chattanooga, Tennessee, 22 September 1924, typed per se into html by Sandra (Nipper) Ratledge for my "Tennessee Ties" website only and not to be uploaded on any other websites of any kind.]