Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 134, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1910 — WRECK NEAR LOWELL KILLED FREIGHT BRAKEMAN. [ARTICLE]

WRECK NEAR LOWELL KILLED FREIGHT BRAKEMAN.

North Bound Passenger No. 4 Crashed Into No. 72*8 Caboose With Disastrous Consequences. George Gallagher, whose home was in Logansport, -was instantly killed at the Dewitt milk station, two miles south of Lowell, Sunday morning, when Monon passenger train No. 4, which passed through Rensselaer at 4:49 crashed into the caboose of freight train No. 72. Gallagher was the rear brakeman on the freight‘train and it'is claimed was responsible for the negligence that cost him his life. It is stated by other members of the freight crew that he had been sent back to flag down No. 4 when the engine of No. 72 was helping another freight over a steep grade. Gallagher instead went to the caboose and fell asleep, allege the other trainmen. The passenger train was running at a speed of fifty-five miles an hour when the big engine crashed through the caboose, and four cars loaded with stone and brick. It was foggy at the time of the collision and the engineer did not see the rear lights of the caboose until nearly on it. After the collision Engineer Cliff Somerville and Fireman Joe Conn found themselves standing under the boiler nf the engine. Engineer Boiif: merville was slightly injured, but the fireman was not hurt. The engine drawing the freight train had stalled on a hill and the train was being doubled over the grade.

The big locomotive pulling the passenger train turned over on its side. The bagg&ge, express, mail and day coaches were also turned partly over. The five sleepers remained on the rails. Brakman Gallagher’s home was in Logansport. He had been in the employ of the Monon six months. The milk train went to Chicago via Shelby, Schneider and the Indiana Harbor to St. John. Other trains, including the excursion to Chicago, did not pass through Rensselaer, but were detoured around. The 1:58 was able to get through but a little late. The Rensselaer section gang and other section gangs along the line between Monon and Lowell, were gathered at the scene of the wreck and are there again today.