The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-23

these were sc completely wrecked that the
work of extricating the dead and dying
was q comparatively easy one. One after
another the lifeless forms were brought
out of the heap of broken timbers and
placed in row on the west side of the
track. while the injured were carried to
the medow on the east side and cared for
By the villagers. who ministered to their
sufferings and alleviated their pains as far
as the facilities at hand would permit.
In the meantime news Of the catastrophe
had been wired to LaPorte, Westville.
Union Mills and Michigan City and other
points within o radius of twenty miles,
and in a comparatively. short time scores
OF buggies. wagons and vehicles of every
description were at the scene. In these
the injured were conveyed to the resi-
dences of the neIghborhoOd, the doors of
which were thrown wide open by the oc.
cupants. One Of the first to be taken
away was Mrs. Roundys. of Iowa, who
escaped injury. but was prostrated
by the nervous shock. and upon being re-
stored to consciousness plaintively inquired
for her husband, who had been seated By
her side when the trains osme together.
remains were identified among the row of
the dead. and when tho fact was gently
communicated to her she begged that the
lifeloss remains should be brought at once
TO the house. Tonight the widow is lying
prostrate in one room, while the remains of
her husband rest in the other adjoining.
BRAKEMAN THOMPSON MISSING.
Two score men are securing the sur
rounding country tonight for Herbert
Thompson, the brakeman. to whose negli-
gence the responsibility of the catastrophe
is placed. After the freight train had backed
TO it's place to await the passage of the ex.
press his movements were not observed by
any of the crew. When. however. engi-
neer Whitman had succeeded in extrlcatIng
himself from the debris of the meat car,
into which he had been driven by the force
of the collision. he found Thompson stand
ing on the track. pale as ghost and trem-
bling in overy fiber.
What have you doneW demanded the
engineer. whose right arm hung helpless at
his side while the blood poured from cut
in his head.
II must have left that switch open." was
Thompson's reply, and without another
word he took to his heels and disappeared.
Half an hour later he put in en- appearance
at the Genther farm house, two miles south.
and asked for something to eat. say
ing by way of explanation that
q wreck had occurred during the
night over toward KlnGsbury; that he had
been fasting for hours. and that he was
completely worn out The family hastened
to set the table, and. after swallowing q
CUP of coffee. he seized his hat and left the
house. exolaiming, as he did so. that he had
TO notify the officials of the road. Instead
of returning toward Kingsbury. however,
he took the pike for Stilwell. five miles
below that point. and through which sew
4 eral trains on the Wabash, Grand Trunk
and Lake Erie 81 Western passed during
the day. Up to o late hour tonight no
trace of his whereabouts had been discov-
cred.
The inquest on the remains of the vic
tins of the accident was opened at the
Masonic Hall this afternoon By Coroner
n. d. Cole, of Michigan City. A jury CON-
F! posed of residents of the neighborhood
was impaneled. and, after the bodies had
been identified By the papers or articles
| found on their clothing, an adjournment
was taken to the residence of II. p. Els
| worth. Here the remains of ME-. Roundys,
of Iowa. were identified. and an adjourn
| ment was agreed upon untir9 o'clock Satur-
| day morning ROundys. who was sixty
seven years old. was caught in the day
coach when 1t was telesooped by the bag
gage car ono his head crushed on both
| sides. Below tie neck he was uninjured.
| INJURED SENT TO PERU.
| All the injured were taken to Peru by
| special train at noon and placed In the Wa
bash roads hospital. The dead were en-.
cased at an undertaker's rooms at Laporte
IN chestnut caskets, covered with black
cloth, and with elaborate oxidized silver
trimmings, and will be forwarded TO their
late homes on the early morning trains.
Mr.. and Mrs. Ryder of Phenix. A. r., with
their fifteen-year-old son Warren, occu-
| pied Sections / and 3 in the sleeping
| car Arizona. The child was SO
crushed that death must have been
instantaneous. while the father received
numerous gashes and cuts, and the mother
was rescued FROM the debris with frac-
| tured limb.
Relief trains were started by the rail-
road officials from Chicago and ST. Louis
within a short time after Information Of
the accident had reached these points.
Both trains were equipped with surgeons
and surgical supplies. and on their arrival
every possible effort was made to alleviate
the sufferIngs OF the injured.
The principal officials of the road were
elso early on the scene. Superintendent G.
| A. Gould, Of the Wabash eastern division,
said tonight: 1.-The accident Is a dcplor-
able one. but at the same time it cannot be
attributed to any lack of system or man.
sgemept. There is nothing to conceal, no
blame to be showed on other shoulders. IL
is simply q case of one mans error and its
consequences. It cannot be said that
| Thompson was overworke0, for
his run covered but $50 miles,
from Ashley. Ind. to Chicago. Our rules
and instructions admit of no misapprehen-
sion. and the whistle signals of the first
section of the express were clearly under.
stood by the crow of the freight as Indicat-
ing that o second section was to follow.
Hence it was that the freight remained on
the siding How it happened that the
switch was opened after the first section
had passed remains TO be determined.
Thompson had been in our employ between
two and three years He had the reputa-