Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 106, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1914 — PASSENGER TRAIN WRECKED AT LOWELL [ARTICLE]

PASSENGER TRAIN WRECKED AT LOWELL

Mail Clerk Kicked Mail Pouch Into Switch Arm, Breaking It-Passenger Coaches In Ditch

ONE LADY BADLY HURT. Engine, Mail Gar and Baggage Oar Remained On Main Track, While Passenger Coaches Took Siding and Went Into the Ditch, Severely Injuring One Lady and Injuring Several Other Passengers— Tracks Torn Up, Telegraph Wires Down and Block Signal Damaged. Passenger train No. 4, due in Rensselaer at 4:59 in the morning, but which was almost four hours late, had a serious wreck at Lowell, resulting in the severe injury to a lady whose name we were unable to learn, and injuring a half dozen other passengers. The train passed through Rensselaer at about 8:40 and it was about 9:30 when Lowell was reached. The train was running at high speed and as the depot was passed, the mail clerk on the train kicked off a bag of mail. The bag struck the switch arm, breaking the switch and when the engine, baggage and mail cars went straight up the main track, the passenger coaches took the siding, were snapped loose from the mail car and tore down the track reserved for the lumber and coal yard switch. The first street north of the depot is called Commercial avenue. The cars passed over this and went into the ditch at the next street, known as Washington Street. Both the main track and, the siding Were badly tom up, the telegraph wires were torn down and the poles snapped off, while the block signal post west of the

track was broken down. The ears left the track, turned on their sides and landed in the ditch. It was expected that many of the passengers were killed or badly injured and Dr. J. W. Iddings and Drs. Peterson and Quincy were called and soon there were many volunteers at work trying to free the passengers from the cars. Investigation proved that only one person, a lady, had suffered severe injury, while a half dozen or more were more or less injured. The lady and some of the others who were injured were taken to the office of Dr. Iddings and he, assisted by Drs. Peterson and Quincy, dressed the injuries and it is understood the lady will reeoyer.

Conductor Mike Hackett was in charge of the passenger train. The telegraph wires were broken to such an extent that no report of the wreck could be made from Lowell. The engine of the wrecked train was sent to the scene to aid in clearing and repairing the track. North bound passenger train, No. 32, due there at 10:46, was detoured via Shelby and North Judson, while the south bound passenger trains, Nos. 5 and 37, were sent around by the Michigan City branch to Monon. No. 33, due here at 2 o’clock this afternoon, was expected to arrive only about an hour .ate. The Monon has had many fortunate’wrecks, the list of injured being small on each oocasibh, while, if we are not mistaken, only one person has been killed in a wreck for many years.