Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1908 — ENGINEER KILLED [ARTICLE]

ENGINEER KILLED

And Engine Wrecked On Monon Night Train WHEN CROWN-SHEET BLEW OUT. Passengers Not Even Shaken Up— Accident Happened Near Roselawn Monday Night. One of the most peculiar accidents on record occured on the Monon Monday night as the fast train was running at the rate of 60 miles an hour between Thayer and Roselawn. This train was presumably on time and had left Chicago at 9 p. m. E. V. Ransford of this city was aboard the train and heard a loud report when running betwen those points, but thought nothing of it as the train continued on its way, seemingly uninterupted. At this point there is an up grade, and after the train had spent its momentum it stopped, and it was not until then the true state of affairs was learned. Then it was found that some one's carlessness had added one more human sacrifice to the long, long list that have been made that human greed might be satisfied. The crown sheet had blown out of the locomotive carrying with it the grates of the fire box and the fire and cinders with such awful force that the cinders were driven into the iron of the tender as nails might be driven into a hardwood board. Joseph Pultz, an employe of 25 years, engineer was blown out of the cab and instantly killed. His body was picked up afterward along the right-of-way. The fireman, Hos ten, got out of the cab and went along the run-ning-board to the front of the engine where he remained until the train stopped. He was slightly injured in one of his limbs, below the knee, but otherwise escaped nnhurt. One of the most peculiar features of this peculiar accident is the fact that the brakes did not work, although it seems that all "the brake aparatus in the cab was destroyed, as the force of the explosion went/ to the engineer's side of the cab. Notwithstanding all this the train was not stopped except that It ‘‘run down,” so to speak. The engine pulling this train was 121, a machine that has been In daily use for many years, and for a long time It was used for pulling freight trains. Never having been designed for fast running, the speed demanded of It could only be got by forcing it to do more thaa its normal work. It is said that the official report given the management of the road attributed the accident to “low water,” but that some one was careless seems to be evident. Either the x inspector at the shop, or the men in charge of the engine, must have become careless. An engine was sent for from Hammond, and after a long delay the train was brought on its way.^The dead engineer lived at Lafayette, and was aged about 45 years. His remains were taken to Lafayette on the train that he was running when the accident occurred.