Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1907 — ANOTHER TRAIN BADLY WRECKED. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER TRAIN BADLY WRECKED.

Train Number Five Wrecked At Fair Oaks, But No Person Seriously Injured. Still another xMouon passenger train has left the trackjat highspeed and been badly torn to pieces, within the limits of Jasper county, and the third almost exactly similar accident within less than nine months time. Like the other two. the train was badly used up, but the injuries to persons were few.This last wreck tore the cars up about as badly as either of the others, but resulted in the least injuries to persons. The train involved this time was No. 5, being the south bound passenger train due here at 10:55 A. M., Wednesday and the spot where it occured was just north of Fair Oiks, and not a half mile from where the early morning train was wrecked last July. The train was just approaching the north end of the long switch north of Fair Oaki, and piobably it had slowed up sol e preparatory to stopping at Fair Oiks. The tender seems to have jumped the track first, and gradaallyj'ulled the following cars off the track. They bumped along over the ties for perhaps 150 feet, and then went over on their sides. The tender, the combination mail and baggage car, the day coach and parlor car went off and turned over. The dining car, which was the end car did not go off, nor did the engine leave the track. The cars that went off were all torn loose from their trucks, and had all their platforms and vestibules broken up, and were other wise pretty badly used up. By great good luck the cars all had soft places to light, being in the soft, deep sand, which so broke the shock as to prevent any serious injuries to any of the passengeis and trainmen. Some of the cars were buried in the sand nearly up to their windows as they lay on their sides. The track was torn up several hundred feet, and of course, all traffic blocked. The north bound train passing here at 9:55 went up and took on the passengers and mail and baggage and then backed to Monon. Several traveling men were on the train for Rensselaer, but the only residents among the passengers, so far as heard from, were Abe Hardy and Mrs. John Gwin. The wrecking car was sent for down the line and got there about three o’clock.

The injuries to passengers all seem to have been confined to slight jolts and bruises, and the worst injured was Mrs. Mellie Lindsay, a lecturer for the Daughters of Rebecca, who was coming to Rensselier to speak that night. She was considerably shaken up and complained of a wrench or bruise in her s de. All the injured were settled with by representatives of the company, Mrs. Lindsay accepting $25 for her share. Dr. Martin, of Mt. Ayr was a passenger, and had no worse damage than a hole in his coat, for which he got $5, and it was none too much.