The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-01
MANGLED IN A WRECK
THREE PEOPLE KILLED AND A
SCORE SEVERELY INJURED.
Details of the Collision Between
Christian Endeavor Trains ON the
Northwestern Railway.

CHICAGO, June 30.-Three persons were
killed outright, twenty persons severely in
jured and others less seriously in the rear
end collision on the Chicago & Northwest
ern road at 1915 this morning at West Chi
caso, thirty miles out of Chicago, on the
Galena division. The dead are:
MRS. r. SHIPMAN. Appleton, Wis.
MRS JOHN COOLING, Appleton Wis.
= BODE,, tramp, who was riding on
the front end of the baggage car.
The severely injured are.
WILLIAM MICHELsTETTER Seymour,
MRS WILLIAM MICHELsTETFER,
Seymour Wis. body bruised
MISS SARAH SHIPMAN, Appleton,
Wis, lip badly cut and other parts of the
MICHAEL COURTNEY. engineer, Belvi-
dere Ill, two ribs fractured, right leg
L. A. WILLIAMS, Fond du Lac, Wis,
chest badly bruised and right ankle
I DR.. E. A. MILLER, Clintonville, Wis,
right ankle sprained.
W. H. FINNEY, Clintonvile, Wis, left
arm sprained and forehead badly bruised.
Wis, right side bruised.
MISS A. l. M'ALLIsTER, Oconto. Wis,
Commissions of forehead and nose.
MARY BAIRD, Neenah, Wis, badly
bruised on left side of face.
MRS S. A. RUSSELL, Appleton, Wis,
back seriously hurt.
AMELIA MKAY, Appleton, Wis. left
arm fractured and lacerated.
MRS. w. D. GIBSON, Appleton, Wis,
right side of chest hurt and one hip
IS s. B. MERsCH. Appleton. Wis, left
wrist broken and otherwise injured.
w. D. GIBSON. Appleton, Wis, slight
Mrs, A. f. PREFER, Neenah, Wis,
slight bruises
c. e RIPLEY. Fond du Lac, Wis, face
MRS. {. E. RIPLEY, Fond du Lac Wis,
MRS. ALGERNoN GALPIN, Appleton,
Wis, slight bruises
MISS DAISY BLACKWOOD, Depere,
Wis.
AS soon as possible after the immediate
wants of the injured were attended to they
We're carefully removed to a special train,
which had been prepared for their recep-
ton. and accompanied by DR.. Ollens chief
surgeon of the cOmr21y, and twelve as
sistants, were brought to Chicago. At
Western avenue they were put in ambu-
lances and taken to st. Luke's Hospital.
The victims of the collision were Christian
Endeavor delegates who left Chicago last
night en- route for the convention at San
Francisco.
THE COLLIDING TRAINS.
The colliding trains were sections Nos. A
and of a Christian Endeavor special sent
m. Section No ran into section No. 4,
which left Chicago fifteen minutes ahead
of it. Section No. carried the Wisconsin
delegates, nearly 500 strong, and in their
rear sleeper were people from Fond du Lac.
Green Bay, Appleton, and other Wisconsin
cities. Section No. 4 had come to a
stop out of West Chicago, where the Free
port line DIVORCES from the main line Sec
ton No came up behind al great speed
and the shock of the collision was terrific
The passengers in the two rear sleepers
of section No. were all in their berths
They received no warning and those not
killed outright awoke to find themselves
damned in the wreckage. Passengers on
both trains FASTENED to the spot and began
the work of rescue. One of the frst OF the
injured taken out was Engineer Charles
Courtney of section No. 8. He stuck TO his
post like a hero and is seriously injured,
but may live. The body of a tramp was
found between the baggage car and the en-
CINE. The man had been crushed to death.
The engine of section No. 8 struck the
rear sleeper of section No. 4 with terrific
force. The engine was wrecked. Strange
TO say, the rear sleeper OF section NO. was
not the one TO suffer most. 1t was driven
with terrific force on the second sleeper,
and such was it's impetus that it crushed
through it as though it had been a card
board box and reduced 1t to a mass of
Wreckage. The passengers in the second
sleeper were, therefore, the ones to suffer
victims were hurt. Mrs. Shipman and Mrs.
Goodng were both in this sleeper. Men and
women could be seen struggling to eXtri-
cate themselves from the wreckage. Others
pinned down by some crushing weight were
crying for help. Here and there was an
arm or leg protruding from the debris.
A pathetic scene was the rescue of the
two daughters of Mrs. Shipman, of Apple
ton. The rescuers were attracted to them
by their cries. They were unable to extri-
cate themselves, and, though hurt, refused
assistance begging that their mother be
first helped. Mrs. Shipman was found
crushed under a part of the roof, and life
was extinct when she was taken out 1t is
strange that the two daughters escaped
with comparatively slight injuries, while
Mrs John Goodbye, of Appleton. was prob
ably instantly killed. The force of the col
lision crushed together the partitions of
of escape. Prof. Leo Williams, of Fond du
Lac, was found buried under a pile of de-
bris, and, though he was unable to extri-
be seriously injured, he escaped with
broken arm and a cut wrist.
TRACKS WERE CROWDED.
The Chicago & Northwestern officials did
everything in their power to relieve the
sufferers. The two hotels in West Chicago
were turned into hospitals and physicians
were promptly in attendance. The sections
following those which met disaster-6 Z S
and 9-carrying $500 passengers, were &c
layed upward of three hours. Finally the
north track was cleared and they were en-
abled to proceed. AS soon as the wreck
was reported to the local officers of the
Chicago & Northwestern Superintendent
Stewart, of the Galena division, ordered a
special train and went to the scene Other
officials dispatched messengers for the COM
panys doctors, and Assistant General Su-
perintendent W. A. Gardner and corps of
surgeons left Immediately for West Chi
cago. Owing to the crush caused by the
rush of Christian Endeavor business all
schedules were abandoned and trains were
sent out fast filled. Nine sections
left the Northwestern depot at intervals of
fifteen minutes, beginning at 1920 to say
nothing of trains sent out early in the even
ing. Sections No. l, 2 and got through
West Chicago safely. Section 4 was made
up of baggage car, day coach and seven
sleepers, containing about four hundred
paSSen gers.
The responsibility for the wreck has not
yet been fixed, but the investigation indi-
Gates that il was caused by Engineer
Charles Courtney, of section No. s. run
ming by the station this side of West Chi
cago without having been released No
statement is obtainable from Courtney at
present. as he is too badly injured to talk
The road between Chicago and Turner
Junction is protected by the Hall block
system. and Immediately after my arrival
last night l tested the signals and found
them to be in perfect order, said Assistant
General Superintendent Stewart to-day
without seeing the two danger signals
which indicated that a train was ahead
These signals are placed 1000 feet apart
and when "A ( night cars mass over tho T1Ia 90