The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-29
BAD HEAD-END COLLISION
Two Engines on the Lake Erie & West
ern Come Together Near the City.
The Conductor, Engineer ard Several others
Injured-An Barry Morning Smash-Up-
Investigation to Be Made To-Day.

At $3.50 O'Clock yesterday morning q very
destructive head end collision occurred on
the "Kokomo Panhandle route north of
the city. The Pennsylysnia Compsny's
train from Chicago Is due in this city at
3:45 o'clock. II is a big train, consisting of
an express and mail car. baggage. smoker.
two ladies' cars and two Pullmans. Con-
ductor Gillls was in charge OF the train.
with engineer Sullivan and fireman In gler.
all of whom reside in this city. There
were about fifty passengers on board. most
of whom were coming TO this city.
The passenger train was getting over the
ground at the rate of forty-five miles an
hour. when. Just before the yards were
reached, after coming around q sharp
curve. engineer sullivan was Mortified TO
see ahead of him a few hundred feet a
freight train. He at once opened the air
brakes to make an emergency stop. and
when within four car lengths of the sp-
preaching freight train he called to his
fireman that the engines were bound TO
collide. and jumped from the engine.
He was thrown some distance
and suffered severe injuries about
the face and was badly scratched. Fire.
man InRler also jumped. and likewise was
injured. his back being severely wrenched.
The passenger train was running about ff-
teen miles an hour when the collision oc-
CURED. but the freight had almost reached
O stand-still. The injured were:
Conductor Gillis. Indianapolis; badly
bEuised by being thrown from his seat.
Ii. q. Revine. $50 North Meridian street.
mail agent; nose cut and slightly bruised.
Daniel Sullivan, 4S Wolcott street. Indi-
annapolis, engineer Of passenger train; leg
sprained and face scratched.
David Ingler. Indianapolis. fireman pas
senger train; arm sprained and back
J.. II. Golding. Chicago; hurt in stomach
by falling on seat.
Charles l.. Martz. Louisville; head cut by
broken glass.
Kempt Ridgely. Louisville; head and
hand cut by jumping through . window.
The passenger engine was No. 452, and
the freight engine 5UZ. The engines struck
head-end squaIely. The wheels were
/ locked. and tho boiler head of 50T was in
serted in the ether like q wed &c. The hind
trucks of the passen ger engine were thrown
| across the track and the tender tilted int
the air. one end crashing into the cab and
| the other teleseoping the mail and ex press
car. The latter was smashed up at both
| ends and the baggage car was smashed in
\ at the front end.
Postal Clerk Revine was asleep when
the collision occurred. He was thrown
Gia tAC ~ Va OLo ta1 hA h8A LIS
nose cut. Conductor ellis was arranging
| his tickets. and was thrown across q seat.
His injuries are painful. The passengers
were considerably shaken up. but no 9TH
eys were hurt. None of the passenger cars
left the track, and the rails were not
torn up.
The freight train. which was north.
bound. consisted of about sixty cars 1t
was in charge OF conductor I'd johnson
and engineer e. G. JenkinA The freight
was not damaged as much as the other.
$1,000 probably covering the loss. The
damage to the passeng ger engine will amount
to about sa,ooo. Two freight cars
were smashed up, one being loaded with
empty beer kegs. Nobody on the freight
was injured. 1t was not until noon yesJer-
day that tho tracks were cleared of the
wreck. A few minutes after 1t occurred
Ed Austin was on tho scene with the
| wreeking crew. and the work was taken
charge of by Yardmaster Nolan. SuperIn-
| tendent Darlington sent out q train to
transfer the passengers, but most of them
| had already walked across to the College,
avenue electric line.
| An investigation Will be made by the Of
ficials at 10 o'clock this morning. when an
attempt will be made to locate the blame.
Both train crews say the L. Il. d w.
operator at the Belt crossing is RESPONSE
bic. Three ger trains are due about
the same time. The freight men claim the
register in the operators office showed
that oil the passenger trains had passed,
when they had not News of the wreck
spread rapidly. and at daybreak quite y
crowd was on the scene.