Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1904 — WRECK NARROWLY AVERTED. [ARTICLE]

WRECK NARROWLY AVERTED.

Monon Past Train Jumps Track Near Ham* maad While Running at High Spead. The Louisville section of the Monon night train oame near having a frightful wreck near Hammond Saturday night. The Hammond Tribune has the following account of the wreck: Christmas was nearly turned from a day of joy into one of sadness and tragedy for some three hundred home bound travelers near Hammond Saturday evening. Through the merest chance death for many was averted. As it was hundreds who had started to .spend Christmas with friends or relatives were obliged to return to Chicago hungry. The Louisville Limited on the Monon which left at 10:50 Saturday night was derailed at Munster, four miles south of here, while running at the rate of fifty miles an hour. Four cars left the track and that no one was seriously injured is a wonder. The train was a little behind time and was beating the schedule in an effort to make it up. When at the Munster station the train struck a switch. The engine passed over the frogs in safety but the mail and express car, the baggage coach and two . day coaches left the track and bounded along the ties until the train could be brought to a stop. The passengers aroused by the jarriug and straining of the train were hurled panic stricken to the floor as car after car left the rails. Quiet was finally restored and then it was found that no passenger was injured. Will Burba, of Louisville, Kentucky, the express messenger, and E. J. Porter of Lafayette were slightly bruised. Burba was hurt about the leg by a slot machine, loaded at Hammond falling forward upon him. The damage to the cars and track was considerable. Besides the severe straining of the coaches the trucks were torn ffom under two of the cars while a number of windows were shattered. The track was also torn up for a considerable distance. Traffic was blocked until late Sunday afternoon and the first train over the road was the south bound milk train due here at 4:19. The proceeding trains ran over the Pan Handle as far as Maynard when the trains were switched back to the main line. Railroad men are unanimous in saying that the escape of the passengers was most miraculous. Had the track been slightly curved at the place of the .wreck a frightful catastrophe would have resulted. As it was several hundred passengers, homeward bound on account of Christmas were delayed. They were brought back to the city and taken over another line.