The Indianapolis journal., 1902-11-09


KELLEY KING. laborer. scalp wound,
Montezuma, Ind.
In the dense fog. without warning or pre-
monition, two trains on the c., H D.
crashed together while running at high
speed. early yesterday morning on the curve
just south of Irvington. AS a result three
men are dead and ten others are injured,
some probably fatally.
Seven OF the injured were operated ouGkx.
surgeons at ST. vincent's Hospital. or thiy
number one, Merriam, died. The others
were Orlando Mckinney. Ralph Ellis. John
Dame, Charles Bunting. r. B. Stephens and
Clifford Young. from each Of whom one limb
was removed. The surgeons were unable
to say last night what are the chances for
ultimate recovery of any OF them. 1t was
felt unsafe to predict recovery un..i the
effect of the shock had been demonstrated
The accident was one Of those which cause
shuddering. The casual reader usually i'm
perturbable, must feel shocked at the de-
tails, most of which appeal to sympathy
with unusual force. 1t was the old story
of heavy fog and a confusion OF orders.
A freight train from Hamilton, O.. came
around the curve at high speed and met q
construction train leaving Indianapolis at
high speed. Each crew was proceeding un-
der orders that contemplated clear track.
Each was confident that the orders were
right and no precaution had been taken by
either. 1t is said the two engines were not
over 300 feet apart when they sighted each
other. Their impact was terrible II was
heard half a mile away and perhaps
this was fortunate. as relief came promptly
from many quarters. Men and women
waded Pleasant run to reach the scene
and to alleviate the sufferings Of the un-
fortunate men. Physicians were summoned
and responded rapidly.
THE TRAIN CREWS.
The freight train was composed Of six
teen cars and left Hamilton. o., at 6:25 FRI
day night. 1t was in charge of Conductor
Charles Woolley, OF No. 214 Randolph
street. this city. The brakemen were Ber-
nice Dittmer and William Lawton. OF Ham,
iton, O. The engine. No. 324. was In charge
of Engineer Lee Miller and Fireman c. NJ.
Payne, both of Hamilton, o. The con-
struction train was in charge of Conductor
Arthur Reynolds. Of Hamilton. o. The en-
CINE, No. BIS. was In charge OF Charles
Bunting and Fireman Orlando Mckinney.
rapher. was in the cab with them. Others
on the tender were Clifford Young. John
Dame. Kelley King. Robert B. Stephens.
Ralph Ellis, william Grass and Bert
Foutz. John veitz was on the car contain
ing the hosting crane. which he operated
The two engines were OF the mogul pattern
and of about equal weight. That OF the
construction train-No. 315-was moving
-
tender many of the laborers were seated.
Considering the character of the accident
these laborers were In the most perilous po-
sition. They saw the headlight OF the ap-
preaching train and almost instantly tried
to leap TO safety. Before they could ac-
complish this the great engines had come
together with tremendous crash, followed
by the explosion OF the cylinders OF the
freight engine. and the men were buried
under the wreckage that instantaneously
piled up. II was the work OF seconds and
not of minutes. While the impact OF the
engines was great. the lightness OF the con-
struction train prevented more serious in
jury to the freight train. and the force Of
the collision was almost spent by the time
II reached the caboose.
LEAPED FOR LIFE.
Engineer Miller and Fireman Payne. OF
the freight train. and Bernice Dittmer. 4
brakeman. lea2ed from the engine and
found safety I'm the soft earth along the
embankment Neither of them was seri-
ously injured. Engineer Buenting and Fire
man Mckinney. of the work train engine.
attempted 10 leap. but were too late. Nc
Kinney was pinioned by his legs when the
tender crushed the cab and Buenting was
pinioned In the cab. but not so seriously In
jured nor thrown into such terrible po-
sition as Mckinney. who hung from the
side of the cab. head downward. and was
not released until the tender broke away
and jumped the track Bunting had re-
versed his engine and was found IA the cab
when the engine stopped. One OF his legs
was broken and the other had received a
compound fracture. While BuenrinS did NOT