The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-30


ing of Appleton was probably instantly
killed. The force of the collision crush
ed together the partitions of her berth
and she had no possible chance of es-
Prof. Leo A williams of Fond du
Lac was found buried under pile of
debris and, though he was unable to
extricate himself and it seemed as
though he must be seriously injured,
he escaped with a broken arm and
The Chicago & Northwestern officials
did everything in their power to relieve
the sufferers The two hotels in West
Chicago were turned into hospitals and
able physicians were promptly in at
tendance.
The sections following those which
met disaster, s, Z, 8 and 9, carrying 2, 500
people, were delayed upward of three
hours. Finally the north track was
cleared and they were enabled to pro
ceed.
As soon as the wreck was reported to
the local offices of the Chicago & North
western superintendent J. c. Stewart of
the Galena division ordered a special
train and proceeded to the scene of the
accident.
other officials dispatched messengers
for the company'S doctors and Assist
ant General superintendent w. A
Gardner and a corps of surgeons left
Immediately for West Chicago.
Owing to the crush caused by the
rush of Christian EndeavOr business, all
were sent out as fast as filled. Nine
sections left the Northwestern depot at
intervals of fifteen minutes, beginning
at 1880 o'clock, to say nothing of
trains sent out earlier in the evening.
Sections Nos l, 2 and 8 got through
West Chicago safely. Section 4 was
made up of a baggage car, day coach
and seven sleepers, containing 400 pas
SengerS.
Assistant General superintendent
VIM. A Gardner said this morning that
he could give no tangible reason yet as
to the cause of the accident.
THE road is run on a SemaphOre
block system all the way to Turner
Junction" said Mr. Gardner This
blocks train every 1900 feet, and in
addition we were using last night what
we call the positive block system This
consisted in the operators at haywood,
Wheaton and Turner running the trains
by wire and keeping a close tab with
the dlspatchers as to the time each
passed a station.
The dispatcher regulated the speed
ana distance between trains. OF course
ne was compelled to rely entirely on
the accuracy of the time checking done
by the operators at the stations named.
and unless one of these made a mis-
take and transmitted the wrong check
time, either to the next station or to the
Dispatcher I cannot imagine what could
nave caused the wreck.
We had taken every possible pre-
caution to guard against delay and ac-
cldent, and, as 1 said, worked the posi-
tive block as well as our regular sena-
phOre system
As soon as possible after the inmedi-
ate wants of the injured were attended
to, they were carefully removed to a
speclaI train which had been prepared
Ter their reception and accompanied by
Dr. OIIins, chief surgeon of the cOmpa-
ny and u assistants, and We're brought
to Chicago.
At Western avenue they were put in
ambulances and taken to st. Luke's
hospital. The responsibility for the
wreck has not yet been fixed. but The
investigation indicates that it was caus-
ed by Engineer Courtney of section No
., running by the station this side of
West Chicago without having been re-
leased.
No statement is obtainable from
Courtney at present, as he is too bad
ly injured to talk.
The road between Chicago and West
Chicago is protected by the Hall block
system and Immediately after my arriv-
al last night I tested the signals and
found them to be in perfect ORDER said
Assistant General superintendent Stew
art Engineer Courtney must have
been insane to pass without seeing the
two danger signals. These signals are
placed 1000 feet apart and when at
night cars pass over the place where
they are situated, a red light shows and
any train following the one which re-
leased the switch is supposed to stop
until a white light shows. There can
be no doubt that the scarlet signal for
caution was exhibited"
Milwaukee, June 30.-Mrs. Gooding,
killed in the West Chicago wreck, is
not a resident of Appleton, Wis, as re-
ported. Her home is in Austin, New.
She and her husband have been visiting
her son, Attorney J. NJ. GOOding, of
Fond du Lack, Wis, and took advantage
of the excursion rates to return to their
home in Nevada.