Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-30
DEATH ON THE ROAD
Two S:G,ioBS Of a Christian Ed
dtaYOr Special Collide,
CARS CRUSHED LIKE leg SHELLS.
Three Persons Instantly Killed-Nany
Seriously Wtunded-Pathetlc
SEEMS.


were killed outright aud about - OF 80
persons Injured in a rear.end collision
on the ChicayO & Northwestern road
at LAS this morning at West Chicago
80 miles out OF Chicago.
The cad are: Mrs. r.. Shipman,
Appleton, Wis; Mr.. John Gooiing,
Austin, New; an unknown tramp,
who was riding on the front emu VI the
baggage car.
The coliiding trains were sections
NJ. 4 and 8, Christian Endeavorer
special cent out in nine sections be-
ginning at 1880 p. N.
Section 8 TAU into section which
left Chicogo fifteen minutes anesd OF
II. Section No. 4 carried the Wiscou-
sin delegates, nearly 900 strong, anu
in the car sleeper were people from
Fon du Lao, Green, Bay, AppletJn
ana other WiscJnsin cities.
SEQ ion had come TO stop Just 0ut
Of West Chicago, where the FrseporI
line DIVORCES ir}m the main line.
Sect on n 81. 8 came up behind at great
speeJ, and the shock OF the cOllielon
was terrific.
The passengers In the two rear
slespers Of seuiiOn NJ. were in their
bertns aud NJ st oil them were asleep,
They received no warning AMI those
no, killed outright awoke to find
themselves jsmmed in the wreckage.
Passengers on Doth trains began the
work OF rescue. One OF the tirst Of
the injured taken Out was Engineer
Charles Courtney of secIion No. 8.
He had stuck 10 his post anu was seri-
ously injured.
The engine OF section No. s struck
the rear sleeper OF section No. 4 with
terrible force. Tue engine was totally
wrecked.
Strange to say the rear sleeper o.
section No. was uot the one to uif 81
most. Ii was driven with terrific
force upon the second sleeper anu
such was lite impetus that IL crushed
through II ss n 1t had been Q cara b x,
asd reduced Ii to mass OF wrecksge.
The passeagers in tue second sleepsr
were therefore, tn ones TO suffer most,
and 1t was In II that most Of the vic.
tins were hurt. MrR. Sbipmsn and
Mr.. John GooJing were both in the
| sleeper. Men anu wom-n could be-
| sesn struggling to extricate them
htlHtHasl thGa W " tltfb
pinned down by some crushing WI eight
were crying Tor help. Here anu there
was an arm or "a leg pr0ruding from
the debris.
A pathetic scene WINS the rescue OF
the two uaux hters OF Mrs. Slipman OF
A appleton. The rescuers were at
IL acted to them by their cries. They
were unable TO extrlcate themselves
and though hurt refused assistance
begging that their mother be elped.
Mrs. 5hipman was found crushed
under part OF the roof and life was ex.
tinct wnen she was taken out.
lis strange that the two daughters
escaped with comparatively slight In
juries while the mother, close by, met
instant death.
Mrs. John Gooding, was probably
| instantly killed. The force OF the
collision crushed together the par
titlone Of or o th AID she had no
| possible cnance OF escape.
Prof. Leo Wiiiisms OF Fond du Lac
was iounu baried under pile Of
| uebris, end though he was unable TO
| extricite himself and 1t seemed as II he
must pc seriously It jureu, ne escaped
with q broken arm aud a cut wrist.
The Chicago g. Northwestern eff.
| uials 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 attenuaSce.
The sections following those which
| met disasteI-8, rs ard 9-carrylng
| 9, 500 people, were delayed upwards OF
| three hours. Finally the North track
was cleared anu they were enabled to
| proceed.
AS soon as the wreck was reported
to the local officers OF the Chicago and
Northwestern, Superintendent J.. w.
| stewart Of the Galena division orderei
a special train and proceeded n the
scene OF the accident. Other officials
dispatched messengers for the com
| pany's d, ctors und Assistant Genera
Superintendent w. A. Gardner and O
| corps OF surgeons lett Immediately for
West Chicago.
| Owing to the crush caused by the
| Christian Endeavor business oil
schedules were abandoned aud trains
| were sent tut as fast as filled. Nine
sections lett the Northwestern depot
| at Intervals OF l5 minutes, beginni oe
ut 1880, to say nothing OF trains sent
out earlier In the evening. Sections
Noe. l, and 3 got through Wssi
Chicago safely.
Section wss made up OF a baggage
car, day coscn and seven sleepefs
| containing 400 pa ssngers.
| Assistant General Superintendent
w, A. Gardner said thia morning tn = I
ne could not glvea tangible reason TO
the accident.
nThe road Ia run on a. femiphors
block System all the way 10 Tunnel
JuGciion," said Mr.. Gardner. "Thii
blocks train every l 900 feet and IL
addition we were using lass nigh
what we call tue positive block eystem
This consisted OF the Operations a
Maywood, Wheaton and Turner run
uing the trains by wire and keeping q
close tab with the dispatchers as &
the time eacn passed q station. Then
the dispatcher regulated The speed and
distance between trains. OF course
hs was compelled to rely entirely or
the accuracy OF the time checkint
done by the operators al the station
named aud unless QUE Of these made
mlstske, anu transmitted the wropi
check time, either to the next sgatloi
orito the dispatcher. cannot imsgln'
what could have eaused the wrech.'
Subsequent investigation indicate
that the accident was caused by En-
g,peer Courtney OF section NJ. D
Iunuipg by the station this side O
West Cnic,go without having beer
released. No statement 10 oblainabl