Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1912 — 5 DEAD, 60 HURT IN TRAIN’S LEAP [ARTICLE]

5 DEAD, 60 HURT IN TRAIN’S LEAP

Conti n is Wrecked. / CARS ROLL FROM A BRIDGE Scene of Disaster Is Near Lebanon, Ind., Where Women and Children Wait on Snowbank for Rescuers. Lebanon, Ind., March B.—The Continental limited train, west-bound, on the Wabash railroad' was derailed at Redwood Bridge, two miles west of West Lebanon, and five persons were killed and nearly three score injured. Several of the Injured may die and others may be dead in the wreckage. All the cars left the rails and some of them turned over. A broken rail is said to have caused the accident. Two of the cars rolled partly into a creek, the derailment taking place at the end of a bridge.

The locomotive remained, upright on the rails, and word was sent as soon as possible to division headquarters at Peru, Ind., and Decatur, 111. Some delay was experienced, because wires were torn down by the coaches as they rolled over. Wrecking and relief trains rushed to the scene from east and west, and began the work of rescue The wounded were rapidly placed aboard a special train, composed l of two cabooses, and hurried to Danville.

Passengers were preparing to eat dinner as the train approached the Redwood bridge, near the Illinois state line. Without a jolt, at first, the whole train seemed to weave to one side, and then the coaches rolled;, crushed) together, and piled up alongside the track. The baggage and mail cars suffered the most, as they led the rest of the train from the track. Nearly every passenger in the train was hurt by the rolling over of the •cars.

Two or three persons were killed instantly, but the others were pinned down by seats or . splintered timbers and mangled to death Those who were . unhurt soon dragged the injured from the overturned cars, with the exception of a few who could not be extricated) until wrecking derricks arrived Several meD started repairing telegraph Tin? and when the relief trains arrived there was a fairly orderly scene except for the wreckage, at which men were tuggingf and prying in an effort to recover any persons that might be pinioned there in distress.

Those needing attention most were placed' quickly aboard two cabooses and sent to Danville at top speed. With the movable injured out of the way the wrecking crews began to lift the broken coaches from the bottom of the thirty foot embankment.