Decision to Explore Railroad Tunnel Leads to Death, Sept. 22, 1924

Miss Madren of Elon Is Killed in Rail Tunnel. . . J.E. Madren, Father, Also Struck by Train and Badly Injured. . . Were Walking Track. . . Started to Walk Through Tunnel—Two Trains Came and Shut Off the Light

By the Associated Press

Lynchburg, Va., Sept. 21—Miss May Maren, 15, was killed and her father, J.E. Madren, 50, both of Elon, N.C., was perhaps fatally injured here this afternoon when along with three other members of their party, they were struck by a train while walking through a Southern railway tunnel.

Mack D. Madren of Lynchburg, son of J.E. Madren, and J.M. Phillips of Gibsonville, N.C., and Mr. Madren’s small son, who completed the party, escaped injury. They declared after the accident that two trains entered the tunnel simultaneously and shut off the light.

All five of the party, who were sightseeing by automobile, decided to walk through the tunnel, but were only half way through when two freight trains entered. They attempted to lie down on a plank walk two feet wide between the tracks, but is assumed that Madren and his daughter failed in their effort and were rolled between the trains. Miss Madren’s right foot was crushed off and she died at 2:30 o’clock this afternoon while little hope is held out for her father, who is to be operated upon tonight.

From the front page of the Durham Morning Herald, Monday, September 22, 1924

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020730/1924-09-22/ed-1/seq-1/#words=SEPTEMBER+22%2C+1924