davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
"POwELL, OF TEXAS"
Brave Students Answer When Cues
toned just Before He Expired.

l. r. Smith, OF 515 South New Jersey
street. this city, a student at Purdue, was
a passenger on the wrecked special. He was
in the tenth coach and fortunately escaped
injury. His first thought, when he realized
the nature OF the horror, was Of summoning
medical assistance, and he FASTENED at once
to factory near by. where he found tele-
phone and notified the hospitals of the acct
dent Then he called practically every ply
stefan In the city an urgent call Tor help:
the dead and injured, as / stood for an
hour at the telephone" said Smith last
night. Il returned to the scene just In
time to witness one incident that l shall
never forget. The body of Il. j. Powell, or
Corpus Christi, Texas, had just been taken
from the wreckage by a member OF one or
the fire companies. Both legs were crushed
of and he was dying, although still con-
scious. The fireman lifted him tenderly and
asked him, What is your name? Powell,
of Texas, came the answer with gasp,
and then the brave fellow sank back dead. =
Smith was asked TO estimate the rate OF
speed at which the special was running at
the time of the accident.
II should say that the speed was at
least thirty-five miles an hour" he replied.
Il regard that as conservative estimate.
i had timed the train on the run from
louisville to Riverside Park and / know
that we covered that thirteen miles in just
fifteen minutes. The train had slowed
down some after passing the park, but not a
great deal and it must have been running
thirty-five miles an hour when the crash
came"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.
General superintendent Van Wrinkle
Says Wreck Was Due to Mistake.

An official investigation of the cause of the
wreck has not been made yet. j. Q. Van
Wrinkle, general superintendent of the Big
Four, announced last evening that neither
he nor c. A. Paquette, superintendent of the
Chicago division, had had time yesterday
to ascertain officially the cause Of the
wreck Both officials spent all day looking
after the comforts of the injured and COM
piling a complete list of the dead and in
jured.
An official investigation into the cause
of the wreck will be made to-day or to-
morrow. by Superintendent Paquette.
THE wreck was caused by somebody's
mistake said General superintendent Van
Wrinkle last evening Its certain that
someone's mistake caused the wreck. Of
course. But we have not yet had time to
investigate the cause of the wreck. This
will be done tomorrow or Monday. by Mr..
Paquette, superintendent of the Chicago di-
the wreck a few minutes after it happened
and he has not returned to his Office since.
But he has not been trying to find out what
caused the wreck. He has been looking
after the injured and getting complete
list of the dead and injured. 1 have not
had time, either. to make any investigation.
The wreck has happened and the first thing
to be done, we think, Is to assist the in
jured and get them taken care OF before we
do anything else. And that's what we've
been doing
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

Many Persons There Anxious to View
the Wreck for First Time

The scene Of the catastrophe last night
after darkness had fallen was one that de-
fed description. The Pickering lanterns
carried by the patrolmen and watchmen on
duty cast weird glow on the scene and
the ruins of the coaches and massive en-
gines doomed up like gigantic shadows.
A number of morbid curiosity seekers WIS.,
tied the scene of the wreck last night Peo-
pie from all parts Of the city who were I'M
able to reach the wreck sooner on account
OF their work were present and expressions
of horror We're heard on all sides. Small
bits OF wreckage. pieces OF scrap iron and
divers articles were seized with great avid
ity and there were some on the scene who.
when they could escape the watchful eyes
of the officers, would dig and scrape over
the debris looking for articles Of value
The wreckdng crew will be at work again
at 4:30 this morning and by tonight ali of
the scrap iron and trash will DE cleared
away. Expressions complimenting the swift
work of the wrecking crew were heard yes
terday and to one untutored in the ways
OF clearing away a wreck Of this kind 1t
seems all the more wonderful that the main
track could be cleared for the fast Chicago
flyer, No. IS, which is due in this city at
6:10 d. m. The rails were relaid and the
debris was thrown to one side fifteen min
utes before No. Is reached the city limits
Officers Jackson, Blumberg and Curran
were on duty all night at the scene of the
wreck.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

