The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-10
THE OFFICIAL STORY.
How the Wreck Is Looked Upon by the
Railroad Men.

Railroad Men.
The Big -Four officials, who made a
thorough investigation of the wreck yes
terday, are unable to give the difnite
cause of the awful disaster. There
was but one conclusion and that
was that the air brakes were
faulty, but the cause OF this could be
known only to the engineer ond fireman,
the occupants of the cab, and both of
them persisted. T. j. Malone. the travel
ing engineer and an expert on air brake
appliances. and Master Mechanic F. NJ.
Lawter were at the scene of the wreck
early in the morning, and dur
ing the day the other OF
ficials of this division of the
System wsre on the ground OF the disaster.
All are inclined to believe that it was
through some fault OF the air brakes that
the speed of the train could not be
checked. 1t is possible that the stop cock
at the rear of the tank OF the engine was
opened by a tramp or a mischievous
person endeavoring TO steal ride.
There is no evidence to this
effect. however, that could be considered
direct from the fact that that portion
of the train is badly smashed up and
all evidences removed. The officials are
at a loss to understand Just how the
brakes could have been out of gear from
the fact that the stops from Kankakee
down had all been made effectively and
with precision. The last stop was at Tenn
pletOn, fifteen miles west of Lafayette
and the train officials assert that there
was no difficulty there whatever. The
engine IS one OF the largest and most pow
eriul OF the cOmpanv's equipment and has
one OF the best air pumps known.
From the officials at LAFAYETTE il was
learned that the train was entering Lay
fayette promptly on the second. 1t was
IA when the engine jumped the track
and this is the scheduled time that the
train should pull up at the station. The
grade at Lafayette from the west is from
forty 10 fifty feet 10 the mile for three or
four miles, and the momentum to be
gained without steam power is sufficient
TO run the train III 10 the train shed.
The engineer was running at a speed of
about thirty miles an hour. as il has been
computed that train on time can only
consume this amount OF time. When it
left Templeton it was on schedule time and
bAluo kAAC OlAlNAhic NAotl C0AN al iNA4bAo NAah
it was laundering along at such speed as
was stated yesterday-fifty miles an hour
The superintendent said that the throttle
on the engine was reversed indicating
that everything possible was being done
to control the movements of the machin-
cry.
AT the station and where the accident
occurred, he said 1.-THE curve is unusual
ly sharp, being one of about nineteen de-
grees. When the train struck the curve
at the momentum it had gained
from the grade behind it is
evident the wheels refused to turn
and the heavy engine flew of al a tam
gent, turned over on its side from the ter
rible force and made humping post for
the cars and coaches in the rear. The
postal car ran over the engine aud the
second postal car grszed alongside, also
smashing into the posts afording the sup
port OF the roof. The combination bag
gage and smoking car was peculiarly
wrecked, having been completely reversed.
The ladies' coach, parlor car and sleepers
were unframed.
Altogether ten cars formed the train.
and the on v coaches that will be a total
loss will be the postal cars and the com BIZ
nation car, which will not cost much to
repair. It was estimated that the damage
TO the engine would not amount to 500.