Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1919 — COALS FROM FREIGHT TRAIN CAUSE OF PENNSY WRECK. [ARTICLE]

COALS FROM FREIGHT TRAIN CAUSE OF PENNSY WRECK.

I Goodland, Ind., July 14.—The i early Pennsylvania eastbound passenger train was wrecked and its coaches burned at 7 o’clock Monr day morning when the front end of the smoking car went through 'the bridge near Perkins’ Switch and | caught fire and set fire to the baggage car in front and to the passenger car back of it. The injured were: John W: M. Newpher, engineer, of Logansport, limbs severely scalded; A. J. Cayborn, fireman, of Logansport, face badly cut and neck injured; R. M. Mikels, expressman, of Effner, left •hip broken; John Custer, baggageman, of Logansport, left arm broken ; John Walllace, mail clerk, of Ridgeway, 111., jnght wrist broken, left elboiw cut aW bruised and head cut. Miss Helen O’Neal, of-Kentland, who was the only passenger in the passenger coach received a cut under the right eye and a bruised right shoulder. Mr. Dean, of Sheldon, who was riding in the smoker, was mot injured. The train had left Kentland on time and had not stopped at Perkins’ Switch, a half mite west of the wreck, and as the train neared this bridge there is a downgrade and the engineer did not see the danger until almost upon it. He put on all brakes and did everything possible to stop the train, which was traveling about forty-five miles per hour when the accident happened. Bridge Burned. The small trestle was set afire by a hot coal from the fire pan of an extra westbound freight that passed about 9 o’clock Sunday night and returned Monday morning about 3 o’clock. The fire was noticed by farmers about half a mile away during the night, but it was thought to be a bunch of burning ties. The engine was derailed at the bridge and went about one ear length before toppling over into the ditch on the south side of the track. The baggage car remained on the roadbed, but the front of the smoker went through the bridge and the front end.caught fire from the burning trestle which soon spread to the other coaches and in a short time they were a mass of flames. It happened in a bad place, ’halfway between section roads and help could not arrive in time to do any good. The rear coach was uncoupled and had there been enough men present to have pushed the car back up the small! incline the rear coach might have been saved. All of the mail and express were burned. The westbound train detoured via C. & E. I. to Morocco and C. I. & S. to Kentland and then to Effner. The wrecking crew came out from Logansport and by evening the wreck was cleared from the track.