car split in two. not realizing for an in
slant what was happening" said Mr..
Cults. The next thing knew I was lying
In the cinders beside the track. 1 didn't
realize that I had been unconscious. as
didn't remember Of anything striking me.
but knew I had been unconscious for
about. Ny hair was full OF cinders and
while In half dazed condition brushed
1t out. / suddenly seemed to realize that
many OF my men had been killed and in
Jured and went to do what little could
to help them. I helped remove McManus
and Irving Long from the wreckage
then crawled under the wrecked cars and
pulled Allen out
THE scene on all sides was CHASTITY and
] could not help wondering how I had e.
capped death or serious injury. I believe
must have been hurled through the roof
clear OF the car and the cinders in my hair
Indicated that 1 evidently alighted on my
head on the embankment. Ny clothes were
not torn in the least and the only injury
received was bruised ankle and heel. did
what little / could to help the players out
OF the wTeckage, but soon felt as IL
would faint. 1 then went away with some
or the injured. 1t seemed to me that the
men seated on the west side of the coach
Jared the worst, as most OF them were
killed"
Mr.. Cults will remain in the city most Of
the week caring for the injured players at
the hospitals.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
PATHETIC SCENES.
Sad Procession to TutewiIer's Morgue
and the Hospitals.

The scenes at Tutewiler's morgue and the
various undertaking establishments where
the dead were taken were most depressing.
Parents and anxious friends inquired at all
the morgues for the missing and when the
one looked for was found cold in death
tears came in abundance. The young men
who were killed were all robust and healthy
when they left Lafayette yesterday morn
Ing. Physical giants, every one, and their
lives going out violently in the prime Of
their youth made the accident the more ter
rible. One of the peculiar facts about the
wreck was the fact that not one woman
injured to any extent. While no wom-
en- were in the coach in which the football
team rode, many were in the car directly
behind. but in some miraculous manner
they escaped with a few slight bruises and
bumps.
AT the scene of the accident the utmost
confusion reigned. Some of the injured
groaned in their pain while others gritted
, their teeth and awaited their turn with the
doctors in silence. One young man whose
legs were crushed of in wild delirium sat
up for moment and laughed, but second
later he fell backward unconscious into the
arms OF doctor who was attracted by the
strange scene.
Another young man who was struck on
the head with piece of flying timber be-
came temporarily deranged and raved at
the students Of the Indiana University.
whom he blamed for the accident. He said
they had caused the wreck in order to de-
feat Purdue, but a moment later he was
Quieted by several doctors who admins
tered an oplate.
At the City Hospital the work of caring
for the injured was almost perfection. DIR.
Jobes and his assistants did the work with
the skill that comes only from experience,
and too great praise cannot be given him
and his staff of doctors for the way they
conducted the relief
AT st. Vincents Hospital a number Of
patients were cared for, but none of them
was seriously injured and the strain on the
doctors was not so heavy. All night long at
the City Hospital the doctors took turns In
watching the injured and everybody was
made comfortable could be expected
under the circumstances.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
VANDALISM ADDED TO HORROR.
Worst Kind of Thieves Looted Pockets
of the Dead and Injured.

OF the Dead and Injured.
Outrages Of vandals added to the horror
of the early arrivals at the scene Of the
wreck, and while it Is true that the worst
form of criminals-those who try to steal
from the injured and loot the pockets of
the dead-had only a few minutes in which
TO ply their work, II is said that a few OF
them succeeded in carrying away some
money and valuables before the crowd de-
tected them.
One woman living I'm the neighborhood
who was one OF the first to arrive at the
scene OF the catastrophe, said she noticed a
few men who looked like the worst type
of thieves, moving among the injured and
the dead. The vandals seemed to appear on
the scene directly after the wreck and the
woman said she could not realize where
they came from, but they lost little time
lay on the ground These men pretended to
be lending assistance to the injured, but
they bent over the forms OF the PROSTATE
lnen just long enough to presumably place
their hands over the hearts OF the injured
while in reality the vandals were rapidly
taking money and valuables from the pock-
cts of the PROSTATE forms.
The woman said she noticed the peculiar
actions OF two or three OF the men and she
told other men who passed her OF what
she had seen. The new arrivals rushed to-
In the crowd and were lost. There is no
way OF ascertaining how much booty the
vandals stole during the few minutes they
were on the scene. but the woman said she
noticed them kneel over at least half a
dozen men.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
story of an Eyewitness.

