The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-04
DEATH In A WABASH WRECK
Locomotive and Nine Cars Plunge Into
WashOut, Killing Five Men.
Saturday Night Clcud Burst Flooded Small
Greek That Ate ltS Way threugha Deep pFi |,
Leaving the Rails suspended in Air.
enecinl 10 the Indianapolis Journal.

epecial 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
WABASH, Ind, July 3.-This morning, at
LOO o'clock, at q point mile and half
east of Rich valley. or Keller's Station, and
three miles west of this city, occurred one
of the worst wrecks both in loss of life
and destruction of property, in the history
of the Wabash railroad. At the place
mentioned there is high embankment
under which runs q culvert, built of heavy
stone twenty-five years ago. Through this
runs the waters of Kentner creek, a wet
weather stream. A terrific wind and rain
storm swept over this section abOut mid
night, and a little less than cloud burst
occurred near this point. The volume of
water was so great as to undermine the bed
Of the Wabash road and the embankment
was washed out leaving the rails sus-
pended in the air with no support
Just west of the culvert is q
heavy cutting through solid rock
and east-bound freight train No.
6s. consisting of engine No. ia and
twenty five 4eaded cars, emerged from the
cut without any warning and took a
plunge of fully twenty feet into the
stream.
On the engine at the tipe were engineer
George w. Shorey. of Fort Wayne. who had
been running an engine on the Wabash for
twenty-five years; +. Z. Moore, fireman, of
I.aiaye cite; Harvey Dunlap, superintend-
q hneman. of Peru, and Charles Z.
Wilcox, tralnmaster, also of Peru.
Not one the ill-fated engine lived
10 tell how IL happened. Nine cars
piled mp on the locomotive after it's head
lOp ~ la..n m IN ha hu faU r ho
engine in the descent turned completely
around and fell upside down. and Shorey,
Moore and wilcox were caught between
the tank and the boiler-head. where they
were crushed TO death. The others were
killed by the falling cars, oil being held
down In from three to six feet of water.
ESCAPED INSTANT DEATH
Conductor Morgan, with the roadmaster,
A. Il. Adams, and the head brakeman George
Dickinson. had gone back to the caboose
on account of the crowd in the engine cab,
and they thus escaped a terrible fate.
They felt the shock and, jumping
off, ran forward and beheld the wreck.
Back to Rich Valley they hurried on foot.
reused the operator and reported the
catastrophe, but it was almost daylight
before the wrccking-train arrived a. the
scene. The work OF clearing away
progressed very slowly. the strong current
the cars were wedged into the opening
rendering labor very tedious.
About o'clock the wreckage was moved
sufficiently TO release the bodies of Shorey,
Dunlap and Helm. and they tioated into
clump of underground and were taken
out. Two locomotives were then
put at work tearing the wrecked
cars in pieces in order to recover the other
podies, but though hundred men worked
steadily up TO 1850 to-day the remains of
Wilcox orly had been found. The corpses.
with the exception of that of Dunlap, were
badly mangIed. Shorey had his skull
fractured IN three places, while his body
was terribly cut and bruised. Dunlap's
skull was fractured and he was hurt in
ternally, but he bore evidence of but little
INJURY. Helm as crushed bey ond recogni-
tion. The bodies presented q horrible sig nc
as they lay on the tarpauln after being
taken ont W!lcoxs body was found
under the tender. There were sew
eral long gashes on his face, his
right leg was broken and his left hand
crushed TO fragments. He was also cru shed
frightfully about tie hips. The watch in
his pocket stopped at l:20 o'clock, and that
probably was the moment at whicn he met
his death.
Late this evening the body of fireman
Moore was taken from under tho engine.
IL bore little semblance To a human form.
The engine alighted her driyers and
stands with her nose buried In the
embankment. Nearly all of the nine cars
split open. and the water carried the cot
ton, wool and bran over an area of ten
acres.
About midnight all the wires went down.
and the officials and linemen went out on
tho freight train looking for the trouble
and 10 inspect the track. All were in the
CAB, and death came In an instant. Coroner