The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-21
Left the Rails and Crashed Into .
Small Building That Was Used
for Schoolhouse.
wRECKAGE SOON IN FLAMES
AND. THE WHOLE TRAIN, EXCEPT
TWO CARS, WAS DESTROYED.
Several Freight Cars Loaded with
Coal Also Burned-Ten Persons In
jured-Accident Due to Mistake.

JAMESTOWN, n. Y. April 2O.-Eight per-
sons are dead and ten injured, three OF
them seriously. as the result of collision
early to-day between passenger and a
freight train on the Erie Railroad near Red
House, n. Y.
OF the dead only Robert n. Hotchkiss of
Meadvine, brakeman, has been identified.
Seven bodies apparently those of three men.
three women and child, were burned be-
yond recognition in the fire which followed
the collision. The women said to have
boarded the train at Youngstown. o., and
to have come from Pittsburg. r. S. Nc
Cready. a mail weigher of Meadville. Pa.
and Frank Barhite. of jamestown, trav-
cling salesman. missing. and IL is likely
two of the unidentified bodies are those Of
the two men, The injured are:
H. PULsIFER, New York city. badly
bruised.
c. w. MEsIcK. 22s Adams street, Chi
cago, back badly injured.
ANNA STELL. Brooklyn, N. Y. shocked
and very sick.
H. P. CLEMINGER, mail clerk. Gerry.
N. Y. ribs fractured and body bruised.
JOHN DROUGOUAN. Duluth. bruised
and badly cut.
MRS. FOOTE, eighty years old, ST. Paul,
Mimi, bruised and shocked.
S. A. COOKE. negro porter. New York
city, back and ribs injured.
c. s. JOHNSON, negro porter. Somer-
vile, N. j., leg fractured.
II. c. GABLER, express messenger, Ma
rion,, o.. leg cut on; probably fatally In
B. t. BELL. fireman. head and back
bruised
Mrs. Foote, e. c. sabbler and Fireman
Bell are in the hospital at Salamanca. The
others were able to proceed 10 their desti-
nation.
The wrecked passenger train left Chicago
Sunday forenoon. Ii was made up of a
combination car, two day coaches. three
sleeping cars and two private cars. 1t was
derailed by striking a freight train. which
was taking a siding at Red House. The
wreck at once took fire, and the combina-
tion car, day coaches and sleeping cars. to-
gether with several freight cars. were
burned.
There is some dispute as to the cause OF
the wreck. The passenger train was rum
ming east, and the freight. which was west
bound, had orders to go into the siding at
Red House TO wait for the passenger train
to pass. The siding is about a mile and
half long. and there is a tower Of the block
system near the west end. The freight was
drawn by two locomotives. Some trouble
was experienced in entering the siding. and
the foremost locomotive of the freight was
sent ahead on the siding with a fiagman to
hold the express. 1t is alleged that the op
orator in the tower, Lawrence Vale, seven-
teen years old. the light locomotive OF
the freight, which was bringing up the
flag and supposed the freight was the
eli no IL a
white signal to the passenger train, indi-
eating to the engineer that the track was
clear The engineer on the passenger train
failed TO see the fagman sent out from the
forward locomotive of the freight train.
and saw only the clearance signal from, the
tower.
The train ran toward the east end OF the
siding at high speed, and coilided with the
second locomotive OF the freight just as IL
was about TO clear the main line. The pas
senger locomotive and some of the cos ches
crashed into a small wooden structure used
as feed store and schoolhouse. The first
half dozen cars OF the freight were wrecked.
They were box cars loaded with coal. The
coal filled In among the wreck. creating an
intense heat. All but three OF the cars OF
the express followed the locomotive. and
the whole mass OF wreckage soon in
| flames. The tracks were strewn for rods
with burning wood and coal and heaps OF
twisted iron.
One private car was occupied by w. j.
| Murphy, his wife, and two officers OF the
| Queen & Crescent Railroad, and the other
| by j. L. Frazier, general superintendent OF
the Cloverleaf. All escaped uninjured-