The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-25
RAN INTO AN OPEN SWITCH
Fast Passenger Train on the Wabash
Railway Derailed Near Keller's, Ind.
Four Trainmen Injured, but None Of the Pas
sengers Hurt-HerOic Action Of the Engi-
neer and Fireman-0ther Casualties.
Special to the Indianapolis journal.

Special Ia the Indianapolis Journal.
WABASH. Ind. Oct. 24-At AS o'clock
this evening the Atlantic express. east
bound. on the Wabash railway was wrecked
at Keller's, six miles west of this city,
though fortunately there was no loss of
life. The train, consisting Of locomotive
1928, a baggage car. smoker, chair car. and
the Wagner sleeper ''R~esolute" was in
charge of engineer George w. King, fireman
Charles Dickson and conductor George
Gum, and came round the curve and down
the long hill west of the station
at Q speed of fifty miles per hour.
When within q few hundred yards
OF the siding engineer King noticed
that the split switch was half thrown. He
put his engine in the back motion and ap-
piled the air-brakes, but the momentum
was 80 great hat the train ran through the
switch. For two hundred feet the engine
and b~aggage-car bounded over the ties. and
then tumbled over the south side of the
embankment. The tender and baggage-car
turned end about and the locomotive cab
was entirely stripped. The coupling be-
tween the b~aggage-car and smoker broke
and the other three cars. which held the
rail, swept past. the front end of the smoker
colliding with the upturned drivers of the
engine. tearing out the forward and of the
car and the trucks beneath it.. The chair
car was also raked off the trucks and some
what damaged, as was the sleeper. The
track was badly torn up, q the scene I'M
mediately after the wreck was q frightful
one. Engineer King and fireman Dickson
remained at their posts and were but little
injured. Dickson had his shoulder blade
fractured. and King, who was wedged in
under the cab roof. was cut and bruised.
Dickson pulled him out and they went to
look after the passengers. In the baggage
Cal. were express messenger Frank Brow
nell and baggageman Gerhardt Myers, of
Toledo. When the car left the rails the
trucks tumbled over them, Brownell fall
ing upon Myers and being buried beneath
the baggage. Neither was seriously hurt.
route to Buffalo, N. Y. was exposed.
the box being burst open. The smoker
took fire from the cOcl-stove, and the New
York mail sacks ignited. but the express
tinguishing the blaze, and saved all the
letters. The heroism of the engineer and
fireman was fully appreciated by the pas
sengers, who made up a handsome purse for
them both. There IS no doubt in the minds
of the. officials tonight. that the accident
was the work of train wreckers. An ex-
animation of the switch-stand. o few min
uJes after the wreck, disclosed that the
lock had been broken, and the stone with
which it had been burst was found
on the tie. The motive for the
dastardly work cannot, however,
be OWNED. At 10 o'clock this evening a
track had been built around the wreck, and
trains are now running as usual. The loss
to the company by the wreck will not ex-
coed $1,000. The escape of the passengers
in the smoking car was marvellous. but, be-
yond a few bruises and scratches. not one
of the passengers was hurt. All were taken
to TT. Wayne this evening on a special
train. Fireman Dixon was later taken to
his home at Andrews. and w. Hutchins. q
dead-head fireman, whose right knee was
badly bruised, was left at his home in Lo-
ganspOrt.