The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
MANY PERSONS WERE INJURED
AND THERE WAS MUCH SUFFERING
AMONG THE SURVIVORS.
Temperature WAS Twenty Degrees
Below ZerO-NothinG Left of the
Passenger Train.

ROCKFORD. Ill, Dec. ia fast passen-
east bound. from Dubuque for Chicago.
was wrecked about / o'clock this morning.
near Perryvile. H.. the first station south
east of this city. Three persons are re-
ported killed and several injured.
1t is reported here that three of the
coaches were burned. The wrecked train.
which was known as No. 4. is said to have
collided with freight train. A relief train
left Rockford for the scene of the wreck
at 40 this morning.
Information received at 4 a. m. from the
scene Of the wreck is that at least ten per-
sons lost their lives in the wreck. and that
the bodies were burned.
Both trains were consumed by the flames.
The following persons were killed and
their remafrs incinerated:
RICHARD oRMsBY. passenger en-
gneer, Chicago.
JAMES REARDON. Freeport. fireman,
passenger train
ROBERT THOMPSON. American Ex-
press messenger.
]. w. FUNK, passenger brakeman.
DAVID BEHAN. Freeport. freight en-
gineer.
EDWARD CAREY. Freeport, freight
fireman.
NEwsBOY. on passenger train. name
unknown.
COLORED MAN. unknown.
OLD MAN. living in Irene or Genoa.
name unknown.
Possibly four others, names unknown,
dead and bodies burned.
The injured, so far as known are:
H c. wELLMAN. sos Jackson Bouie-
ward. Chicago. right arm crushed OF at
elbow: taken 10 Rockford City Hospital.
DIR. AHRENDT. e69 West North avenue.
Chicago cut and bruised by broken glass.
J. H. QITINLAN. passenger conductor.
cut and bruised. crushed about chest
w. b. KEEFE, Sioux City, Ia, head
severely cut
FRANK STADLEMAN. New Athens.
III. cut about head and arms.
THOMAS HENDRICKS, New Athens,
Ill cut bruised and hair scorched on
The fire was caused by the explosion Of
an oil tank il che freight train. Everyone
of the six passenger coaches was burned.
including the diner and sleepers.
The passenger train was an omaha-Chi-
cago train, and was running at high speed.
being three hours behind time.
Scarcely person escaped without more
or less severe Lruises and cuts
When the crash came the smoking car
piled upon the express and baggage car in
front of it, and the latter car was thrown
upon the engine, which blew up.
The explosion of the tank car scattered
oil over the whole wreck
Only three or four persons in the smok-
ing car escaped. The survivors made
heroic efforts to rescue the injured. who
were Imprisoned in the wreck. but the
flames drove them back al every point.
The Kissing Of escaping steam from the en-
gine and the roar of the flames drowned
the cries of the perishing victims of the
wreck
With the mercury standing a 20 degrees
below zero the suffering Of those who es-
capped from the wreck was intense. Many
OF those who were in the sIeepers were but
scantily clad.
The wounded who escaped were placed
on hunks in a way car that was detached
from the train before it caught fire and an
engine that came from the east took the
car to Irene a small station three miles
east. Then it was again brought back TO
the wreck. and the injured transferred to
the relief train sent from Rockford. Hotel
pusses, ambulances. etc, were used here
fI,a inf red n
No one knows where the responsibility
for the disaster lies. the train orders
were burned.
The trains came together at fun speed
and il is said that neither train put on the
air brakes One freight car was thrown
into a field, clear OF the right OF way.