The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-25
CALAsEITOUS RAILROAD AC-
CEDENT.

.
last Friday evening. As the author is
perfectly acquainted with all the details
ofthe accident, we reproduce his Article
in full merely adding that Mr.. Smons, of
this place, is getting along as wei | as his
dearest and most sanguine friends could
reasonably expect:
y serious railroad accident occurred on
the p. F. W. &c c. II. VI. one mile and a
half west of Bourbon station, on Friday
evening last, about o'clock. The par
| ticulars, as near as we can learn them, are
as folio VS.:
During the day the Valparaiso wood
train, Mr.. Kimball, conductor. was work
ing near Inweod, and The Plymouth wood
train, ID. +. Simons, conductor, was work
/ ing near Etna Green. About two o'clock
both trains were side tracked at Bourbon,
to pass the through freight going west at
2:l5. While there the conductors and
engineers made an agreemcnt-as the
| Valparaiso train was to stay at Bourbon
over night, and tie Plymouth train at
! Plymouth-that they would meet an pass
mt Inw0od at ) O'Clock. About minutes
| befre 5 O'Clock the Plymouth train, con-
sisting of the engine, caboosc and teol
car-tle flat cars used on the train having
been left at Etna Grecn-passcd Bourbon
going west. They had not gone more
than one and a quarter miles when they
discovered the Valparaiso train backing
up. Brakes were whistled down, and
every effort made to stop, to very little
purpose, and in less Than a minutes time
the two trains had collided with terrific
force. Two engines and cabooses were
incontinentiy smashed up, one engine
having gone almost through one OF the
cabooses, and placing it on end almost on
top of the engine. Eight persons were
more or les : in;ulCd-fve seriously, and
one so severely that he died on Saturday
morning. His name was Thomas Butler,
and was a resident of Valparaiso limo
thy Murphy, Edward Rady, James Owens,
John Scibert, residents of Valparaiso,
were all very seriously injured internally
Mr.. Derrer, fireman on the Plymouth
engine, got out of the wreck with a bro
ken knee pan. Vim. Corners, of Plym-
outh, Was slightly injured
Mr.. ID. f. Simons, cor du,t9r Of The
Plymouth train, uTGn hearing the engine
signal ran and set the brake, on the plat
form between the engine and the ca
b0osc. When the trains struck lie was
caught between the engine and caboose,
and his right leg broken in two places
below the knee. His left. ankle was dis
located, the bones probably fractured,
and the flesh badly bruised. He also
received heavy blow on his forehead,
and one OCcr tl>- right eve. lie was East
between the engine and cdboose about 80
minutes and was the last one taken from
the wreck. he exhibited courage and
GOODNESS under the trying ordeal
tarc ugh which he Eassed-scarcc-
ly a moan passing from his lips
rarely possessed by frail humanity.
Mr. C. f. Gorllsm, Supt. ". D., acted
promptly and efficiently i'll relieving the
sufferers. The engine from the freight
train arriving mt Bourbon at & o'clock, was
dispatched 10 the wreck for the wound
ell. The engine from the evening ex-
press train. arriving ten minutes later.
was sent to Warsaw for surgeons. The
engine made the round trip in less than
an hour. An extra train was sent from
Plymouth with Dr. Borton and A. Morris
on, Supervisor. lIr g. a. Simon rnal
master, and Dr.. Myers started from Fo.
Wayne. The wounded were taken To
Bourbon about o'clock. Five of them
were provided for at the American house.
and two, Mr.. Simons ard Mr.. Derrer, of
Plymouth, were taken to the house of ID.
Mcdonald, agent of ;hc company. Drs.
Davenport, Carpenteran and Green, of War
SAW, DIR. Myers, effort Wayne, Drs w.
G. d \. c. Mattchett ana l.. Johnson, of
Bourbon, three doctors who were i'm the
express train, and DR.. Borton, Of Plym-
outh,-cleyen in ail-ad me-
dicinal aid 20 the sufferers The citizens
Of Bourbon die all in their power to make
the wounded as comfortable as they could
be made under the circumstances and,
all in al, having met with The accident,
they were fortunate in falling into as good
hands az they did.
The collision was the result of mis-
understanding. The conductor of the
Valparaiso train understanding that the
arrangement was TO meet at Bourbon,
while the engineer and Conductor SimOns
understood il 10 be Inv wood, The track
war cleared at | 1 o'clock, and trains were
run without further DELAY.