Roy Clifford. of 1919 Highland place. tells
the following story of the wreck: IT was
standing in the back door of my residence
looking for the special train which
had already heard whistle. The trains
came together with resounding crash
and was the first one to the wreck. My
wife and myself did what we could for
the injured as did the other neighbors who
live In the immediate vicinity of the wreck
/ carried Powell out of the wreckage and
bandaged his wounds as well as / could.
/ saw a woman whose name do not know
smash a car window with a seat arm and
she then crawled out OF the window. She
was not injured but badly scared. 1 was
called to work shortly after this and was
unable to do any more for the sufferers.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
WORK OF THE DOCTORS.
Men Manning the AmbuIances and
Others Did Excellent Work.

Within a few moments after the Inflated
passenger train crashed into its ruin the
City Dispensary. and hospital ambulances
were on the scene and the work of caring
for the injured was begun. Private am
balances were called and the city patrol
wagon was used for carrying people from
the scene OF the accident the various
hospitals
Drs. Mackey and Sheek. of the City Dis
pensary, assisted by Drs Jeffries, Jones
and Crockett. proved themselves to be
thoroughly efficient IN such a catastrophe
and In a systematic way they cared for
many sufferers and hauled them to the
City Hospital.
The City Hospital ambulance. attended
by Drs. Wallace, Kiser and Hadley. did
excellent work in looking after the injured
and the doctors of both the dispensary and
hospital were commended by the people
who were unable TO lend a helping hand.
Drs. Sweet, Chappell and Fisher, Of Bobbs's
Free Dispensary. and a score of physi-
clans throughout the city answered the
call for medical aid and considering the
gravity OF the accident and the great
number OF persons hurt, the work of the
relief doctors could not have been done any
better. The Big Four Railway sent num-
Der Of physicians to the scene of the acct
dent to look after their interests and every
possible effort was made to relieve the
distressed
A number OF persons were carried to the
residence OF DR.. s. r. Cunningham, 1902
Highland avenue, and his home was
turned into veritable hospital.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
PURDUE's DARK PROSPECTS,.
1t Is Probable There VIII he No Team
for a Few Years.

1t is very probable that there never was
a wreck or serious catastrophe in this
country that showed such large list of
dead and manned specimens of phsyical
development as the wreck of yesterday.
Nearly all the names in the list of killed
are those of Purdue varsity football play
ers or substitutes, while the list OF in
jured includes many who have earned en-
viable regulations on the football grid
iron either in big games or on the other
elevens representing that university. Some
OF those men were so badly injured that
they never again will be able TO take up
athletics, while the others who were only
slightly hurt may never desire to again
don football uniforms because Of the terri
BILE experience through which they have
just passed.
The wreck so completely wiped out the
football stars as to make another team
al Purdue this year an impossibility even
were the surviving members inclined to
take another interest in the sport. 1t is
probabls that Purdue may not have a
the university will not have a representa-
tive eleven for three four years. The
reason for this Is obvious, as the best
PLAYERS have been killed and crippled and
the ranks OF the substitutes from which
the varsity would have been made up
next year and the year after are depleted
OF more than a score OF good men. The
wreck meant a great deal 10 the athletic
future OF the university and no one con-
near future q representative eleven for
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
MAYOR HoLTzMAN SHOCKED.
He Was at the Hospital and Visited
Scene OF the Wreck.

