Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-29
WRECK ON THE VANDALIA
Cars Derailed by the Spreading of the
Rails.
One Person Killed and Over Thirty
Were Injured-JOhn w. Norton, tho
Manager, Fatally Injured.

Vandalia train No. 2, due at Indianapolis
at 2:35 yesterday afternoon. was wrecked
Mt Catsville twenty-six miles out. One
person was killed and over thirty injured.
The train was running at full speed and
was about ten minutes late. 1t had Just
passed the town and was rounding curve
when the track spread. The private car Of
President w. r. McKeen, which was in the
rear jumped the track. This was followed
by the parlor car and then the ladies' car.
All went off the track, the two rear cars
going down the embankment ten feet be-
fore the train could be stopped. The smoker
lefc the track, but did not go over. The
two rear cars caught fire. but the flames
were extinguished when the work of rescue
began.
In John w. Norton's pockets were
found letters giving his name and showing
that he had come frcm st. Louis. He was
carried to a school house. Mrs. w. 9.
Towers of Carthage, Mo-, died while being
taken to the school house. The injured
were carried up the embankment TO houses
alongside the track, and soon the towns
people and physicians gathered to give as
The wreck and the cries of the injured
and frightened passengers created panic
from which no one recovered for several
minutes. Those in the day coach were the
first to recover their self-possession.
Rescuing the Injured.
In the chair car they found injured pas
sengers pinned by a mass of broken and
twisted chairs, groaning in their agony.
The stove was seen TO be igniting the wood
work of the car, but a few pals of water
extinguished the fire. Then the imprisoned
dead and injured were extricated from
under the heavy chairs.
An eyewitness was President Swaine of
the State University, at Bloomington, who
was one of the first 10 reach the car where
the victims lay. He said:
when L reached the car. men. women
and children and chairs were piled to-
gether the side OF the car which lay
next to the ground. The Broans and cries
for help were enough to paralyze any be-
holder and render him incapable of intel
ligent action. The first person taken out
was Rev. Mr.. Talbot of Green castle. He
was bent over the chair in which he had
been sitting and the chair from the oppo-
site was resting on top of him. He was
unconscious when found. and was carried
to the little church in that condition. The
people of the village and of the surround
ing country soon gathered about the wreck,
and we had all the assistance that was
needed The people threw open their homes
to the injured and every provision was
made for their comfort.
President McKeens car, which was &C.
cupied by his son, turned completely over,
but was not damaged much, and no one
was hurt A relief train with six surgeons
on board left for the scene, ard the in
jured are now at St. Vincent Hospital,
Indianapolis.
Killed and Injured.
The dead-Mrs. w. 8. Towers. Carthage
Mo.
Fatally inJured-John w. Norton. ST.
Louis.
The injured Margaret Roberts, 567 Park
avenue. Indianapolis. injured about the face
and breast; Ewing o. Whiting, Boston.
bad cut over the left eye; Mrs. Zelda Sc
gum Wallace. the singer. Indianapolis, bad
ly injured internally; Mrs. Ewing Whiting.
Boston, injured about side and breast Sc
riously; s. Negeon, Vigo, Tex, seriously
hurt about head, will probably die: F. l..
Wrap, hurt about head: Mrs. n. W. Fer
guson. Terre Haute. right side and inter-
nally injured serious; her child not hurt:
Mrs. ID. Hudson, Greencastle. cut on right
side of the head; Gertrude Parrish. four