The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-01
TRAIN CREWS HEROISM
STUCK MANFULLY TO THEIR POSTS
WHEN THE CRASH CAME.
Details of Christian EndeavOr Wreck
Coon KiIled-Others Badly Hurt.

The details Of the railway accident at
Vandalia. Ill, were read with more than
usual interest in this city yesterday morn
ing r. I. Sinner the postal clerk, and
! w. P. Coon, the baggageman, both of
whom were killed, lived in Indianapolis
with their families; and besides there
were hundreds of people who had friends
on the Christian Endeavor specials leaving
the city the night before.
Although there We're a number of In
dianapolis people aboard the Endeevor
train as passengers, none was injured.
J From information brought to the city yes
! terday by passengers, it appears that En-
| g1neer MANAGE, of the west-bound train,
misinterpreted the orders to wait at Van
| dalia for train No. 6. Conductor Kern, it
seems, understood the orders and attempted
to stop the train. He was successful, and
| the Christian Endeavor train was in the
act of backing to the station when the east
| bound express dashed around the curve.
! The engineer threw on the emergency
breaks, but did not leave his seat. He es-
capped without injury. His fireman, Frank
| Owen, of Terre Haute, stepped upon the
water tank and was seriously injured by
| the force of the collision. The fireman and
engineer of the Christian Endeavor special
| JOSeLn6r,
! were not injured.
| Several passengers from the east-bound
! train got into the city about noon yester-
| day. J. Harry Theobold, of Chicago, was
! among them and spent part of the day
here. Mr.. Theobold has been in three diff
! ferent wrecks and considers that he had a
narrow escape yesterday morning. He made
| this statement:
! Il was coming east on No. and had a
berth in the Indianapolis sleeper. There
was but one other passenger in the sleeper
besides myself. l was sleeping when the
crash came. 1 was partly Jared out of my
berth, and as soon as / could realize what
had happened 1 got out to look around
1t was very dark and had been raining
want to say that Engineer Dodson, of
our train, saved the lives of those on board
He stuck to his engine and put on the air.
brakes with death staring him in the face
| l believe that man should have credit for
! what he does, and l think the railroad
! company should recognize the courage and
| bravery OF this man. The passengers on
! the train certainly owe him debt of graf
| 1tude.. one or the postal clerks, whose
name overlooked, worked heroically in the
dark and rain to eXtricate his companion,
! Sam Parkinson, who was buried in the
wreck. 1t took nearly two hours to get
| him out. The fireman of our train also de-
| serves great credit for his conduct in stay
| ing with the engine. l understand his legs
were broken Conductor c. H. Arthur was
| thrown headlong as he was passing from
| one car to another. He was injured pain
| fully, but he worked hard to aid the' 9TH
ers. The brakeman, T. c. Lee stood in the
| rain for five hours ready to swing the dan
| ger signal. All Of the passengers We're cooi
! with few exceptions. 1t seems that one OF
the baggage cars on the Christian Endeav
| or train was used es a dining car by the
| passengers 1t is certainly fortunate that
the car was not in use at the time of the
| accident"
There were ten postal clerks on board
the east-bound express in charge of Chief
| Clerk Upton. Clerk Parkinson, of Column
| bus. O., who was so badly injured, was
| taken to Vandalia, where he is being cared
! for. The others left the scene of the wreck
yesterday most of them coming TO Indian
apolis.
PINNED DOWN TWO HOURS.
Chief Clerk Upton was in the office of the
railway mail service yesterday evening
talking of the wreck. 1--WE were through
work for the time" he said, land were ly
| ing down. 1 was sleeping when the wreck
occurred. l was awakened by the crash
and heard the wheels grinding beneath the
car The next thing I heard was Parkinson
calling for help. He seemed to be pinned
down in the debris, and we set to work to
liberate him. I called for Sinner, but he
did not answer. I think he must have
been struck in the head with something, for
| he was killed instantly. 1t took almost two
| hours to get Parkinson out of the wreck,
| but he bore UP braVely. Clerks Robinson,
| May and Fosdck worked like heroes to
free the poor fellow. l think he will re-
| cover"
The bodies of Postal Clerk Sinner and
! Baggageman Coon were brought to this
| city at 2:35 O'Clock yesterday afternoon. r.
T. Sinner lived with his wife and two sons
at No. ia South Olive street Mrs. Sinner,
| who has been suffering from nervous pros
| tration, terribly shocked by the news
| of her husbands death, and is said to be
| in a critical condition. Mr.. Sinner had
! been in the postal service for sixteen years.
| He was raised in Yorktown Ind, where his
two sisters, Mrs. David Campbell and Miss
| Emma Sinner, now reside. Mr.. Sinner
was fifty years of age. He was considered
| one of the most efficient men in the serv-
ice. w. p. Coon was forty-tve years of
| age. He leaves a wife and one child, who
reside at No. 1926 East Louisiana street His
| mother, Mrs. Sawyer, lives at No. 523 East
| Market street. Mr. Coon had been in the
| employ of the Vandalia for sixteen years.
| He came here from MattOOn, Ill. He had
| been a baggageman for fifteen years The
| body of the dead baggageman was taken
| in charge by Flanner & Buchanan. The
! funeral will take place this afternoon,
| der the auspices of the knights of Pythias
| Burial will occur at Crown HI. The body
| of Postal Clerk Sinner was taken in charge
! by Undertaken Vehing. 1t W II be removed
| to the late residence to-day and the funeral
| Will occur at p. m. tomorrow, the burial
| to be at Crown Hill.