The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-07-01
TRAINS GO 10 SMASH
two Christian ERdeayor Trains Run Into
With Fatal Results.
BOTH ACCIDENTS. UNACCOU NTED FOR
Rear End Collision with Frishtful
Shock Sleeping Cnr Kcduccd to
Mnss Of Wreclngc aud Ncnrly
Every Ono in il Injured = Othcr
Trains Delayed.


Chicago, ILL.,, June So 1897
Three persons were killed outright
and about twenty or thirty persons in
jured in a rear end collision on the
Chicago and Northwestern road at 1915
this morning, at West Chicago, thirty
! miles out OF Chicago, on tane Gelenu
division.
The victims Of the collision were
Christian Endeavor delegates, who left
| Chicago last night en- route for the
great convention in San Francisco. The
colliding trains were sections Nos and
D OF Christian Endeavor special sent
out III nine sections, beginning at 1920
| p. M. Section No. 6 ran Into section No.
| q, Which left Chicago fifteen minutes
ahead Of it. Section No. 4 carried the
Wisconsin delegates, nearly 500 strong.
Section No. had come to 81 stop just
outside Of West Chicago. where the
inrecport line diVerges from the main
line. Section No. came up at greaa
| speed and the shock Of the collision was
| terrific
| The passengers in tho two rear sleep
| era OF section No. were all in their
berths. They received no warning, and
| tnosc not killed outright nwol1e to find
themselves jammed In the wrecknge
Passengers on both trains fastened to
the spot and began the work Of rescue.
| One of the first OF the injured was
Engineer Charles Courtney, Of section
No o. He had stuck to his post like a
| nero, and is so seriously injured that
| he cannot live
An immediate call was made for holm
on every point within reaching dis
| lance. Chicago was notified and asked
| 20 SEND physicians at once and medical
| help was requested from Geneva, Whea-
| ton and Aurora.
The engine Of section No struck the
| rear sleeper OF section No. with ter
| rliic force. The engine was totally
wrecked Strange to say, the rear
sleeper Of section No / was not the
one TO suffer most. It was driven Hi.h
| terrific force upon the second sleeDer
| ana such was its impetus that 1t crush
| ca through 1t as though it had been a
card board box, and reduced it to \ ma ca
OF wreckage. The passengers in the
second sleeper were therefore the ones
70 suffer most, and it was in it that most
or the victims were hut The Chicago
ana northwestern officials did eyerv-
thlng IN their power to relieve the suf
lcrcrs. The two hotels in West Chicago
were turned into HOSPITALS and able
| physicians were promptly In attendanca
Inc sections following those which
met disaster. g, z. s and 9, CARRYING
$500 people. were delayed upward of
three hours. Finally the north track was
cleared and they were enabled to pro.
cced. -
AS soon as the wreck was reported to
me local officers Of the Chicago and
northwestern, Superintendent stuart
| OF the Galena division, ordered q sDe-
clal train and went to the wreck. Other
ollc!als dispatched messengers for the
co,iipanys doctors and Assistant Gene
raj SUPERINTENDENT Gardner and a corps
! OF surgeons left Immediately for West
Chicago.
Assistant General Superintendent VIM
y. Gardner said this morning that lie
couid give no tangible reason as yet as
to the cause OF the accident.
The road is run on a semaphore h1ocl,
system all the way to West Chicaso, .
said Mr. Gardner. '"rhis blocks a tToin
| every LOCO feet. and in addition we were
using last night what we call the posi-
i've block system. This consisted in
inc operators at Weywood, Wheaton and
| est chicago running the trails by wire
| and Keeping q close tab with the dis
patcher as to the time each passed a
| station :
Then the dispatcher regulated the
speed and distance between trains. OF
course ne was compelled to rely en-
ulSlN on the accuracy Of the time check
| ing done by the operators at the sta
tions named and, unless one OF thcse
made mistake and transmitted the
wrong check time. either to the next
station or to the dispatcher, I cannot
imagine what could have caused the
wreck. We had taken every possible
| precaution to guard against delay and
accident and as said. worked the posi-
tive block, as well as our regular sema-
phore SYSTEM"
The responsibility for the wreck has
not yet been fixed. but the investigatH,n
indicates that it was caused by Engineer
Charles Courtney, Of section No. S. run
| ming by the station this side Of West
Chicago without having been released.