The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-17
FAST TRAIN WRECKED
Singular Accident to the Wabash
Limited Near NameOki, Ill.
Thrown Over a Six-FOOt Embankment
While Going Forty Miles an Hour,
and No One Killed.
THIRTY PERSONS HURT
The Wreck Caused by the Rails
Spreading Beneath the Cars.
Three Men Killed and Five Seriously
Injured by the Premature EX-
plOsiOn of Dynamite.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.


ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16-The south-bound
Chicago limited train on the Wabash road
left the track one mile south of Nameok
Ill. at $50 tonight. resulting in the in
jury of some thirty people. The wreck is
remarkable in some respects, and is with
out parallel in that no one was killed out
of the $50 passengers. The train was in
charge of conductor Woods, and was max
ing UP thirty minutes lost time. After
Nameoki had been passed. there was a
clear stretch of twelve miles of straight,
level road to East st. Louis. The engineer
put on all force, and the train was going
forty miles an hour, when there was a
sudden jar, followed by the slowing of the
train. The rails had spread behind the To-
comotive. and the cars following went over
six-foot embankment. The buffet car.
behind the baggage car, swung across the
track and the gas tank exploded, setting
fire to the first chair car and the buffet car,
which were consumed. The unnjured i'm
medately set to work to rescue their less
fortunate companions. Two physicians on
the train did noble service. While the ex-
element was at it's height a train on the
Big -Four, only thirty yards away, came by
at express speed and refused to stop in
for to ST. Louis, but did not appear till
o'clock At that hour a special from st.
Louis arrived and brought six physicians
and nurses, and brought the injured to this
city. Among the injured were the follow
ing:
c. c. PALMER, San Antonio, Tex, arm
bruised and thigh broken.
A. S. -STAGER, st. Louis, right arm
MRS. HANNAH C. ROGERS, ST Louis,
badly injured in breast.
MRS. BEARD, Mississippi, seriously in
jured In head.
]. b. HUNTER, Nevada City, Cal, Sc
rious internal injuries.
j. T. THOMAS, Mobile, Ala. slightly.
MRS. w. FRAME, ST. Louis, skull frac-
P. d. MINK, Wabash conductor. scalp
MRS. KATE BEcKLEY. ST. Louis.
MRS. MARY DUNN. Missouri. rib
MISS LOU DUNN, dangerous wound re-
MISS IDA MAURER, New York. badly
MRS. MARY MOORE, ST. Louis, thigh
MRS. LoTTIE V. HENRY, Coffeyville,
Kan, shoulder dislocated
MRS. NJ. DAVIS. Taylorville, ILL.,, back
MRS. w. NJ. SMITH. Round Rock, Tex.
head cut and arm broken;
mashed.
JAMES GORDON, ;Ruddie, La, scalp
wound:
In addition to these, there were a num-
Der of returning worlds fair visitors from
ST. Louis injured, who were conveyed to
their homes by friends before their names
could be learned. None of the train crew
give any theory concerning the cause of
the disaster. The generally accepted opin-
ion Is that the speed and weight of the To-
comotive caused the rails to spread at a
weak spot For a dozen miles before
reaching East ST. Louis the tracks of the
Chicago & Alton, the Big Four and the
Wabash parallel each other being only
thirty yards apart and every day race
occurs there to get to the East ST. Louis
junction first. A dreadful loss of life was
only prevented by the gradual slowing up
of the train The wounded were cared for
by the Wabash officials. The most severely
injured were taken to st. Mary's Hospital
and the others to hotels.
Dr. McCandless, in charge of the relief
party, says that al his patients at st.
Mary's Hospital are out of danger. The
Wabash officials are untiring in efforts to
aid the injured, and the volunteer physi-
clans are numerous as patients. En-
gineer Hegg says the train was derailed
without a moments warning. His engine
suffered sudden shock and he reversed
and applied sand. Without waiting to see
the extent of the disaster, he went over
to the Big Four track to flag the approach
ing train. No attention was paid to his
signals. Porter Frank Haney also signaled
the Big Four from the rear, but without
success 1t seemed to be a chance for the
Big Four engineer to beat his rival in, and
he took advantage of it.
Mr.. Palmer, of San Antonio, Tex, one of
the injured. narrowly escaped death yester-
day on train at Warren, o., by an explo-
sion. He says when he gets we'll he will
buy a burro and go home by easy stages
H G. Pearson, of Chicago was on the rear
car, and was the first to extricate himself
He rescued Mr.. b. F. Martin, of California
The two set to work dragging the injured
from the windows. Self-preservation gave
way to humane instincts inside the car
among the imprisoned passengers, as five
children were passed out the broken win
dows first. There We're many affecting
scenes when the train With the wounded ar
rived at the Union Depot. A majority OF
the injured were st. LOUIS people, and
friends had been waiting for three hours TO
receive them. Considering the speed of the
train the accident is most remarkable be-
cause its results were not more serious.