Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-16
HORROR ON NORTHWESTERN
A Terrible Railroad Accident
Near Logan, Iowa.
2o PEOPLE KILLED; MANY HURT
Caused by a Misunderstanding
of Orders.
A Crowded Excursion Train struck by
Freight which Was Running at the Rate
of Forty Miles an Hour-Two Cars Teie-
scoped-Sone Pitiful scenes.

Logan, Ia, July 13- railway dis
aster in which 28 lives were crushed
out and many persons were terribly
injured occurred on the Northwestern
road, near this village, Saturday even
ing. Only ineagre details of tbs dis
aster could be sent to the outside
world until long after the wreck had
been cleared and the dead and injured
taken from the scene OF destruction.
An excursion train bearing a large
party from Omaha crashed heed-on
into heavily loaded freight train soon
after having pulled out OF Logan on
the return trip. Tho engineer of the
excursion train misunderstood orders.
having been instructed to remain on
the siding until the freight had passed.
William Sbaffer, agent Of the North
western at Logan, saw the excursion
train pull up. He was horrified to
note that instead Of Stacking up at the
switch the train was rapidly taking on
more speed. He rushed down the plat
form and asked an employe IL the
special had pulled out and received an
Affirmative reply "Then God help
them" said Shaffer, ''they have pulled
out without orders and No. 39 Is due
in minute. But ii was too late to
avert the catastrophe or to even
attempt it.
The excursion train was not yet out
of sight when the crash came. Freight
train No. 3S, with full head of
steam, one minute behind time,
dashed around the curve at 40-mile-
an hour gait. Two cars of the excur-
sion train were telescoped. The door OF
the baggage car was wedged SO tightly
into the coach that all efforts to re-
move ii were futile, although
thousand willing hands joined in the
attempt to lift the cover that was con-
cealing the dead and imprisoning the
injured in living tomb. Finally an
axe was procured and tho car floor was
cut away. The sight was beyond the
power Of words to portray. 1t APP
peared that the space in the car be-
tween the floor of the coach and the
floor of the baggage car was packed
with dead and dying humanity.
Groans and agonizing appeals for help
came from the imprisoned and spurred
the rescurers to the greatest efforts. AS
| soon as little space was cleared the
workers climbed inside the coach aud
the work of passing up the bodies Of
| the dead and injured progressed more
rapidly Only five dead bodies were
taken out. They were laid in row
on the grass along the railroad track
and the injured were at once brought
to Logan.
In short time the appeal for help
had been answered by all the physi-
clans of Logan and Missouri Valley
and then some system was introduced
into the manner of carrying on the
rescue work. Wagons and carriages
were sent from Logan and the injured
were brought here for treatment The
Lusk House, the New Moon Building.
the Opera House and the Odd Fellows
Hall were turned into hospitals an the
injured cared for as we'll as permissible.
Then the dead were removed to the
town undertaking establishment aad
laid out for Identification. Twenty
five bodies were taken to that place.
1t was after midnight yesterday when
the work was finally completed. Be-
fore daylight came the dead and in
iured were sent to Omaha.
After 40 investigation the police
arrested the following on charge Of
criminal carelcssness; James Gram,
engineer of excursion train: William
Dolan, fireman of same train; Mike
O'Donnell, engineer Of switch engine
drawing from train: james Meeban,
fireman of the same engine; James
knishern, operator who, 1t is charged,
caused the fatality. The chief blame
for the accident is laid upon Knishern,
who, it is charged, carelessly went
away without throwing back ~
switch so that the excursion trGs
could pass on the main track. Jam
Gram WAS the engineer of the pG'
senger engine and William Dolan way
his fireman. Neither received any in.
nall. the engineer of one ~ tbs freisht
engines. was in the cab S with III Firep5an
Meehan at the time Of the collision
ans thoy. too, leaped early enough to
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