Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1907 — NONE INJURED IN BAD WRECK [ARTICLE]

NONE INJURED IN BAD WRECK

Passenger Train Runs Into Flight in Rensselaer. The Monon railroad had another fortunate escape Sunday morning, in that no deaths resulted and that there was practically no injury to any person from the wreck that occurred 1 1 about 4:50 o’clock on the curve just of the Coen & Brady elevator crossing. Southbound thru freight No. 71, pulled by engine No. 250 and manned by conductor R. G, Patterson and brakemen Jennings and Finnegan had reached Rensselaer just a little prior to the time allotted to the Chicago paper train, doe here at 4:49. The crew of the freight thought they had enough time before the passenger arrived to set out a box car before taking siding. In doing this a draw bar was broken and considerable delay occasioned and the freight had scarcely begun to move when the passenger crashed into its caboose. Jennings, the rear brakeman, should have gone back to flag down the passenger of his own accfrd, bat it is said that he also had the conductor’s instructions to do so. According to the story of the train crew he delayed his starting until he 'could hear the passenger coming. He then went abont 100 yards, up the track and waived his lantern but the curve is sharp and wooded on both sides of the track and his signal could not be seen by the passenger engineer until that train was almost npon the freight.

The crash occurred in an instant. The engine sl?fcck the caboose of the freight and morally demolished it but the engine kept the track. The cabdose was unable itself to hardly check the speed of the train and crew and passengers relate that there were two distinct bumps as the engine first hit the caboose and as it finally came to a halt some fonr flat car lengths further down the track, and turned oyer on its side to the north.

The caboose was thoroly demolished and thrown on both sides of the track. As each flat car was met it would be doubled under from the rear end and the rear trucks folded around to meet the front trucks, the bed being snapped in two near the center. This occurred to four flat cars and the sixteen trucks that carried them were jambed into a bunch between the engine pilot and the box car fifth from the caboose. The last car to suffer from the crash was upended an(f pinned between the trucks of the other cars and held in an up right position by the draw bar of the next flat car being forced thru its two inch floor.

Herman Russ, the engineer of the passenger engine, No. 353, and Frank Jones, the fireman, stuck gamely to their posts. They could see just how the engine was faring and as it might turn to either side and fall on them if they jumped, they were safest in the cab. As the engine was but little damaged and had apparently leisui ely turned over, they had been in no danger at any time, unless they had jumped just ae the engine fell. Ed Duvall, little Ed, was returning from Chicago, and the jar threw him out of bis seat and back against the rear of the car. This same experience came to all the passengers of the day coach, while persons in [Continued on eigth page.]