The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-19

NJ J. Moore, 210s North Delaware street.
Indianapolis; cuts on head and bruises on
back and chest
A. j. Diddle, III College avenue, Indian
apolis. cash under eye and badly bruised
A. W. Scott, 415 East North street, ex-
press messenger, cuts on head and arm in
n. S. Sherman. 900 South Meridian street,
indianapolis, scalp wound.
f. l.. Case, q Eastern avenue, Indianap-
oils. slightly cut.
Julius Wunderdch, Columbus, o., cut on
face and head and arm badly bruised.
Daniel Pointer, Decatur, ILL.,, cuts on head
and bruises
Andrew Kaffer, L.awrenceville, Ind, slight
cuts on the head.
One man killed and seven injured was the
record in a disastrous wreck on the Indi-
ana, Decatur e Western road early yester-
day morning. 1t was astonishing in that no
more were killed and that no one was Sc
riously injured, not a passenger having a
bone broken, with the single exception of
the one man killed. The train wrecked was
the through train which left Decatur at
lilo Saturday night and was due here at
$3.50 yesterday morning, and consisted of a
combination baggage and smoking car, one
day coach, the st. Louis sleeper, the Quincy
sleeper, the c., II. & D. private car of
President Woodford, in which were Pur-
chasing Agent Balch and Chief Engineer
Wilson, and the private car of the l., D.
& W., in which were President M. D.
Woodford, of the c., II. & D., General
Freight and Passenger Agent J. S. Lazarus
and General Superintendent G. II. Graves.
The wreck occurred about 2:3O yesterday
morning near Guion, f1fty-two miles west
of this city.
The train was running at a high rate of
speed when, from some unknown cause, the
combination car left the rails and bumped
along on the ties. The cars following were
jerl<ed from the rails and, with the excep-
ton of the last trucks on the rear car and
the engine, the entire train ran along the
ties for distance of about eight hundred
feet. The engine at no time left the rails
and the combination car finally broke loose
from it, left the ties and collided with a
large wooden water tank just this side OF
Raccoon creek. A telegraph pole was en-
countered on the way and It was broken
squarely off. destroying all Geographic COM
munication along the road. The force of the
collision between the tank and the car was
sufficient to reduce the car to splinters and
the couplings between all cars were broken.
DOWN AN ENHANCEMENT.
The point where tho train stopped is on
an embankment which is about ten feet
Down this embankment the first car plunged
and carried with it the baggage and ex-
press agent and the five passengers who
were in the smoker. T. M. Wells, county
superintendent of Dougless county, Illinois,
and NJ ]. Moore, CT 21OS North Delaware
street, this city, were buried side by side,
in the debris The water from the tank
poured down over all who were imprisoned
n fn
The other cars of the train remained on
the embankment, and not one turned over.
Work was at once commenced to rescue
those under the wreckage, and Mr.. Wells
was the first one taken out He was I'M
conscious and was carried to the private
cars in the rear, which We're turned into
hospitals. He never regained consciousness,
and died hour later. He was badly
crushed and injured internally
OF the other passengers injured not one
is injured seriously, nor was there bone
broken. Julius Wunderlich, of Columbus,
o., who was sitting across the aisle from
Wells, was cut in the face and head by
flying splinters and glass and was badly
bruised on the arm. NJ. j. Moore, 210S North
Delaware street, this city, received a. bad
cut on the right side of the head and on
top of the head, as well as bruises on the
chest and back. Daniel Pointer, of Deca-
tur, ILL.,, was in the day coach and received
cuts on the head and hands from broken
glass, and bruises. A j. Diddle, of I'LL Col
lege avenue, this city, was badly bruised
and received q long cash under the left
eye. Andrew Kaffer, of Lawrenceville, Ind,
who was in the smoker, received several
slight cuts on the head. A. w. Scott, Ais
East North street, who was both express
messenger and baggage agent, was cut on
the head and his arm was injured. N S.
Sherman, 500 South Meridian street, assist
ant manager of the Union News Company
received scalp wound, and f. L. Case, an
employee of the road, living at % Eastern
avenue, was slightly cut. Conductor Mitch
ell was slightly bruised. With these ex-
ceptions, none in the cars needed the at
tention of physicians. A large number of
passengers were slightly bruised by being
thrown forward against the seats in front
of them, but their injuries were mere
bruises.
sent to WavelaEd for surgeons, and within
an hour DR.. Strong, DIR. BALI and others
were on the ground. The injured were kept
IN the private cars until a train reached
them from this city, which returned with
all the passengers at o'clock yesterday
morning.
The track was torn up for a distance of
nearly a thousand feet, and a wrecking
crew at once went to work. The combina-
llOn car Is a IOtal loss, put beyond broken
glass and loose seats the day coach is not
injured. None of the other cars was serious
~ injured. By last night the track was
cleared and so repaired that trains were
operated as usual.
Mr.. Wunderlch, who was as badly cut
as any of the injured, resumed his journey
last evening toward Columbus. He said he
knew nothing of what had happened and
his only recollection was of going to sleep
and then waking to find himself hanging
by his overcoat to a pile of wreckage
n wit fha frat41 x-oz
passengers and telegraphed to have car
riages waiting for the train at the Capitol
avenue crossing No one of the injured was
unable TO walk from the train, and they all
were taken to their homes in carriages
MR.. MOORES EXPERIENCE.
Mr.. Moore was found last evening propped
up in bed, with his head plastered up and
the bruises on his back and chest causing
him to vince whenever he moved. Describ-
ing the sensation of being in a wreck, he
said: i was in the smoker with two seats
turned towards each other, and was asleep.
The man who was killed was just behind
me. l was awakened by the humping, and
sat up to see what was the matter, for l
knew something was wrong. All the other
passengers We're sitting up and l realized
that the train was running very fast. | can
only describe II as chug chug chug,' very
taSt, and then one big chug' The next
thing l knew, l was pinned down UNDER
meath mass of wreckage. l was not UNI
conscious at any time, and began at once TO
see II could move / was fiat on my back
my left leg stretched out and both arms
CIR laA ont A ~,