The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-17
A PRIVATE CAR WRECKED.
FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR CHICAGO.
Four Persons Killed and Four Seriously
Injured-Among the Victims Are Bride
That Was To Be and Her Betrothed
Husband-Train-W Wreckers.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, April 10.-One of the saddest
of the innumerable railroad disasters which
have occurred near Chicago took place early
this morning at Lorenzo, III. The victims
eight in number, including bride that was to
be and her betrothed husband. Lorenzo. the
scene of the horror, is a little hamlet fifty
seven miles out on the Chicago Santa Fe &
California railroad. During fog an extra
freight train ran into the rear of the regular
No. California passenger train, east-bound,
at 4:23 a. m, smashing to bits private coach,
letting not a single one of the occupants
escape. Four people were killed and four 9TH
ers seriously injured. The killed are:
HENRY ROBERT HARTT, the ffte een-year-
old son of j. L. Hartt of Boston, Mass.
MISS ALICE WINSLOW of Brookline,
Mass, niece of ]. L. Hartt and the fancee of
Henry w. Lamb, who was seriously injured
HARRY HERRING, colored porter, resident
Of Los Angeles, Gal.
THOMAS SMITH, colored cook, resident Of
Los Angeles, Cal.
The seriously injured are:
]. L. HARTT of Boston, Mass, director of the
Chicago, Kansas & Western railway, branch
of the Santa Fe system, badly burned about
the feet, legs arms and head.
MRS. J. L. HART wife of the above, whose
injuries are similar.
HENRY w. LAMB of Brookline, Mass, seri-
ously scalded about the arms and head.
P. L. PALMER, brakeman of the freight train,
a resident of Brighton Park, H., seriously
scalded.
Henry W Faulkner of Detroit, who was
passenger on the wrecked train, thus described
Mr.. Lambs grief at hearing OF the death of his
Aos-o al - -, y
said Mr. Faulkner, when l was awakened
doubled up in my berth, and feel now like
had been broken in two. l could hear prodig-
Gus uproar outside and the sound of escaping
steam. dressed as fast as l could and got
outside. Some of the trainmen and passengers
were at work in the wreck and had pulled out
young man whom l afterward heard was
Lamb. He was groaning pitifully. j got
mattress from the sleeper and we lifted Lamb
TO 1t as gently as we could. %! where is
Allie% said he. raising up suddenly. just
then two men passed by with the body of
woman, Lamb caught sight of her face by the
light of lantern. % God it is Alliep he
screamed, and then he dropped back on the
mattress in a faint. / was in the car with the
wounded on our way to the city, and every once
in while l could hear Lamb, poor fellow,
moaning the name OF Allie, Allie
The train bearing the injured came into the
Dearborn station, Chicago, at 9:20. The officials
]
their reception. An ambulance and three po-
lice patrol wagons were at the depot, and as
tenderly possible bore the four injured per-
sons who were on the train to the Mercy hos
pital. The police, with difficulty, repressed
crowd of 800 or 400 people who iOstled and
pushed each other in an endeavor to see the
sOrrOwful sight of human beings scalded until
the flesh was in shreds and tatters. The dag
nosls at the hospital showed that Mr.. Hartts
legs, right arm and face were grievously sealded.
3 Ire rff1 Ta1rr mo oil al
though she has in addition a large burn on the
abdomen. Mr.. Lambs legs, face and bands are
very badly burned. The injuries of Brakeman
Palmer are very similar. The other injured
train men were cared for at Lorenzo. DR.. Win
held Hall OF the hospital staff says the injuries
of Mr.. and Mrs. Hartt are dangerous There is
congestion of the internal organs and he fears
that pneumonia may set in. The cases of Lamb
and Palmer are by no means so serious, he says.
DIR. j. J. Ransom, the chief OF the medical de-
psrtment of the Santa Fe railroad, takes more
hopeful view. He made a thorough examina-
ton of Mr.. and Mrs. Hartt and thinks the re-
covery of both assured, unless there be unusual
developments not indicated by present condi-
tions. The victims are all under the influence
of morphine, and visitors are strictly excluded.
Mr.. Hartt, when brought TO the hospital was
but vaguely aware of the death of his son, not
being sufficiently conscious TO fully realize what
had happened. He talked incoherently of his
boy, and at intervals called his name Mrs.
Mr.. John F. Hartt is a heavy capitalist and
one of the best known directors of the Chicago,
Kansas & Western. Mrs. Hartt is a sister of
Albert w. NickersOn, the wealthy railroad
man of Boston and director of the Santa Fe.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hartt started on their western
trip about t;Eo months ago. In their party
were their son Robert, Mr.. Henry w. Lamb,
young business man of Brookline, Mass. twenty
eight years old, and Miss Alice Winslow, a
cousin of Mrs. Hartt. Miss Winslow was a
L. I
mad just turned seventeen, and was preparing
for college. He was 10 enter the freshman
class at Harvard next September.
The ill-fated passenger train was due at To-
renzo at exactly 4:23 o'clock and arrived on
time. The freight train following, known
an extra" was running wild, under orders
TO keep five or ten minutes behind the passen-
ger. Ii was in charge of Conductor Hughes
and Engineer Converse. The crew of the
freight train claim that the dense fog prevented
them from seeing how near they were TO
Lorenzo or from catching sight of the rear
lights of the passenger. Hughes acknowledges
that he knew the passenger was Just due at
Lorenzo at the time of the collision, but thought
he was three or four miles behind. The rear
coach of the passenger train was the private
car of the officers of the California Central rail-
road, and was occupied by Mr.. Hartt and party.
All were soundly sleeping when the fatal
crash came.
The passenger had stopped only a moment at
rushed down upon it. The engine of the
freight telescoped the private car and crushed
in the rear platform of the Pullman car, Santa
Anna just ahead. and wrecked the engine.
The engineer and fireman OF the freight es-
capped by jumping from the cab. Brakeman
Palmer, who was riding on the cab, fell be-
meath it and was badly scalded by the escaping
steam before he could extrcate himself
through the cab window. Miss Winslow, Rob-
ert Hartt, the porter and the cook were killed
outright. The other three occupants of the
sleeping-car were thrown from their berths by
the collision but no limbs were broken, as they
were fortunate enough TO be in the front end of
the car Before they could be extricated
however, they were almost parboiled by the
escaping steam of the disabled engine.
The wreck of the private car was left at Lo-
renzo, and the dead and the injured were placed
in the sleeper Santa Anna. No medical assist
ance was attainable at the little station where
the accident occurred, and soon possible
the passenger train hurried On to Joliet fifteen
miles distant with its burden of dead and suf-
fering. The injuries of the wounded were
dressed at Joliet and opiates administered
which made the terrible pain bearable. The
! four dead bodies were taken off the train for
the coroner and left at Joliet DIR. Curtis, the
company's surgeon came with the Santa Anna
| from Joliet to Chicago.
Conductor William Kress, who was in charge