Mayor Hoffman went to the City Hos
pitai yesterday afternoon and spent more
than an hour with the students who were
injured In the wreck OF the Purdue special
train. The mayor called on every one OF
the forty or more injured students, speak
ing words OF cheer and comfort. and assur-
ing them that they would receive the very
best care and attention the city of Indian-
apolis can give them.
This wreck of the Big Four special
bearing the Purdue students Is one of the
most appalling disasters that ever hap
pened Ia Indianapolis said the mayor last
night at his apartments at the Claypool
Hotel "ADd. from the fact that these
young men and women who were on the
Inflated train were 10 be our guests to-
day-guests OF the city-we feel the disaster
as keenly as If they were citizens OF our
city.
"I was terribly shocked when the news
ef the wreck reached my Office. 1 was just
completing my mornings work and in
tended TO 60 &C the game In the afternoon.
indianapolis should feel proud of the man
ner IN which her citizens and every DEPART
ment OF the city rushed to the scene OF
the disaster and rendered every possible
assistance to the injured and in caring for
the dead.
'When arose this morning and looked
out on the beautiful day I thought with
great pleasure OF the gala time the students
OF Indiana and Purdue Universities were to
have in Indianapolis. What a pail of gloom
and sadness was cast over the city when,
about the middle OF the morning. the news
came that the first section or the Purdue
special train had been wrecked on the out
skirts OF the city and nearly score OF
Purdue students had been killed and more
than two score had been frightfully injured.
What an awful. awful thing this wreck was.
'For the city Of indianapolis wish to ex-
fend to the families OF those who were
killed and those who were injured the SYM
patty OF the citizens OF our city"
.kbout noon Mayor Hoffman went to the
seine OF the wreck. He would have gone out
as soon as the news OF the disaster reached
his Office. but he could not leave his official
business until two hours after the wreck
occurred.
Mayor and Mrs. Hoffman were to have
attended tho football game, the guests of
both universities. Friday afternoon the
mayor accepted an invitation from repre-
sentatives OF both schools to go 10 the game
and occupy a box IN the center Of the grand
stand
Yesterday was the eighth wedding ami
.srsary OF Mr. and Mrs. Holtzman and they
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

sonal property, with their significant
marks and stains. had a peculiar fasci-
nation for the spectators. who read in
them clearly the fearful story of what had
happened in the demolished cars.
In the crowd were professional and ANA
teur photographers, who seized the
opportunity to take some remarkable pic
lures. The wreck was snapped from every
point OF view. the photographers crawling
over the wreckage and heaps of debris to
places of vantage.
1t was not until evening fell and the
trainmen had cleared the track that the
crowds ceased coming.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
L. N. Grant. Narrow Escape.

L. N. Grant. president of tie Purdue Uni
versity Athletic Association. had a narrow
escape from death In the wreck yesterday
morning. Mr.. Grant was riding in the fifth
when the train came into the city. Just
before the wreck occurred he started TO
walk through to the first car, where he had
left his overcoat- He was in the vestibule
between the second and third cars when
the train collided with the cut of coal cars.
Il think L had very narrow escape,
said MIR. Grant at the Denison Hotel last
night. "a minute longer and l would nave
been in the front end of the front car. AS
it was ] escaped with only cut on my
hand"
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
ENGINEER IN TEARS.
shumai<er Thought There Might BE
Another Wreck.

Engineer shumaker. of the special train.
was fearful that two wrecks instead of one
would occur. He had started back TO flag
the second section OF the train which was
carrying a large number Of Purdue stu
dents when he was notified that the crew
OF the second section had already been
warned. The story as told by r. w. Oil
Yer, OF Highland place, is as follows:
IT was coming south on the main track
Just after the smashup had occurred. En-
gfneer Shumaker ran past me and the tears
were streaming down his face. He cried:
For Gods sake stop the second section
and don't let another wreck like that oc-
cur I tried to soothe him and told him
that the second section had already been
tagged. but he would not listen to me and
kept crying. For Gods sake stop them "
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
REMOVAL OF BODIES.
ARRANGEMENTS Being Made to Take
Dead students to Former Homes.

