The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-05-12
TWIN DISASTERS.
Fearful Accident on the Big -Four
at Lafayette, Ind.
Failure OF the Air Hrakes Causes . Train
to BE Wrecked and the Death Of
Many Persons Fatal Steamer
Explosion.
Accident OH the Big Four.

Accident the Big Four.
LAFAYETTE. Ind. May Gone of the
most horrible wrecks in the history OF
r:,ilrOading occurred on the Big Four
road in this city yesterday morning as
a result of which ten men are now
dead and many more injured. The
train was the eastbound passenger
leaving Chicago at 9 p. m. The acct
dent was caused by the failure of the
air brakes to work. The engineer un-
doubtedly discovered this before reach
ing the cut beyond the Wabash river,
as vigorous whistling of the engine for
brakes could be heard when the train
was still mile west of the city. The
engineers desperate efforts to stop the
train was shown by the large amount
of sand thrown by him on the bridge
through which the train came just be-
fore the fatal crash.
The engine dashed out of the bridge
over the Wabash river at speed of not
less than sixty miles an hour, crashing
into the depot building and carrying
off a portion of the depot and train
sheds several hundred feet. The en-
CINE when it left the track, followed by
the baggage car, two postal cars and
express car. was piled in one promiscu-
GUS mass. total and complete wreck,
burying a score or more of victims in
the awful pile. The trucks of the first
day coach were dragged out and the
side of the car knocked into fragments.
! but no passengers in this car We're il
/ iured. The chair car and two Pullman
sleepers remained on the track. The
wreck was a most complete one. the
engine and cars being torn to pieces
md piled up together with their con-
tents. To add to the CONSERVATION
| fire broke out from the stove in the
baggage car. but the city fire depart
ment speedily extinguished the flames.
A large crowd of citizens gathered
very quickly at the scene of the dis
aster and assisted in rescuing the VIC
Tins. and a large force of local physi-
clans gave the necessary attention to
the wounded. Several victims of the
wreck were persons standing in the
depot waiting for the train, among
them hackman, mail cart driver and
some passengers. The dead are:
Michael Welch, engineer. Indianapo-
lis
Fireman McInnis. indianapolis.
Ed Myers. Logansport, mail clerk.
NJ. c. MahOn. Cincinnati. express mes
senger.
A. r. Chadwick, Cincinnati, mail
clerk.
Charles Meyers, Lafayette. hackman.
John Lennon, Lafayette. mail cart
driver.
Jesse Long. Lebanon, Ind. mail clerk.
Charles Schapill, passenger, just
bought a ticket to Indianapolis.
Otto Gesselson. Alhambra hotel, Chi
cago. passenger going to the train.
All were frightfully crushed and
mangled, limbs being severed in several
instances. and heads and bodies terri
bly, disfigured. The injured are as fol-
lows:
jefferson NJ. Reese, Kempton, bruised
about head.
Richard Jones, Pontiac, ILL.,, cut about
head.
Louis Leffler, Fowler, cut by glass
from breaking windows.
Sophia Bergenhalee. Milwaukee. cut
about head and hand, badly bruised.
William Place, living near Frankfort,
Ind, bruised and cut.
Charles Roush. Lafayette, leg broken
in two places.
William Becatei. Lebanon Ind. pas
senger in waiting, arm and hand
lacerated.
c. A. Wissell. A. w. L. Carnahan. l..
Wetzler and J. n. Vickery, mail clerks.
all from Cincinnati. were more or less
injured. but not seriously.
The damage to property destroyed
will he fully 1000. while the subse-
quent losses. which will grow out of
the disaster, will make the total very
large sum.