The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-07-21
A picnic TRAIN
IS DEMOLISHED n ]
LADEN WITH SUNDAY SCHOOL
CHILDREN IT Is WRECKED
AT aLENwooD, ILL.
Crashes Into Coal Cars, and Nine
teen Women and Children Are
Killed-About IS More Are In
jured.

AAASAoSt
sons were killed, % seriously injured,
and SO others scratched and
bruised at 6:55 o'clock Wednesday at
Glenwood, ILL.,, when an excursion train
of II coaches on the Chicago & Eastern
Illinois railroad, bearing 654 members
of Doremus Congregational chapel,
crashed into loaded coal train.
The excursion train left the picnic
grounds at Momence, ILL.,, at six o'clock.
The entire day had been spent at games
and outdoor pleasures, and the tired
crowd Of men, women and children was
being hurried to their homes in the vi
cinity of the church at Thirty-first and
Butler streets.
The engine, baggage car, and one pas
senger coach were crushed in the collis-
ion. All of the dead and most of the in
jured were in the first coach.
All of the dead and injured were placed
on board special trains and brought to
Chicago, arriving at Englewood station
at midnight. The injured were removed
to Englewood Union hospital, while the
dead were taken to Thirty-Third street
on the relief train, and from there
removed to Perrigo's morgue, where sew
eral thousand anxious relatives crowded
attending the Identification of the bodies
and the receiving of the injured from the
trains has seldom been equaled in Chi
cago. ''
The Cause,
Orders misunderstood, or negligence of
the train crews, is believed to have been
the cause. The excursion train, north
bound, had been transferred to the south
bound track, which was supposed to be
clear. The engine of the excursion spe-
cial p1owed its way through the coal cars
and them came to stop with a terrific
jar. The impact forced the baggage car
back into the first coach, telescoping it.
and crushing the life out of those who
were in the forward end of the car.
Rescue Work Begins.
not leave the track, and the engineer and
fireman were uninjured. The engineer
shut off steam, and in moment the
train crew was at work to assist the in
jured. Eleven coaches made up the spe-
cial, and all Of these were shattered, the
breaking glass infiicting injuries to the
occupants of the cars. The screams of
women and children added to the con-
fusion.
Train men and older passengers, who
were uninjured, quickly extricated the
injured, carried the bodies of the dead to
the side of the track, and messages were
sent to Chicago Heights and Glenwood
asking for relief. Two trains were soon
on the scene, both of them carrying sur
geons and wrecking crews. Bonfires were
lighted and the work of caring for those
most seriously hurt was begun.
For ten minutes the confusion was at
the highest pitch. Children were Shrek
ing, distracted mothers were searching
for their babes. and the horror of the
scene was intensified as under the glare
of the fire light the train crew moved the
bodies of the dead from the debris.
Care for Wounded.
On the arrival Of the first relief train
from Chicago Heights the coaches were
stripped of their cushions, field hospitals
were hastily improvised and every pos
sible attention given to the wounded.
Within two hours after the first crash
two trains had been made up, one to
carry the injured, the other to transport
the dead, and started for Chicago. The
uninjured excursionists were later
brought in by third special sent from
Glenwood.