The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-26
YOUTHFUL INDIANAPOLIS HERO
HIS EFFORTS TO ExTRICATE THE
FATALLY INJURED MOTORMAN.
Passengers Proceed to Their Destina-
tions-Statement OF One Who
Witnessed the Collision.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ANDERSON, Ind, Dec. 25.-As the result
of collision by cars on the Union Traction
Company's line at McCordsville at 1l:A
o'clock this morning Barton Frazier. a
Muncie motorman. was so badly injured
that he died in this city at $50 o'clock this
afternoon, Horace Wilcox, a glass manu-
facturer, Of Lapel. was slightly injured.
and several other persons were somewhat
bruised.
The cars colided about fifty or seventy
five feet east of the switch at the outskirts
of McCordsville. They were the regular
limited. No 255. and the Martha. President
George F. McCulloch's private car. running
as a special. There is a double curve at
that point. The motorman OF the Martha.
Emory johnson. saw the limited in time to
stop his and reverse and was making
some sternway when the collision came.
The motorman of the limited. Barton Fra
zier, did not see the approaching special so
quickly, and. though he applied his brakes,
the car was still going st a rapid rate when
it struck the Martha. The latter. being the
heavier car, overrode the limited and tele-
scoped its vestbule, but neither car left the
track. Motorman Frazier was caught be-
tween the end of the Martha's floor and
the rear wall of the vestibule and was ter
rbly crushed through the hips. Horace
Wilcox, the Lapel manufacturer. was in
the smoking compartment in the front end
of the limited and had his shoulders
wrenched and bruised by being thrown
against the side of the car. The other pas
sengers on the limited were thrown about
and somewhat bruised, but not seriously.
Doctors from McCordsville. Fortville In
gals and Anderson were soon on the scene.
but they had little to do. except in the case
of Frazier, who was recognized TO be fatal
ly hurt The regular car following the
Martha brought the injured and all the
passengers to Anderson. Frazier was taken
to the hospital. where ne died at $50 o'clock
this afternoon. He was twenty-five years
old and left widow at Muncie. Mr.. Will
cox returned to his home and the other
passengers proceeded TO their destinations
on later cars.
The party in the Martha consisted OF Mr..
and Mrs. Whiteley. Mr.. and Mrs. Patterson
and Mrs. Bender. of Muncie. who were go-
ing to Indianapolis to visit Mrs. McCulloch.
They also proceeded to their destination,
all being without injury.
A Contemporaries boy. whose name
could not be learned. but whose home is in
Indianapolis. enacted an heroic role. He
standing in the forward end of the
smoking compartment of the limited. look
ing down the track, when the Martha
came in sight. Several men were I'm the
compartment. smoking. The boy was
knocked against the side of the car by the
collision, striking his head with such force
as to raise good-sized lump. The men all
broke for safety toward the rear of the
car. but when the rescuing party broke
into the smoking room the boy was hard
at work trying to extricate the injured
motorman from the position in which he
was wedged by the broken timbers.
Conductor c. +. Hollinger. of the
limited. says he was without orders as TO
the run of the Martha, which was without
a conductor, being altogether in charge OF
Motorman Frazier. In this connection a
representative of the company said to-
night that the limited. which left Indianap-
oils at IL o'clock, was supposed 10 make
its run without stopping. and that all other
cars were supposed to watch its schedule
and make the switches in ample time 10
give 1t clear track: that this was incum-
bent on the motorman OF the Martha, run
ming as a special. which left Muncie at
1855. The limited was due at the switch
at which the wreck occurred. at li:A. and
the Martha should have entered the switch
at ll:i2 AS a matter of fact. the wreck.
at l1:44. was east of the switch. showing
that the Martha was two minutes late. and
the company's representative is of the
opinion that Motorman Johnson's watch
must have been two rninutes slow. He de-
clares. however. that he observed the
company's rule as TO correct time by COM
pairing his watch with the standard time
clock in the companys Office. and that 10
was then correct. The company Is investi-
eating this point.
The tracks were cleared in short time
and traffic was resumed at once
STEAM PIPES BURST.