The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-09
RICHMOND boy IN
VAuDALIA WRECK
RAYMOND LICHTENFELS HAS A
ROUGH EXPERIENCE
HE WAS ONLY
$SLlGHTLY INJURED
Returned Home Last Night-Gave
His Experiences to the Palladium
Representative.

The dispatches today tell of the aw-
full wreck that occurred on the Van
dalia yesterday afternoon about 2:50,
near Plainield, Ind.
Right where the wreck occurred a
short distance east OF Plalnield
Junction, is the fastest piece Of track
on the system, and No. 20, the Van
dalia' crack fast train, was running
from fifty to sixty miles an hour.
On No. 20 was a Richmond boy, Mr..
Raymond Lichtenfels Of No. 124 south
Twelfth street. Raymond had been
to Colorado, had been up on Pixies
Peak, and enjoyed his western trip
hugely, but the shock he received In
the wrecking Of No. 20 took all the
poetry out of the trip for Raymond.
He arrived home at Oils last night,
and when Palladium representative
called upon him this morning he was
still suffering from the fright and
shock that was the experience OF his
life. When asked concerning his trip
Mr.. Lichtenfels said:
We left ST. Louis at $40 yesterday
morning in buoyant spirits. Ever
thing. ent.along smoothly until after
Plainfefd Station was passed. The
| fast train does not stop at this station
and the town of Plainfeld is not on
the road. We had no intimation of
the awful accident that befell us un-
til it happened. Oh! You can't des-
cribe the feelings that comes over one
when something like this occurs.
There is little time for action and less
time for plans. I thought my time
had come and it was here | was to
meet my doom. Thoughts of home
and family came crowding upon me
like flash. There were several little
children on the train and / was anx-
ious about them. Just this side Of the
junction the axle Of the engine broke
and the engine was disconnected and
ran ahead about half mile. The bag
gage car was run onto the siding and
was thrown upon it's side. | was In
the smoker and was just about to re-
turn to the coach where my suit case
was, when the accident happened. The
smoker was now in the lead. Every
body in the car land there were about
thirty-fve Of us) was jostled back
ward and forward, and at times we
didn't know where we were, the ex-
citement was so intense. My first
thought was to jump out of the win
dow, but I observed steam eminating
from somewhere and my better judg-
ment prevailed and [ stayed with the
crowd. The smoker in which [ was
seated was thrown over a ditch and
into the yard of Mr. c. H. Oursler
whose house was on a hill above
the track. BY this time the smoker
was on fire and in five minutes was g
complete mass of flames. We got out
of the smoker just in time. went
in search of my suit case and found
the coach on fire. 1t was fortunate
for me that I had been sitting in the
!, rear end Of the coach, for by this time
the front end was a mass of flames
I crawled in at the rear door and Sc
cured my suit case, landing on the
ground again uninjured. Mr.. Our
sler had telephoned from his house t.
Plainfield for help and people sooi
came from all directions and the worl
of caring for the injured began. The
mail car was on fire, but all the mail
save one bag, was gotten out.
There was an oil tank in close prox
. unity and we were all afraid of al
explosion. There were nine coaches
| on the train. Four of them wer'
, saved. A south-bound train enrout'
: to ST. Louis was reversed and we wer
: taken on it to Indianapolis, and | ar
rived home last night at 9:15.'
s.I tell you,' said Mr. Lichtenfels
cit will be long time before I vii
. want to ride on a train again.