The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-16
Wounded Were Exposed to n Temper
nture of 20 Degrees, and Their
suffering Was Intense.
VICTIMS ROASTED IN SMOKER
ONE CAR SAVED FROM BURNING by
HURCULEAN EFFORT.
Relief Was Long Time in Reaching
the Scene-The Dead, Missing and
Hurt-Other Wrecks.

ROCKFORD. Ill, Dec. 15.-Failure on the
part OF a conductor 10 obey orders is sup
posed TO have been the cause of a head
end collision on the Illinois Central be-
tween Irene and Perryville early this morn
ing. 1t resulted in the death of six
persons, two are missing and eleven are
hurt The two trains were the eagt-bound
passenger train No and a through freight
from Chicago going west. The known
dead are:
RICHARD ORMSBY, Chicago. engineer
OF passenger train.
JAMES REARDON. Freeport. fireman
passenger train.
ROBERT THOMPSON. Dubuque. express
messenger
]. W. FUNK. Chicago. brakeman pas
senger train.
DAVID BEHAN. Freeport. freight engi-
ncer
EDWARD CAREY. Freeport. freight fire
man.
Missing and Supposed to Be Dead
NEWSBOY on passenger train. name un-
known.
SECTION FOREMAN from Irene. name
unknown.
The seriously injured so far as the names
could be ascertained. are:
II. G. wELLMAN. Chicago. right arm
crushed off at elbow: taken TO Rockford
City Hospital; condition critical.
d. r. AHRENDT, Chicago. cut and
bruised by broken glass.
J.. H. QUINLAN passenger conductor
cut and bruised: crushed about the chest ;
taken 10 Rockford City Hospital; condi-
tion critical
w b. KEEFE. Sioux City. Ia, head Sc
verely cut.
FRANK sTADLEMAN. New Athens.
i'll. cut about head and arms.
rrInnFAC Atbaos
III cut and bruised and hair scorched off.
rive others were slightly hurt.
The trains met in a slight bend in the
track, both running at full speed. The
smoking. express and baggage cars were
piled on the locomotives, pinning in the oc-
cupants of the smoker, which took fire.
Only three of the half dozen in that car
escaped. The others. if not instantly killed,
were roasted to death and their bodies,
along with those of the engine crews,
were consumed.
All efforts of the survivors to reach the
victims were unavaiIing. The flames drove
them back at every point.
The temperature was 20 degrees below
zero and an icy wind was blowing across
the prairie the point where the wreck oc-
CURED being in a shallow cut, affording no
protection. The injured were without hats
and wraps and suffered terribly. By the
united efforts of the survivors one car
was pushed back from the wreckage to es-
cape the flames and the wounded were
placed on the hunks inside.
Two hours elapsed before any relief was
at hand. Then an engine arrived and
pulled the way car to Irene, three miles
distant. A relief train was started from
Rockford at 1:30 O'Clock. having on board
Drs. 5. r. Catlin, Henry Richiugs, w. b.
Helm and Agent +. w. Brown. IL arrived
at the wreck twenty minutes later In
the meantime the injured had been brought
back from Irene and were transferred TO
the relief train and brought to Rockford.
All the injured are doing well. except II. c.
Wellman and Conductor Quinlan who are
in a critical condition
WreCking trains have been at work to-
day and have the tracks clear tonight
but were charred beyond recognition. Cor
oner F. NJ. Marsh will conduct the in
quest on Monday.
Conductor QuinIan. of the passenger
train. able tonight To talk OF sthe
wreck. He said:
1--WE were trying to make up lost time
when suddenly there was a crash. throw
ing us all TO the front OF the car / man.
aged TO clear myself from under the
seat where / was thrown. and. finding two
men close ny. tried To release them This
l was unable TO do. and they did not re-
spOhd 10 my Gals. / escaped through "A win
dow, Deing scOrched by the fire as | crawled
out 50 quickly did the flames spread. As
remember. there were eight men I'm the car
and l find that only two OF them got out
The TEST were doubtless burned in the
wreck.
A peculiar circumstance of the accident
was that all the killed ard injured were
men There were four women and a little
girl on the passenger train. but all of them
escaped without serious injury.