The leader., 1904-07-09
WAS COLLISION
WRECEERS' WORK z.
Wreck at LitchieId Leads Authori
ties to Make Investigation.
OPEN SWITCH A MYSTERY
Many 81 Those Pinioned Renehth the
Debris IIurned before the Eyes
Of the Horrifled spec-
fatOrs.


Litchfeld, ILL.,, July 5,-Did train
wreckers open the Wabash switch here
Sunday afternoon and cause the coll
Iision in which Is persons were killed
AID approximately so injured?
This is the theory upon which the
authorities are working.
States Attorney L. v. Hill, of Hills
boro, and Coroner Gray have started
an investigation along this line
The open switch is mystery A
short time before the wreck south
bound fast passenger train passed safe
Iy over the track, running at high
rate of speed The switch had not been
used. during the entire day by train
men, according to statement of Wa
bash Agent Charles A. Corneau.
Another theory Is that the train
Jared the switch open by its high
speed.
Monday morning wrecking crew
arrived and are cleaning up the debris
from the wreckage.
The wrecked train was the Chicago
limited, filled with passengers bound
for St. Louis, chiefly to attend the
Fair.
1t is estimated that 700 persons were
on the train. A complete list of the
dead has not been made up for the
reason that the exact number is not
known. The official estimate, including
two who died Monday morning, and
those who persisted in the wreck is 20.
Two more bodies were found in the
wreck Monday morning.
1t was $40 pr m. when the wreck
occurred and the train was due at st.
Louis at s p. m.
Train Making Up Time.
The train was 20 minutes late and
was running at an estimated rate of SO
miles an hour to make up time when
it struck the open switch.
With a thunderous crash, heard by
persons several miles from the city,
it dashed against the long line of empty
freight cars on. the siding, splintering
those nearest the place of contact and
completely wrecking the others.
The force of the collision was SO
great, the ponderous engine Tecoiled
flew into the air and turned completely
around. facing the direction from
which it had been running.
The tender was broken from the
engine and hurled over 100 feet further
down the track, shattered, twisted and
shapeless heap of iron.
There were seven cars in the train
The mail, baggage and the forward
passenger cars were split in twain and
sphntered and their unfortunate oc-
cupants either pinioned beneath the
debris or hurled away and wounded,
There was scarcely passenger in
those two coaches who escaped without
injury.
Greater Horror Begins.
Then came the greater horror of the
catastrophe. The engine firebox had
been broken and the Goals scattered
among the splinters of the wreck. They
soon generated flames that swept rap
| idly through the mass of finder.
The city fire bells spread the alarm
| to the populace, which turned out en-
masse with the fire department to
fight the flames and to save lives
where they heard cry or saw body,
and many were saved in this way
One unidentified woman, whose
ankles were pinned beneath heavy
beam, begged those working on the
wreck to cut off her legs rather than
allow her to perish in the fire. The res
cuers worked swiftly about her until
the heat drove them away and then
she was burned before their eyes.
The number that persisted in the
flames will probably never be known
Some bystanders say three, some FIVE
The clearing away of the wreckage will
not tell the story, for the bodies were
entirely consumed by the fire.
The bodies of the engineer and fire.
man, who were undoubtedly killed, are
still under the engine. if they, too
have not been burned. Howard Groves,
a train dispatcher, is also said to have
been on the engine. No trace of him
has been found.