Arrangements for the removal to their
late homes OF the bodies OF the three men
that were removed to Kregelo's under
taking establishment were made last night.
Mr.. and Mrs. r. s. Truitt. OF NoblesviIle.
the parents OF Samuel Truitt. arrived in the
city early in the evening. They arranged
To take the body of their son TO their home
in Noblesville to-day at 11:20 O'Clock.
Three brothers-in-law OF Charles Fur, of
Veedersburg, reached the city last night
j. N. Kerr, one OF the three, stated early In
the evening that they would start for
Veedersburg with Furr's body at IL 80
O'Clock last night.
The mother OF Samuel Shaw. OF Indiana
Harbor, wired Mr.. kregelc that she would
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

subdued Assemblage of Students at
the Union Station.


Several hundred Purdue students returned
to Lafayette last night a special train
over the Big Four. The train bringing the
students to Indianapolis was run In two
sections. Only one section was run last
night. as fewer than half the students
wanted to return to Lafayette until to-day
or tomorrow. The special train left the
Union Station at $50.
One would not have suspected on going
to the Union Station last evening that
hundreds of college students were assembled
there. The crowd of Purdue students which
went to the station was anything
but typical college crowd. Gloom
and sadness hung over them and there was
nothing of the usual merry college spirit
to the crowd. In the place OF the old gold
and black ribbons which the students wore
to Indianapolis they wore only the
heavy black ribbon, out OF respect to
their fellow-students who were killed and
those they left in the hospitals of this city.
injured and MANNED.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
Action of Big Four officials.

CINCINNATI, Oct. a.-The general Of
ficers OF the Big Four state that they did
everything possible to-day for the relief
Of those suffering directly and indirectly
on account of the Lafayette special
wrecked at Indianapolis to-day.
General Passenger Agent Warren j.
Lynch has directed agents Of the entire
system everywhere to furnish free trans
portation to members of the families and
relatives of those who were killed or in
jured who desire to come to the relief Of
their friends.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
Hospital Attaches CompIimented.

DR.. Jobes and his corps of assistants at
the City Hospital have been the recipients
Of much praise for the very able way in
which the injured were cared for. DIR. A.
C. Kimberlin and Mayor Hoffman were in
specting the hospital when the first OF the
injured were carried in and stated last
night that nothing more could have been
done for the suffering than was accom-
plished by Superintendent Jobes and his
assistants.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

most beautiful suburban farm, former
iy owned by Mr.. III. p WATSON. containing
sixty-seven acres. located on the Millers-
vile road. adjoining the villa OF Fletcher
s. Hines, has been sold by Mrs. +. Nj.
Chambers. daughter of General I. A. Nor
ris. OF San Diego. Cal. 10 Mrs. Jacob +.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

expected to celebrate the event by enter
tanning party of friends in their box. In
the evening they planned to entertain a
number of friends at dinner at the Clay
pool Hotel On account Of the disaster to
Purdue University Mr.. and Mrs Hoffman
postponed their wedding anniversary cele-
hraffon
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01

reach the city st $40 o'clock this morning
and that she would leave for home with
the body OF her son sometime to-day.
Funeral services of Edward c. Robert
son will be conducted at V-hitsett & Gull
ver's chapel by Rev. ]. Cumming Smith at
9:l5 a. m. to-day.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
Flower Mission Nurses.

The Flower Mission assigned two Of their
nurses to duty at the City Hospital Mrs.
Mays was on duty all day and Miss Elean-
or Ketcham worked all night soothing the
sufferers and attending to their wants.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
CORONER Is AROUSED.


Guilty Parties.
Coroner Tutewiler said last night that he
intended to make very thorough investi-
CATION OF the wreck and II he could fix the
nRlame for the accident he would that
guilty parties were given trial in
3 Criminal Court for their negligence.
whoever was guilty OF the act OF care
essness which caused that accident should
be sent to prison and 1 will do ali in my
power to bring the guilty to Justice" said
the coroner.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
win be paid at Trust once.

Owing to the rush in the county treas
urer's office by reason of the payment Of
taxes for the last half of the year the city
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
Notice to Purdue student..

DR.. Stone sent out the statement last
night that he desired that all students.
who were able. should assemble In Fow-
lCONT1NuED ON PAGE s. COL. ~