The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-19
THREE CARS ANDENGlNE
Badly Damaged The Engine Jumped
the Track and Cars Were Piled
in a Heap.

Last eNellIlS dDOuL O.-u Udu
wreck occurred at the north sixth
street crossing Of the Pennsylvania
railroad in this city. Passenger train
No. 20, due here at 4:50, was about
twenty minutes late. When the train
had crossed the bridge it was run
ming at about the required speed. A
freight train was running ahead on
the same track and as No. 20 round
ed the curve it ran into the rear OF
the freight and sent the caboose and
two coaches into the air. The three
cars were smashed beyond further
usefulness and the remains were piled
in heap, while the small stuff in the
freight ears was scattered promis-
cuously about the vicinity where the
accident occurred. The engine of No.
20 had the front end torn off and had
to be taken to the shop for repairs.
After the clash came No. 20 was back
ed and run onto another track in or
der to get into the depot with its car
go of human freight and when cross
ing Sixth street the COW catcher was
imbedded in the wood Of the cross
ing and the engine jumped the track.
This new phase of the situation re-
quired some little time to adjust and
it was nearly six o'clock when the
train pulled into the station and an
other engine attached.
The loss to the company will be the
cost of two freight cars and caboose
and the damage to the engine.
Fortunately no person was serious
ly injured, and only a few slight
scratches were observed. When the
two trains came together the passen-
gers were only slightly shaken up,
but when the engine jumped the track
at the crossing the shock to the pas
sengers was quite severe, for by this
time they were in receptive condi-
tion for anything that might happen.
The ladies on the train were pretty
generally frightened. The wreck no
sooner occurred than there was a
large force of men at work getting
the engine back upon the track. Hun
dreds of town people were also on the
scene in short time.
The Cause.
In this as in most railroad wrecks,
there was cause for it, and that
cause will be ascertained when the
official examination occurs. 1t seems
strange that the man in the tower
would allow the passenger to run on
to the freight when he knew of the
presence of both on the same track
and at the same time. But it occurred
and the cause will be ferreted out
and somebody will get good big lay
off.
Had the caboose had an occupant
at the time of the wreck he would
have been instantly killed, as the
structure was splintered into kind
ling wood and the next car was badly
shattered. The passenger train was
not injured in the least. After an
hours work on clearing away the
debris another engine was secured
and the passengers went on.
The passenger officials state that
the safety block was thrown open and
that of course the passenger went
ahead. The flagman at the sixth
street crossing did not flag the pas
senger. but he states that he was una
ware of there being freight on the
passenger track. The engineer Of the
freight says that he was compelled to
wait on another freight in front of
him before he was able to pull his
train out and that while he was wait
ing the passenger struck his train.