The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-18

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five miles an hour. There is a straight
stretch of track for half mile east OF
Jackson station.
Saw the Signal.
Beyond this there is a slight curve.
The semaphore, which was protecting
the first special at the station, is three
quarters of mile east of the station.
Whalen acknowledges that he saw the
signal was against him from half mile
away Conductor Webb heard the en-
gineer's whistle for brakes when APP
preaching jackson. He claims he turned
the automatic brakes on the car without
effect. The same cause that operated
against the engineers lever made the
automatic car brakes impOtent. 1t IS
claimed by the men that there was no
time then to apply the hand brakes be-
fore the crash occurred.
The Engineers story.
William whalen, the engineer Of the
engine which crashed into the other, was
able to see an Associated Press reporter
tonight. to whom he gave the following
account of the accident:
I'VE left Detroit at $50 with one of
the best engines on the road and a train
of twelve coaches. The engine worked
remarkably smoothly for new one, and
L was cOngratulating myself upon the
fine manner in which it was working.
We stopped at Livenois-ave, slowed up
at Wayne junction and stopped at Ypsi-
lanti. The air worked all right at these
points. At Ypsilanti there was a large
crowd about the engine. This is the
hardest point on the line to stop. it is
down grade, but we had no difficulty.
We made no other stop till we reached
Jackson. Just east of Jackson junction
L turned the air brakes on and, finding
they worked all right, shut them off. AS
we crossed Elmer-ave l applied the
brakes again, when l found they did not
work on the train, although they did
on the engine
Il then whistled for brakes two or
three times and reversed my engine.
spoke to the fireman and told him the
brakes did not work and to look out
for himself, at the same time pulling the
lever. | held the throttle until we were
within three car lengths of the rear of
the other train. when l went out through
the window of the cab as 1 could not get
to the gang-way in time. My fireman
jumped first l fell on a rail and was
whirled around several times, nearly
falling under train on the next track.
l think a truck box struck me as L fell.
l was dazed for few minutes, but re-
tONettQ anu lOunu DDlll VI MY lG6S btiAiN
injured The doctors think the right one
is fractured, and the other is badly
bruised from the knee to the ankle.
can give no explanation as to the cause
of the air brakes refusing to work. The
only reason | think is that while stop
ping at Ypisilanti some one might have
turned the shut off cock at the rear of
the tender ! do not know that this was
done, but can think Of no other reason.
Strange Coincidence.
This wreck is the first of consequence
on the Michigan Central for fourteen
years On Oct. TO- 1879 the west-bound
Pacific express crashed into switch in
this city, killing eighteen people and
wounding twenty-five. Jackson people
regard it as a coincident that these hor-
rible wrecks occurred in the yards in
this city in the same month and the
same day of the weak-Friday. In all
parts of the city tonight people are gath
cred in knots discussing the latest acct
dent and the one Of fourteen years ago,
which occurred within a stones throw
of the place where the debris marks the
place of the days wreck.
Burnett, agent of the American ex-
press company in this city. was among
the first visitors to the wrecked train
and Unexpectedly met two of his cousins,
Miss Mary Sills and Georgia Burnett
of Gouvenor, n. Y, who We're pasSen-
gers on the first car of the second train,
and who fortunately escaped injury. A
peculiar coincident is the fact that when
the great wreck occurred in 1879 at Jack
son Junction Mr. Burnett was visiting
these same cousins VI their home in New
York
DR. Glenning of Ithaca. n. Y. was
standing on the platform of car 492 an
instant before the crash came. He
jumped, escaping with but a few scratch
es. Frank Faley Of Elmria, N Y. was
in the last car eating of basket of
peaches with a friend when the crash
came. A huge timber struck him in the
forehead knocking him unconscious. His
friend was killed, but he escaped by
rawling out Of the coach window. He
was removed to the Ford house and a
large piece of board was taken from his
back. His injuries, however, will not
prove fatal.
MIR. Nick's Experience.
James A Nick of New York was a
passenger on the forward train, which
ha I a.I- r.