Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-09-29
WRECK ON THERAIL
Eleven Persons Killed Near the
Town Of KinSbuTy, Ind.
TWENTY BADLY INJURED.
A Brakeman Mistakenly Turned a
Switch and Sent a Fast Express
Train Crashing Into d Freight
Train Standing On a Side
TraCk-Eoller ExblodeS.

Eleven persons lost their lives in co..
lision between freight train and the Tor
onto and Montreal express on the Wabash
railroad, at Kin gsbury, Ind, at!5.90 o'clock
the other morning. score Of others were
In iured, many of whom will die. The freight
WIS on a siding west of the depot and was
bound east. The first section of the express
train passed by on the main track at s. 25 A.
NJ. Herbert Thompson, brakeman suppos-
ing that the freight train would next move,
ran back % open the switch before the cars
had begun to move. The second section Of
the fast express cane west at tile rate OF
1lty-hve miles an hour and before the brake
man could turn the switch dashed into the
sidetrack and collided with the freight train.
The wreck was complete and the houses for
miles around were filled with dead and
wounded.
The Toronto and Montreal express was due
in Chicago at Ills A. NJ The freight train
lay on a side track to allow the express to
pass. Ten minutes later the accident had
occurred and the most frightful scenes en-
sued. The passenger locomotive struck the
freight engine at full speed and the two ma
chimes lay jammed together, their boilers
meeting end to end. The force of the COL
l.sion drove the freight engine back against
the box cars completely demclishing the
first three.
The passenger engine was partially stopped
by the collision and the baggage car, smoker,
day coach and one sleeper were telescoped.
The rest of the coaches piIe1 up on top of
each other in n tangled mass of wood and
iron. The passengers, who were nearly all
asleep, awoke to meet an awful death, serious
injuries. or witness the indescribable suffer
ing of their less fortunate companions.
The boiler of the passenger engine ex-
plodel and hurled debris in every direction.
pair of trucks were tora apart and each
half sent flying in opposite directions. Tne
steam escaped, scaldng the injured who
were unable to crawl to place of safety.
News of the accident was received at head
Quarters of the road at six o'clock and Di-
master C. A. Timewell were brought to the
scene with wrecking crew. When they ar.
rived the citizens of Kingsbury had carried
away the cad and injured who could be
reached.
The Mas onic Hall was turned into q
morgue and drays and farmers wagons were
kept busy for two hours hauling the dead
and wounded to the village, a mile distant
from the station, W. ere medical help and
nurses were summoned.
Division Superintendent Gould admitted
that the freight brakeman, Herbert Thomp-
son. was TO blame for the accident. He
turned the switch in the face of the express
and let it go on the sidetrack where the
freight train was standing. "How he could
make such q mistake, said Mr. Gould, 81
cannot understand. The fist section had
gotten by all right Then he ran back to
The switch and in spite OF the fact that no
other section was in sight, he opened the
switch for the purpose, l suppose, of letting
the one train out The express then ran
on to the side track. and rs the freight en-
CINE was but a short dist ince ftom tho
switch rails there was no time to stop. The
sections were twelve miles apart. Brakeman
Thompson was trusted man Of more than
average intelligence.
Trainmaster Timewell was on the first
section that passed Kingsbury in safety. at
was all Thompson's blunder," said he 81
noticed that the first section signaled the
waiting freight train that there was another
train coming, and it was answered two by
the freight engineer, showing tho signal
was understood, and yet Thompson, whom l
have not seen yet, opened that switch. 1t
was an awful bunder. This i the first lie
lost on this divisi on of the Wabash in six
years."