The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-31

Indianapolis Oct. 31.-The Big
Four train carrying the members OF
the football team Of Purdue Un1ver-
sity from Lafayette, was wrecked near
Riverside Park, this morning, at the
edge of this city.
Several players are seriously and
perhaps fatally hurt. The team was
scheduled to play with the Indiana
State University this afternoon.
A number of dead bodies have been
taken from the wreck thus far and
there are still others in the wreck.
Some of the killed and injured are
members Of the team. The list or
dead thus far identified is as follows:
E. J. ROBERTSON, Indianapolis.
WALTER r.. ROUGH, Ptttsburg.
l.. e. RUSH. Pittsburg.
r. j. HOWELL, Corpus Christi,
Texas.
SAM sQUIB, Lafayette.
w. d. HAMILTON, Huntington, Ind.
J: M. HUNTINGTON; Lafayette,
GABRIEL S. DRoLL1NGER, be-
headed.
JOSEPH COATS, substitute player.
Fifteen persons are known to have
been killed.
The list Of injured will reach thirty.
Among them are:
Joe Knapp, Evansville.
John Miller, both legs broken.
DR.. Ritting, seriously injured.
w. J. McNlanus, Davenport, Iowa,
both legs broken.
Clark Meyers, Monticello, Ind.
II. a. Bailey, Richmond, Ind.
M. o. Wright, Pendleton, Ind.
William Sprau, Sandusl<y, Ohio.
Irving Long, Louisville.
Charles Fansman, Cincinnati.
Walter Taggart, Owen, Ind.
Fred Rebel, indianapolis, slightly
injured.
w. M. Leslie captain of the team
last year, seriously hurt.
Captain Osborn, of the team, seri-
ously hurt.
The accident was due to several cars
running down from the switch at the
gravel pit at Eighteenth street. The
engineer of the students special saw
the cars approaching and jumped from
his engine. The first coach was cut
fin two and the engine was thrown on
its side. Many of the students who
were in the rear coaches of the train
were shaken up by the jolting of the
cars. ..gl ~ W. e. nj II s<s
The second car, which was occupied
by the Purdue band, was telescoped.
A More Complete Account. ~
Later-The special train bore the
Lafayette rooters, numbering nearly
1000. 1t consisted of twelve coaches
and was running as the first section
at high speed.
At a gravel pit switch near Eight
eenth street a switch engine, with a
cut of coal cars, collided with the pas
first three coaches were almost totally
destroyed. The first coach was
crushed to splinters, the second tele-
scoped and was thrown down an en-
bankment fifteen feet high, while the
third coach was overturned and
hn fro n1- 10
confusion as to what caused the acct
dent, each engineer insisting that he
had the track and did not know of the
other train. A deep cut prevented a
clear view of the track.
The crash Of the two trains threw
the coal cars thru the first two coaches,
- in which were many Of the players and
substitutes. The engine. two coal cars
and two coaches were crushed into a
confused mass of wreckage. Under
this pile Of debris were fifty or more
students of the university. The I'M
injured In the rear coach hurried to
the aid Of the victims.
Girls Aid in Rescue Work.
The work of pulling out the dead
and injured was continued by the
students and passengers, including
many girls from Lafayette, until sur
gical help arrived. The hospitals and
surgeons offices were telephoned for
aid and physicians began rushing up
in automobiles and carriages.
Ambulances and special vehicles for
hurrying away the dead and injured
were hurried to the wreck. A large
force continued tearing away the
debris and removing bodies. -s
The condition Of some Of the dead
was frightful. One body was entirely
beheaded. Others were terribly
mutilated in other ways. Two Of the
dead the Hamilton boys, were BROTH
ers. One lived at Lafayette and one at
Huntington, Ind. ,es e..
The crash Of 1.-THE collision was heard
for blocks around and the news spread
quickly and people hurried from
every direction and women who lived
in the vicinity came prepared with