The Indianapolis journal., 1902-08-18
PROPERTY LOSS VERY HEAVY
GRAPHIC STORY OF WRECK TOLD
BY CONDUCTOR MASON.
Lexington, Ind, Man Killed ny Excur-
sion Train Yesterday-COIIision he
tween stock Trains i'm IOwa.

Conductor Morton Mason. Of the Monon
Railroad. who lives with his wife at l2s
East Michigan street tells graphically
the story OF a disastrous wreck which oc-
CURED early yesterday morning. nineteen
miles out of Chicago. at the Indiana State
line, in which a heavily loaded excursion
train on the Monon collided with a Chicago
& Erie train the outbound track OF the
Chicago g. Western Indiana Railroad. and
at the time smashing into an in
bound Erie freight train on the parallel
track.
Four Indianapolis trainmen were I'm the
wreck. Two of them were seriously in
jured and two escaped marvelously from
the slightest injury. Thomas T. Kline,
engineer OF the excursion train, i'm charge
Of Conductor Mason, and Frank Lewis.
his fireman. brother OF Station Master Jack
Lewis, Of the Indianapolis Union Station.
were badly hurt, much so that the ex-
tent OF their injuries cannot be definitely
determined at the present time. Engineer
Klines right leg was mashed and his foot
was bruised and torn. Fireman Lewis's
legs were mashed and torn and one foot
was badly burned. II was feared that
Lewis might have suffered internal injuries.
Kline, with his wife and family " six chill
dren, lives at 26I4 Bellefontaine street.
Lewis, who is married and has two chill
dren, lives at 21lO Cornell avenue Both
men were caught under their locomotive,
which was buried beneath eight Erie
freight cars that piled above IT, Conductor
Morton Mason and Baggageman J. c. Mil
ler, who lives a 271O Cornell avenue were
uninjured. The battered engineer and fire.
men were brought to the city yesterday
and taken 10 their homes. Yesterday even
ing they were resting comfortably. and il
is believed both will pull through.
The wreck was one Of the most disas-
trous. so far loss OF property is con-
cerned, that has occurred around Chicago
for years. The total loss 10 the railroad
companies will not fall short OF $50. .0o0 IL is
estimated. and it may be more Only one
life was lost. that OF George w. Farris. OF
Cave City. KY. an employe Of the Latrobe
Steel Company, of MelrOse. H. With his
brother, a telegraph operator. Farris was
riding in the caboose of the Erie freight
train that was struck in rear-end coll
iision by the Monon excursion. Both were
buried in the wreckage. but the operator
escaped, while the other was caught and
perished in the fire that destroyed the
passenger locomotive and a half-dozen
freight cars thirty minutes after the wreck
occurred.
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
The most remarkable feature OF the dis
aster, and the one that Conductor Mason
holds as marvellous. was the escape Of the
passengers who were on his excursion
train. Conductor Mason was in charge
of l34 people, most Of them being students
of Bartletts Business College. Of Cincin-
natl. o.. who had been having a weeks
outing at South Haven. None of the pas
sengers suffered the slightest injury. or
even a shaking up, the passenger coaches
not leaving the track. In point OF escape
from casualties, Conductor Mason says IL
was one OF the most remarkable wrecks in
history Following is his story OF the
smashup:
My special excursion train. carrying ia
business college students OF Cincinnati.
reached the state line at 12:43 yesterday
morning. When we reached the outbound
tracks Of the Chicago & Western Indiana
road the blockman gave US the white sig
nal which meant, OF course, that we were
TO go on without delay. Ny train was run
ming not faster than fifteen miles an hour.
/ am positive. but that rate OF speed was
sufficient 10 cause a general mix-up when
the crash came. ! was standing in the bag
gage car with Baggageman Miller when the
smash occurred and could see nothing OF
how it happened. 1t seems. though. that
Engineer Kline. Of our train, was unable 10
pull up and was forced 20 crash into the
rear end Of an Erie freight that the block
man had also given the white signal 20.
But the wreck probably would not have
a n 81
another Erie freight train coming IN on the
inbound parallel track As soon the
passenger engine struck the cabOOse OF the
Erie freight on our track II rose into the
air and toppled over against the inbound
freight. The inbound train was broken In
two by the force OF the jar and cars began
10 rise in the air like live things and % pile
over the passenger engine. Almost
quicker than IL takes 10 tell IL eight big
Erie cars had buried the engine out OF
sight. with Engineer Kline and Fireman
Lewis buried In the wretkage. The sta
tionary Erie freight was not damaged
much. the inbound train receiving most
OF the damage. Ny passenger train vas
not injured, even the engine tender staying
on the track.
"As soon as Baggageman Miller and I
could. We climbed out OF the baggage car
and went TO the spot where Kline and
Lewis were buried. When We got there We
saw Kline writhing his way out from under
timbers. twisted iron and cebri5. he
covered with dirt and CRIME and was bleed
ing. How he ever managed 20 get out
beats me. We Immediately began 10 chop
at the wreckage 10 get at Lewis. and after
fifteen minutes Of labor extricated him.
His leg caught by a heavy timber and
he was in a dangerous position. The won-
der is that both men were not instantly
killed with that great mass OF heavy cars
piled on top OF the locomotive.
Il secured another crew and brought NY
train on in without asking for a change
i am tremendously thankful that none OF
the passengers received injuries and | re-
gard IL as almost a miracle"
Although Conductor Mason states posi-
lively that none OF the passengers was
injured. an Associated Press dispatch says
that number OF excursionlsts SUFFERING