Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 128, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1903 — More About the Wreck. [ARTICLE]

More About the Wreck.

From Attorney C. E. Mills,, father of tiie injured student Emory Mills, many 'interesting particulars of the dreadful wreck at Indianapolis, can be learned. He arrived there Saturday, and not only visited the scene of the wreck, but looked up and talked with as many of the survivors as he could find, The more that is learned of tb# escape of his son with his life, the more marvellous it seems that he was not killed. He sat only three or four seats from the front of the first car, and right in the midst of most fatal places. His seat-mate was Robertson, the assistant coach, who was killed. Opposite him across the aisle, sat four boys facing each other. Three of these were killed and the other, Lee Miller, has been considered among the mortally wounded, ever since Of all those sitting further ahead, On either side, all appear to have been killed, except one man, Thomas, and he, wonderful to relate, was not even hurt, andwas the only man in the car to escape death or severe injury.

Young Mills not only had his left leg broken above the knee, and a large vein ruptured at the same plaoe, bat another bone in the same leg was broken near the ankle. His right thigh was badly bruised, while his face was so cut and bruised as to be swollen almost beyond recognition. The face injuries, however, are all superficial, and not considered of any importance by his physicians. The main trunk; of his body seemed hot to have been injured at all. The accident caused Emory a great nervous shock, so that the physicians did not attempt to reduce the fractured bones until: Sunday morning, when it was safely accomplished. Like most others he has at present but a confused recollection of the wreck, nor is he permitted, as yet, to talk much. He was conscious when found, but became unconscious soon after, and remembers nothing of being taken to the hospital. He remembers however that his sufferings while under the wreckage were fearful, but since that, contrary to some telephone reports,•lie'has not suffered severely. The ruptured vein, while dangerous injury he had, seems to have produced a numbness of the leg which subdued the pain. When the engine of ihe wrecked train struck the coal cars, it produced a mighty cloud of black coal dust, which covered the dead and injured so that at first all were unrecognizable. The responsibility for the wreck has now been placed on the crew of the wrecked train, on account of the unlawful and wholly unusual speed at which it was running. Both the laws of Indianapolis and the rules of the railroad company were grossly violated in this respect The regular rule, especially for special trains is Jo “crawl” through the switch yards, whereas this train, by dozens of witnesses, was proved to be running full 30 miles i an hour"