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

Il
killed or terrible injured The third coach
from the rear of the first section, which
was thrown TO one side, the last two
coaches being pushed away beyond IT,.
killed and others injured. Some of the
other cars in the first section were
damaged, but none was completely filled
and none of the passengers in them
killed. With the exception of the en-
CINE and baggage car, the second Sec
ton of the train was not much damaged.
The baggage car jumped the track and
was dashed against some empty cars
on siding. 1t was reduced TO kindling
wood, but the two occupants of the car
crawled out Of the wreck. having sus-
tanned only slight scratches. The loco
motive was badly wrecked.
Thousands on the Scene.
Ten thousand inhabitants of Jackson
were gathered at the scene of the wreck
i'm a few minutes and al once began the
work Of removing from the telescoped
coaches the killed and wounded, whom
they placed in rows on the greensward
near by. Many physicians were quickly
in attendance and attended the injured
who were removed to the hospitals and
hotels as rapidly as possible, while the
dead were carted off to the morgue.
When the collision occurred the shrieks
that rent the air were heard for blocks.
Many women in the throng on the plat
form, who witnessed the accident,
tainted, and men were unnerved. In five
minutes hundreds of men were working
with axes TO rescue the wounded. The
groans OF the dying filled the air for
many minutes and as each new corpse
was dragged from the shattered coaches
a heart-rendinG cry went up from the
thousands Lord. have mercy on my
poor SOUL" cried one poor fellow whose
life was ebbing out; God. Jesus, care
for Tommy" calculated a woman who
was dying with a child at her breast
a woman whose name was unknown lay
on the side of the track suffering untold
mental and physical agony. She was the
mother Of a child of two years and inn
plOred the bystanders to save her child.
"Only let me see my babe before / die,
she exclaimed. You who know
mothers love, get my child, l beseech
you
Her child was dead The work of re-
moving the dead and wounded was
pushed with all possible haste and was
finished before noon. Wreckers began
clearing the track promptly and at D
o'clock the road was clear. Trains were
not much DELAYED, being able to pass the
coaches of the first train and the second
train. with all the passengers who were
unhurt and wished TO continue the jour
new and some whose injuries were slight,
were sent on to Chicago after short
delay.
Mayor Charles H. Bennett and Sheriff
Peek took charge of the work of the
townspeople at the wreck and great
credit Is due to them and to their citi-
Zens generally as well, for their efficient
services and for the attentions bestowed
upon the sufferers. Prosecutor Elmer
Kirkby made a personal examination Of
the wreck and satisfied himself that all
the bodies had been removed before he
allowed the railroad officials TO have the
cars dragged away. Though thousands
of splinters from the teleScOped cars
were scattered for rods about. but few
remained on the ground. They have been
carried away as relics Of the catastrophe
Cushions despatched with the blood of
the killed have been torn to shreds and
carried away by women and men. Splin-
ters hanging to the coaches have also
been borne away.
officials at the Wreck.
The accident had scarcely happened
before the news was flashed over the
wires to the company's general offices at
Detroit. President H. B. Ledyard at
once ordered out his special car and was
soon on his way With him were Henry
Russell. general attorney of the
Michigan Central; G. L. Nadottrek. as
sistant attorney; Chief Engineer \. NJ
Dale. superintendent of tracks and bridg-
es; DR.. A b. Tibballs. assistant surgeon.
and ]. NJ. Dessasiers. special agent. The
car was run as a special train nearly all
the way and was picked up by the pas
this morning. The cars were sidetracked
and the officials joined the people who
surrounded the wreck. DR.. Tibballs was
active in assisting the local physicians in
caring for the wounded. President Led
yard did not remain in Jackson long
After examining the extent Of the wreck
he left for Detroit The officers of the
road are here looking after the interests
Of the company.
The Blame, il Any.
The blame. if any. attaches to the
active agents of the railroad company
and belongs to Engineer Whalen, who
was hauling the rear train. None of
the officials will say that he can be held
responsible. 1t is one of those occur
rences which offers a field for scientific
speculation. The air brakes would not
work and nobody feels competent to ex-
plain why they would not. The two
trains were delivered to the Michigan
Central at Buffalo. One from the New
York Central and the other from the
Delaware * LaclSawanna road. They
were both excursions. The passengers
were picked up at local points in New
York and Pennsylvania. Both trains
were run as specials over the Michigan
Central. The second train was in
charge Of Conductor Webb and. accord
ing to o. A. Jordan, the division super
intendent at Jackson, it was held at
Grass Lake, a station ten miles east Of
Jackson, until the first train was re-
ported as having arrived at Jackson
The same authority states that the rec
Ords show that the second special left
Grass Lake forty minutes behind the
first section, and that the latter had
been standing i'm front of the Jackson
station protected by the semaphore or
block signal when it was struck
Master Mechanic Smart who is located
at Jackson junction, one-half mile east,
reports that Engineer Whalen's train
was running about twenty three miles an
hour when il passed his office This was
not considered an excessive rate of speed
at that point. From there. it is the I'M
written rule of the company to slow
down, and when within sight of the
semaphore to come in not more than
Tired, Weak, Nervous
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