Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1914 — RAILROAD WRECK AT ATTICA. [ARTICLE]

RAILROAD WRECK AT ATTICA.

Passenger Train on Wabash Goes Goes Through River liriitgc—- :? Killed, jjr> Injured. Three persons were killed and 3•" J injured, some very seriously, at j^-t-, tic a- Sunday afternoon, when the 1 Wabash bridge gave way and three coaches of Wabash train So: 4, the ' (’on mental Limited, fell into the river. The tact till at the train was made up of steel coaches saved Tar greater casualties. About, noon a refrigerator car jumped the track at t|ie esafend of the bridge, throwing the span out of line and pending one of the vertical supports about two feet. The wrecking crew Had just in clearing the tracks and the slip- 8 erintendent of the crew had examined the bridge and reported it safe to the train dispatcher. Train No. 4 started over the bridge, running very slowly. As the big engine passed onto the east span, : the bridge wavered for a moment and then crumbled to the first pier, 150 feet from the last end of the bridge. The engine had just reached the end of the bridge when the crash came, and it toppled off aiid turned over, turning upside down and half burying itself in the grade. The engineer and fireman were both killed. -.* ■

The mail car fell upon (he east bank of the river. There were six mail clerks in the car. Its steel construction saved them from death. The car fell 30 feet. The second car, combination express, baggage and smoker, struck-the east bank of the river at the water’s edge, the smoking apartment being. submerged up to the windows. One of the express messengers was instantly killed. The occupants 6f the smoker escaped by climbing through the windows. The day coach immediately following lodged one end against the pier and the front of the car ahead,

stopping at an angle of about 45 !• degrees. This car was also of, steel and practically filled with passengers, a n of whom were badly shaken j up and Wedged in the forward end by live angle of the car. All expected it to drop into the river at any moment, and the panic'stricken occupants smashed out the windows and made their escape as quickly as possible. A Pullman car and diner, composmi the remainder of the train. This was of wood, and the forward trucks extended over the wrecking below, j hut the ear did not fall into the river. The Wabash river bridge at this point is 1,850 feet long and lias 71 spans. The two east spans, each i f'U feet long, went down. That so ew people were killed is indeed a miracle. Most of ilie injured were taken to :.alayette on a relief train which Was sent from that city Sunday afternoon.

The Killed. Tim Hull, engineer, Peru. 1ml.: married. Jake Miller, fireman, Peru, lnd.; married. 'A .1. A. Thomas, Wells Fargo express messenger, Huntington, lnd. The Injured. Walter Krusch, Georgetown, 111.; Head hurt. Charles S. Luscher. Catlin. 111.; Vr ght leg twisted; wife and two eb.il(iron uninjured. ■ Jacob Johnson. Williamsport, lid.; back sprained, Mrs. Fred L. Gernmer, Indianapolis; shoulder broken and badly bruised. Lorenz Gernmer. Indianapolis: skull fractured,, Left side of face paralyzed. Miss Marie Kreumer, West Lafayette, lnd.:, right leg sprained and badly bruised. ' Warren C. Scott, Attica,, lnd.; r! rlit knee wrenched. The Rev. A. W. Wood. Lafayette, lad., superintendent Northwest Indiana pistrict \T. E. C,'nurch; back wrenched. W. E. Squire, Quincy, Ill.; neck strained. Walter Mathis, Williamsport, lnd.; Hack hurt. Mrs. Tom Powell, Williamsport, -lnd.: back hurt. Vance Pollen. Kewanna, lnd.; two ribs broken. •1 K. Webb, Peru, lnd., (colored urn roman); caught between coaches, leg and arm smashed, heck wrenched. J W. Show, Lima, Ohio: back wrenched. • C. D. Dumond, Maywood, Ill.; chest bruised. Frank Warden, Detroit, Mich.; flagman;, hip hurt. Ray Wright, Lafayette, lnd.; shoulder and arm hurt, rib broken. H. O. Black, Danville, 111.; chest hurt. a Earl LinoiCum, Homer, Ill.; back bruised. Ed Riggle, Peru, lnd., car repairer; hurt in head and chest, ser-

ions, may die. Frank Bliss, Detroit, Mich., express messenger; right leg fractured below knee. A t >B. Adams, Lagro, Ind.; breast and right leg hurt. George F. Blair, Peru, Ind.j both legs sprained and briused. Leonard C. Gorton, Jersey City, J 11.: right lobe of ear torn off and head bruised. Kd ward Susanke, Concord Mr. et. Detroit; back wrenched and nervous shock, r \^ Prank Krause, Wheeling, \V. Ya.: head hurt. William Moss, St. Louis. Mo.; right leg fractured below l^nee. Charles Grace, Delphos. O.; broken ankle, head and face hurt. 1 Herman Baumgart, Danville. Ill.; scalp wounds, ear torn, back hurt. .T. E. Price. 424 7 St. Louis ave„ St. Louis, Mo.; pitched through window, body cut and bruised, not Serious. Mrs. George Taylor, Clinton. 111.; bruised in side and suffering from nervous shock. Samuel wheeler, (colored), Indianapolis; sprained wrist and knee v -l. G. English. Danville, Til.: mail clerk: shoulder blade fractured. H. Palmer, news agent. St. Louis; scalp wound.