Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1903-11-06
4 FR|GHTFUL TRAIN WRECK
IA PERSONS KILLED NEAR IN.
pIANAPoLIs IND.
Train Carried Lafayette Passengers
and Students Of Purdue University
on Their Way to Football Game
for Championship Of Indiana-Traln
colIIded With Switch Engine.

indianapolis. Nov. LA special
train on the Big -Four, bearing 9S4
Lafayette passengers, including sew
eral hundred students of Purdue uni
versity, was wrecked near Riverside
park, at the edge Of this city. Four
teen dead have been taken from the
wreck and 40 passengers were in
jured. "a of them seriously.
Among the dead are several men,
bers of the Purdue university football
team, which was to play Indiana uni
versity for the state championship
here.
The train consisted of IL coaches
and was running as the first section
at high speed.
At a gravel pit switch near Eigh-
teenth street, switch engine with
a couple of coal cars collided with
the passenger. The passenger engine
and first three coaches were almost
totally destroyed.
The first coach was crushed to
splinters, the second telescoped and
thrown down an embankment Is feet
high, while the third coach was over
turned and thrown across the track.
There Is confusion as to what caused
the accident, the engineer insisting
that he had the track and did not
know Of the other train. A deep
cut prevented clear view Of the
track. The crash of the two trains
threw the coal cars through the first
two coaches, in which were many of
the players and substitutes. The en-
CINE, two coal cars and three coaches
were crushed into a mass OF wreck
age.
Under the pile Of debris were so or
more students of the university. The
uninjured in the rear coaches hurried
to the aid Of the victims. The work
OF pulling out the victims was con-
tinued by the students and passen-
gers, including many girls frem La
fayette, until surgical help arrived.
The condition of some of the dead
were frightful. One body was entirely
beheaded. Others were terribly mutt
lated. Two Of the dead, the Hamilton
boys, were brothers. One lived at
Lafayette and one at Huntington, Ind.
The scenes following the rescue of
the dead and injured were distressing.
Strong men wept while they looked
upon the faces of their dead and in
1ured classmates. Many of the girls
knelt at the side Of victims and bathed
their wounds until the services of a
surgeon could be- secured. The wom-
en- on the train did everything posi-
BILE that their limited means would
permit.
All the young men killed were in
the first coach, which was reduced
to kindling. They were wound man
gled and bleeding, with the engine
pinned against them. The coach held
about 70 persons. Those who regained
consciousness when laid upon the
grass urged and in some cases de-
manded that their friends hasten to
the telegraph offices and inform their
parents that they had escaped with
few bruises.
Several OF the suffering fellows pit
iously pleaded that their names not be
published because of the anguish it
would cause their mothers and faith
ers.
Down town, three miles away, 1900
cheering students had arrived on a
special train from Bloomington, Ind,
with the boys OF the Indiana eleven
eager for the contest. They poured
out of the train with bands playing
and colors flying, to be met with the
news Of the tragedy to their rivals
from Purdue. Instantly bands ceased,
colors were lowered. and hidden be-
meath coats. Tears followed laughter
and college yells faded into mournful
expressions of sincere and heartfelt
sympathy.