Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-13
Twenty-Eight Persons Killed and
Many Badly Wounded.
ENGINEER misunderstood ORDERS
Switch Tender Failed to Close a
Switch.
CRASHED INTO A FREIGHT

LOGAN, Ia. July 13.-A railway disaster
In which twenty-eight lives were crushed
out and many others were terribly injured
occurred on the Northwestern railroad near
this village Saturday evening. Only meager
details OF the disaster 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 head-on into q hsav-
lily loaded freight train soon after pulling
out from Logan on the return trip The en-
gineer Of the excursion train misunderstood
orders, having been instructed to remain
on the siding until the freight had passed
William Shafer. the agent of the North
western at Logan. saw the excursion train
pulling up. He was Mortified to note that
instead of Stacking up at the switch, the
train was rapidly taking on more speed
He rushed down the platform and asked
an empioye II the special had pulled out,
and received an affirmative reply.
Then God help them," said Shafert
they have pulled out without orders, and
No. IS is due in a minute"
But 1t was too late to avert the catastro-
phe or to even attempt 1t. The excursion
ISIS were not yet out OF sight when the
crash came Freight train No. IS. with a
dashed around the curve at a forty-mIle.
an-hour gait, and no human power could
avert the disaster. Two cars of the excur-
sion train were telescoped The floor Of
the baggage car was wedged so tightly
INTO the coach that all efforts to remove n
were futile, although thousand willing
hands were Joined In the attempt to lift the
cover that was concealing the dead and
lmprisoning the injured In living tomb
rlnaily an AK was procured and the car
noor cut away.
An Appalling Sight
Inc slSht was beyond the power of words
10 portray 1t appears that the space In
the car between the floor of the coach and
the floor of the baggage car was hacked
with dead and dying humanity Groaus
and agonfzing appeals for help came from
the imprisoned and spurred the rescuers
TO the greatest efforts. AS soon as a little
space within was cleared the workers
climbed inside the coach, and the work OF
passing up the bodies of the dead and in
Jured progressed more rapidly. Only five
dead bodies were taken out and laid in a
row On the grass along the railroad track
and the injured were also taken I'm car
rlages TO Logan. In very short time the
al peal for help had been answered by all
tne physicians from Logan and Missouri
Valley, and then some system was intro
duced into the manner of carrying on the
rescue work.
W oSoiAS anu 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 We're turned into hos
pitals and the injured cared for as well
as permissible.
linen the dead were removed TO the town
Undertaking establishment and laid out for
ldentncation. Twenty-Five bodies were
taken TO that place. II was after mid
night yesterday when the work was finally
completed. Before daylight came the dead
and injured We're taken to another train
and sent to Omaha.
Train Men Arrested
CHICAGO. July 13.-After an investiga-
ton the police arrested the following on a
Charge of criminal carelessness in causing
last nights disaster: James Gram, engineer
OF excursion train; William Dolan. fireman
on same engine; Mike O'Donnell, engineer
OF switch engine drawing freight train; Jas.
n Niskern, operator, who, IL is charged
caused the fatality.
The chief blame for the accident is laid
upon kniskern, who, II is charged care
lessly walked away without throwing back
the switch so that the picnic train could
pass on the main track.
James Gram was the engineer of the pas
senger engine and William Dolan was his
hreman Neither received any injury of
consequence. Michael ODonnell the en-
gineer of one of the freight engines was
hi the cab with Fireman Meehan at the
time OF the collision, and they, too, leaped
early enough to escape serious injury. They
were cut little by flying splinters.