Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-07-09
"Details of the Horror.

"Details of the HORROR.
a rcar-end collision on the Chicago and
Northwestern marked Tie departure of
the Christian EndeavOr delegates for thu.
convention at San Francisco. AS soon as
the wreck was reported TO the Chicago
Offices of the Chicago aid Northwestern.
Supcrintt ndcnt j. q. Stewart of the Gal
lena division ordered a special train and
proceeded to the scene.
Other oiicials dispatched messengers
for the commny's doctors. and ut 'clocl;
Assistant General Superintendent w. y.
Gardner and IL corps of surgeons left for
West Chicago.
The various sections of the Northwest
ern specials were crowded with Young
Endeavorcrs from all over the United
states, hut the presumption is that the
majority Of the passengers were Eastern.
crS.
Running Without schcdule.
owing to the crush caused by the rush
of Christian Endcavor business all scllc,l-
ules wer" abandoned and trains were sen.
out as fast as filed. Nine sections left
the Northwestern depot at intervals of
hfteen minutes. beginning ut 10:30. to say
hothlng OF trains sent out earlier in the
evening. Sections Nos. 1. . and ) got
through West Chicago safely. Section
was made up of Il baggage car. day
coach ana seven slccpcrs, containin.
about 100 passengers.
lnasinuch as there were about 400 peo.
pic to II section the blockade is serious.
sections Nos. 1 and > We're unable to pro-
cced, ana sections Nos. Il. Z. S and 8 are
blocked between Chicago and West Chi.
caso, sh,ls delaying nearly 2.5UO people.
superintendent Gardner Talks,
Assistant General Superintendent VIII.
liam n. Gardner said he could give no
tlns.D!e reason yet ais to the cause OF the
acciGcnt.
"Tle road is run oh semaphorc block
system all the way to Turner junction.
said Mr.. Gardner. This blocks a train
every 1.GO0 feet, and in addition we were
using what we call the positive block
system. This consisted in thc operators
ut Haywood. Wheaton and Turner r,,m-
ling tll" trains by wire and keeping Il
close tab with the dispatches as to tho
time each passed IL station.
"!hcn the dispatcher regulated the
speed and distance between trains. OF
course. he was compelled to rely entirely
on the accuracy of tl.c time checking done
by the operators at the stations named.
and unless one of these made 81 mistake
and transmitted the wrong check time.
either to the next station or tn the dis.
hatcher. / cannot imagine What could
have canscd the wreck.
1--WE had taken every possible prccau-
ton to guard against telaS and accident.
and. as l said. worked the positive b'oc.>
Gs we'll as our regular senapl,ure sys.
tenn"
Great Crush of Travellers.
4'he Northwestern read touk out ovcr
5.MIU passengers. bound for the col.vcn-
ton at San Francisco. The depot WAS
crowded all day 1'ucs,lay and the exca.-
sionists were in the best q, spirits Al. the
Of !: pleasant trip across .ho coz
tiEcnt. AT q O'Clock the first train went
out. 1t was of nine slecpers. filed with
Chicagoais. Immediately following was
another of ten s!c"ncrs. also flied Will,
Chicagoans. Then came the New York
delegation in a train of eight slecpcrs.
This left nj G:ll. and then at 8 the Penn
sylvani;l crowd followed in a train of
nine S!ccrerH. Two trains of nine sleep-
ers each went cut n. 10 with the Massa-
chusctts delegation. and then came the
regular train in three .ec,ions of eight.
nlne ;lnd ten acepefs respectively. These
went ont at 1890. Eight sleepcrs were in
the train that took the Farm, Fire and
Fireside party at the same hour. and twn
trains of eight slccpers each took cut tho
Michigan people Immediately after. Nine
sleepers were in the Wisconsin train that
followed at once
Every car was flied TO overfowire. and
the depot master had :il he could do to
find the proper accommodations for the
immense tllrong. The scenes in the dcpot
as the trains We're being filled were excit-
ing. and only experienced men could know,
how to properly handle such IL crowd. All
the prelminarics passed off without Il
hitch, however. and the road officials were.
congratulating themselves Oh the success
with which they had handled 1, big lob
when the news of the accident came.
TWO MORE WRECKS.