The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-28
WRECK A PECULIAR ONE.
Its Features Practically Unknown in
Railroad Annals.


The wreck was peculiar one in that
after the coaches had all passed over a
defective rail the last one splintered 1t and
caused a spreading. The last car went off
first and in its descent caused the one in
front of it to leave the track and jerked it
with ii in its descent to a cornfield below.
The next car was drawn from the track,
but not off the right of way. The rest of
the train. by the breaking of the draw
aster and dashed forward for some dis
tance. The rails and ties were torn up for
five hundred feet.
In the sleeping cars were many passen-
gers who boarded the train in Cincinnati,
and in one sleeping coach at Cleveland.
These passengers were all west bound for
long distances and the majority of them,
wearied by their long ride, were fast asleep
when the coaches in which they were sleep
ing were hurled from the track. That their
escape from death was remarkable is
certain, as the coaches were literally hurled
through the air. In the sleeping car the
passengers were partially confined within
their berths and the darkness and con-
fusion Immediately after the wreck added
terror to the wailings and screams of
frightened women and children.
After the engine had been stopped and
the conductor and passengers of the day
| coaches had got back to the overthrown
| coaches they formed searching party and
| by breaking in windows and opening the
doors succeeded in liberating the passen-
gers. When the people emerged from the
coaches most of them were clad in their
night clothes. and their plight, increased
by the bitter cold wind of the early morn
ing, was miserable.
OTTO GRESHAM HURT.
Otto Gresham. of New York, son of the
late Walter Q. Gresham, one time secre-
tary of state, was occupying a berth in
the last sleeping When the rescuing
party found him he was unable to get out
| of his berth and was, when attended, found
| to be suffering from a dislocated shoulder.
| Mrs. S. E. Englehart and her daughter,
Miss Anna Englehart, of Middleport. o..
| were OCCUPYING a stateroom in that coach.
| Mrs. Englehart was cut by glass and In
| jured internally. Both she and her daugh-
| ter suffered injuries that were painful and
| difficult for the attending physicians to
| dress. Samuel Ellis, of New York, the
| negro porter of the car, was thrown from
his seat and his hand jabbed through
| window, cutting his wrist severely.
| In the Othman Conductor George c. Dean,
| of st. Louis. caught in the vestibule
| and crushed so badly about the hips and
| body that it is thought his injuries are
| serious. 1t was necessary to use axes to
extricate Dean from his pinned-down posi-
| ton In the vestibule. OF the other pas
sengers in this coach the most serious in
| jury was that of A. G. Mcguire, OF st.
Louis. Mr.. Mcguire thrown with such
| force against the side of the car that his
| leg was fractured at the knee. N. Y. We're.
| of New York, porter of this car. cut
| on the head by a splinter of flying glass.
| and, with small cut on the arm and
bruise on the leg. escaped without serious
| injury. c. s. Tare. of st. Louis. suf-
! fered injuries painful but not serious by
| his violent contact with the floor of the
| car when he hurled from his berth.
/ His back was injured and with a few
scratches he was dragged from the wrecked
| car. Charles Lamb, whose home is un-
known, was also slightly injured In this
| coach.
| OFFICIALS NOTIFIED.
! When the seriousness of the wreck was
| ascertaned Conductor Clint Jackson, of
| indianapolis. ran back TO Avon and filed
telegram to the Big Four officials here ap-
| prising them of the wreck. He then went
| back to the wreck and, detaching a coach
and his engine from the train, placed all
of the seriously injured passengers in the
! coach and started to Danville, distance
of six miles. Here the patients were put
under the care of Drs. c. A. White, w. II.
| Lawson Joel T. Barker, Thomas Barker,
| =. T. Farrabee and w. j. Hoadley. This
| corps of surgeons, with several volunteer
! nurses, dressed the injuries while the coach
| was taken back TO the scene of the wreck.
| At the wreck the surgeons bound up the
! slight wounds of the other passengers and
attended them until the arrival of the spe-
| cial train from Indianapolis carrying; Chief
| Surgeon Ford. of the Big Four Railroad,
! and Drs- Reginald Garstang. j. Rilus East
| man, Frank o. Dorsey. l.. Ensminger and
| Ray Newcomb On the special train, which
| left Indianapolis at 4 o'clock. were Supt
| j. O. Van Wrinkle, of the Big Four sys-
TEN. and Chief of Motive Power Garstang
| Division Superintendent Baldwin also was
with the party.
When the special train from Indianapolis
| reached the scene nothing was needed. and
after directing the care OF the injured the
train returned Chief Surgeon Ford and
DR.. Ensminger accompanied DIR. White and
the Danville surgeons with the train. Dr.
Ford will remain with the train until ST.
Louis is reached and arrange for the re-
ception of the injured passengers as their
| destinations are reached
| CONDUCTORS STORY.
Conductor George G. Dean. OF the Pull
| man cars said that he had just closed the
| vestibule after leaving Avon. After the
| train had run about half mile and had
| gained great momentum he felt sudden
jar. followed by three or four heavy bumps.
and before he could open the door leading
into the interior OF the car he felt an un-
! usual motion the rolled down the
embankment. After the car stocoed he