The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-11-10
The Railroad Disaster in Indiana.

From the Lafayette Courier, November l.
One of the most frightful accidents in the
annals of railway travel occurred on the La
fayette and Indianapolis Road at 55 min
utes past three o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The regular Cincinnati Express due here at
four o'clock in the afternoon, by the new
time card, collided with cattle train on a
curve one and half miles this side of Gull
ver's Station, about seven from this city
The passenger train was twenty minutes
behind, but waiting the requisite time at
Stockwell obtained the undouhted right to
the Road, and was moving at rapid speed
when on turning the curve beyond Culver's
Stasion the cattle train was observed, but
too late to avert 1T
THE COLLISION. #
Both trains were heavily laden-one with
seven coaches and five hundred and eight
souls, and the other with nine freight cars
filled with Government cattle. The engi.
neer, George Lamb, of the cattle train, had
observed the smoke of the passenger engine
just beyond the curve, and reversing his en-
CINE, had partially checked the dread COLI
sion. He stood at his post, pale as marble
until the trains were but a few rods apart,
when he jumped for his life, and with the
fireman and breakslnan escaped unhurt. =
John Written. engineer of the express,
having as he thought, an undoubted right
to the road, was unsuspicious of danger on
the curve, and did not see the other train
until too late to materially check the speed
of his own train, much less avert the disas-
ter, He had barely time to reverse his en-
CINE and jump for his life, when the massive
locomotives and all their precious freight
of human life collided with a loud crash and
power which shook the earth. Headlights
cow-catchers, and all the lighter works, were
crushed like timber, and = the massive iron
Boilers received the full force of the COLI
sion, All was over in the twinkling OF an
eye, and in less time than it takes to read
this paragraph twenty seven souls were
swept into eternity. s~2le- 4~2 -
Next to the engine as usual was the bag
gage car, belonging to the Lafayette and
indianapolis Railroad, next was frst-clasi
coach belonging to the Michigan Central
Road, and this was the fatal car, in which
Death held high carnival. The baggags
car was about IA inches narrower than the
passenger car, little higher on the trucks
and the force of the conclusion drove it like
the smaller section of spyglass, into an6
through the passenger coach Immediately
behind. The baggage car remained intact
and narrower, as we have said, came crush
ing through the coach, sweeping off the TOT
but leaving the sides of the car unbroken
Like monster battering ram it swept eve
rything before it, and scarce single pGsses
ger IN the forward part escaped sqlstaat0aae
oas death AS it entered the coach it jump
ed the forward trucks upon which it rested
and the end dropping about twelve inches
for want of support, gave the baggage ca
an angle of about thirty degrees. And Il
this simple fact the escaped passengers o
Inflated coach owe their lives. Had tn
baggage car gone through on the same lin
upon which it entered, not soul could hav
escaped Thus it was that the forward pas
sengers were instantly crushed to DEATH
A little further back, and the elevation 0
the death-dealing car brought in line witt
the tops of the Seats and here it Wag tina
tie heads were crushed like eggsheils.
little farther, and those only who were stand
/, ing were struck down, while but step be
yond, passengers escaped without scratcl
save from the splinters of the wreck.
Language has no power to depict tn
scene Within the compass OF few fee
inside that fatal car was compressed tn
! bruised and bleeding bodies of the dead, tn
manned and the dying. The red velye
cushions had deeper dye from the lif
blood of the victims, and the removal of tn
bodies, living and dead, from the debris Q
the car was full of horror.
A number of the dead were so tightl
wedged between the bottom Of the baggag
car and the passenger coach that the bag
gage car had to be raised by jack screw
before they could be taken out. The ca
, dripped with Blood Ike a slaughter pen.
No ladies were injured. Conduoto
Wright informs US that he was standing i
the third Car, and scarcely felt the force {
the collision. Indeed, he had no idea tina
anything serious had occurred until he wen
forward. ..l- y ...Altl ~. -.