Omaha daily bee., 1897-07-01
0LAlN UN HE kAlL
Shocking Rear End Collision Occurs in
Chicago's Suburbs.
CHRISTIAN tNDEkV0R TRAINS COLLIDE
Fifth Section of the Train Runs into the
Rear of the Fourth,
THREE ARE KILLED AND MANY INJURED
Crash Comes While Most of the Victims Are
Calmly Sleeping,
DIFFICULT TO LOCATE RESPONSIBILITY
Passengers on the Wrecked Train
Are All from wisconsin, and
Mostly from Appleton
and Fond du Lac.

CHICAGO, June 3O.-Three persons were
killed outright ard about twenty or thirty
persons injured in a rcar-end collision on
the Chicago & Northwestern road at 2:45
this morning at West Chicago thirty miles
out OF Chicago, on the Galena division.
The dead are:
MRS. JOHN GOODING. Appleton, Wis.
MRS. r.. sHIPMAN, Appleton, Wis.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN, riding between en-
gine and baggage car. supposed to be a
tramp.
The injured are:
Mrs. NJ. NJ Baird, Neenah, Wis.
Mrs. Algernon Galpin, Appleton, Wis.
w. d. Gibson, Appleton, wis.
Raymond Gibson. years old, a son Of the
foregoing.
Miss A. McAllister, oconto Wis, hurt
about head.
Miss Amelie Mckay. fracture of left arm.
Mrs S. b. Hart, Appleton, Wis.
Mrs. S. Mckay.
William Mickelstetter, Seymour. Vie.
Mrs. William Mckelstetter, Seymour, Wis.
Or. e, A Miller, Clntonyille, Wis
S. A. Russell. Appleton Wis.
Mrs. S. A. Russell. Appleton, Wis.
Mrs. Ripley, Fond du Lac, Wis, seriously.
Miss C. f.. Shipman, Appleton, Wis.
Miss S. C. shipman, Appleton, Wis.
Michael st. Letter, ankle broken and in
Mrs. St. Letter, back sprained and in
ternally injured.
Prof. Williams. Fond du Lac, arm and
wrist injured.
Mrs. w D. Gibson. Appleton, Wis.
L. b. Mersh, Appleton, Wis.
r. Raymond Mersh, Appleton, Wis.
Three children OF Mr.. and Mrs. William
M. Mickelstetter of Seymour, Wis.
Michael Courtney, engineer, Belvldere, Ill.
two ribs fractured, right leg badly lacerated
will recover.
w. H. Finney, Clintonville, Wis, left arm
sprained and head bruised.
Mrs NJ. d. Mcintosh, Fond du Lac. Wis
right side bruised.
Mrs A. E. Pfeifer, Neenah, Wis, slight
C. e. Ripley, Fond du Lac, left arm
sprained.
Mrs Agimon Galpin, Appleton, Wis., sligh
bruises. -
Miss Daisy Backwood Depere Wis
Tho victims of the collision were Christian
Endeavor delegates who left Chicago las
night enroute for the great convention in Sal
Francisco.
CAME WITHOUT WARNING.
The coliding trains sections No.
and of Christian Endeavor special sen
out in nine sections, beginning at 1890 p m
Section No 5 ran into section No. 4, which
left Chicago fifteen minutes ahead of it
Section No. carried the Wisconsin dele
gates, nearly 500 strong, and in the rea
sleeper were people from Fond duLac. Greer
Bay, Appleton and other Wisconsin cities
Section No 4 had come to a stop just out o
West Chicago, where the FreeDort line di
verges from the main line. Section No.
came up behind at great speed, and th
shock of the collision was terrific. The pas
sengers in the two rear sleepers of section
No were all in their berths and most o
them were asleep. They received no warning
and those not killed outright awoke to fin
themselves jammed in the wreckagc. Pas
sengers on both trains FASTENED to the spo
and began the work of rescue One OF tn
FIRST Df no inin al
Charles Courtney of section No. 8. He ha
stuck to his post and Is so seriously injure
that he cannot live.
The body of an unidentified man. suppose
to be a tramp, was found between the bag
gage and the engine. The man ha
been crushed to death.
An immediate call was made for helI
Chicago was notified and asked to send physi
clans at once, and medical help requeste
from Geneva, Wheaton and Aurora
The engine of section No. 5 struck the rea
sleeper of section No. with terrific force
The engine was totally wrecked. Strange t
say, the rear sleeper of section No. 10
the one to suffer most. 1t was driven wit
terrific force upon the second sleeper an
such was its impetus that II crushed throug
1t as if it had been of cardboard, and reduce
Il to mass of wreckage. The passenger
in the second sleeper were therefore tn
ones 10 suffer muSt, and II was In II that mos
of the victims were hurt. Mrs. Shipman an
Mrs. John Gooding were both in the sleeper
Men and women could be seen struggling
eXtrcate themselves from the wreckagt
Others pinned down by some crushin
weight were crying for help. Here and theT
was an arm or leg p Otrudng from tn
debris.
THOUGHT OF THEIR MOTHER
A pathetic scene was the rescue OF the tw
daughters of Mrs. Shipman of Appleton, Th
rescuers were attracted TO them by the
cries They were unable % eXtricate then
selves and thplgh hurt, refused assistance
begging that their mother be first hepe,
Mrs Shipman was found crushed under
mari of The roof and life extinct whe
sho was taken out 1t is strange tnat the Nv
daughters escaped with comparatively sligt
injuries, while the mother, close by, met il
stant death.
ably instantly killed The force of the coll
sion crushed together the partitions of he
berth and she had no possible chance
escape.
found buried under q pile of debris, al
though he was unable to eNtricate himse
and IL seemed as If he must be seriously II
iured, he escaped with broken arm and
The Chicsgo & Northwestern officials d
everything Ia their power TO relieve q
sufferers The two hotels in West Chcaf
we're turned into hospitals and about $
rnysicians were promptly in attendance. TT
s,Gions following those which met disaster
T. s and O. carrying $500 people, were d
iayed upward of three hours. Finally q
north track was cleared and they were q
gbled to proceed As soon as the wreck ".
Trported to the local offices OF the Chicag
& Northwestern, Superintendent J. C. StewG
nj the Galena division ordered a special tral
and proceeded 10 the scene OF the accidel
0ther officials dispatched messengers for n
company's doctors, and Assistant Gene,
Superintendent w. A. Gardner and a corr
OF surgeons left Immediately for West Oh
eago,
owing 10 the crusn caused by the rush ,
Christian Endeayor business all schedll,
we're abandoned and trains were sent ou q
fast as filled. Nine sections left the Nurti
western depot at intervals OF fifteen minu.e
beginning at 1890, to say nothing OF tr i-
sent out earlier in the evening. Soe1oa
n Nos 1. and got through West ChcGg
safely. Section Vas made up Of a basgag