Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1898 — DIE IN A COLLISION. [ARTICLE]

DIE IN A COLLISION.

Omnibus Filled with Pleasure Seeker* Run Down by a Train Near Chicago. Seven lives were snuffed out and two persons were seriously injured when an omnibus filled with pleasure seekers was struck by the New York express at the Western avenue crossing of the Grank Trunk Railroad in Blue Island, a Chicago suburb, at 8:30 o’clock Saturday night The nine persons were riding in a bus driven by George Sauerbier of Blue Island. Sauerbier’s son and tho other occupants were employes of the Bellaire Stamping works at Harvey, four miles from Blue Island. They were going to Blue Island to attend the birthday party of Jennie Landgraff, daughter of Fred Lnndgraff, proprietor of the Union House. Louis Sauerbier, ■whtY'was a playmate of the young woman, was the host of what was intended to be a merry surprise party. Fate intervened and the proposed frolic became a carnival of death. The pleasure seekers left Harvey shortly after 7 o’clock. George Sauerbier, a veteran and experienced driver, was on the box. The occupants of the omnibus had no premonition of disaster, and as the wheels creaked la the snow on the lonely road they showed their good spirits by singing and laughing. The team was moving slowly west in Spalding avenue, which runs parallel with the Grand Trunk Railroad tracks, and turned Into Western avenue, which crosses the tracks at an angle of 45 degrees. The horses were almost on the tracks when Sauerbier saw the headlight of the express train rushing toward him. With a sudden fear the aged driver whipped up the animals desperately in the hope of clearing the danger line. But it was too late. When the horses were clear of the track and the omnibus half way over the engine crashed into the vehicle and seven lives were destroyed. Richard Water, the engineer, applied the air brakes, but the velocity of the train forced the engine a quarter of a mile before it was brought to a stop. A horrible sight met the eyes of the train crew. Impaled on the pilot of the engine were found the crushed and torn bodies of Fred Muserno and Jennie Willette. Hundreds of feet back was lying Thomas Hayes, terribly injured and unconscious, while strewn about were the other victims. The first news of the collision which reached Blue Island was the appearance of the horses which had run wildly in Western avenue, dragging behind them the broken gearing of the bus. Foaming and puffing they galloped up the street and were sighted by Officer Harneck, who Btopped them. Officer Harneck notified Chief of Police Cinnamon, who called Mayor Rohm and Commissioner Beer. The party, which gleaned from the appearance of the rig that it had been struck at a crossing, started for tho railroad. On its way it met George Sauerbier, limping with pain, his head covered with blood. With tears he told of the disaster.