Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-04
FATALRAILWAYWRECK
MANY PERSONS KILLED IN AN
ACCIDENT ON WABASH ROAD.
Train Ran Into an Open Switch inside
City Limits-seven Cars Burn
ed-Piled in Heap.


inside the city limits. The train struck
an open switch and was overturned. and
seven of the nine cars were burned. 1t
is believed that twenty persons persisted
in the second and third coaches, and that
forty were injured. The injured are be-
ing cared for in the st.. Francis Hospital
in this CITY,.
A partial list of the killed follows: I. r.
Mills. Decatur. ILL.,; II. NJ. Dutrich. To-
N. D.; Rev. N. M. Mills, Bridgeton, N. j.;
r. A Dretrich. Chicago: Florence Smith.
Chicago; Hugo Peero. Montreal: Miss
Hakins. Chicago: Mrs. G. F. Lucher. MIL
Howard Groves, train dispatcher. Decatur;
unknown boy. about fifteen years old;
Daniel H. Davis. Decatur: T. A. Eschstadt,
Chicago; Miss Perkins. Chicago
The. injured passengers. all of whom are
| in serious condition, are as follows: Mrs.
| F. l.. Smith, Chicago; A. V. Kenyon. Kings
ton. N. c.: NJ. Ward, residence unknown:
| E. H. Rose, Riverside. Cal; w. NJ. Balls.
a Greek; Alois Gerig, Chicago; Mrs The
| resa Gerig, Chicago: Elizabeth Weber. Chi
| cago; Labisus Eckhardt, Chicago; ]. II.
Archebolt Kingston. N. Y; H. A. Archie
bolt. Kingston. N. Y.
Seven trainmen were seriously hurt
There are twenty others in hospitals.
whose names cannot be learned.
Struck String Of Freight Cars.
The engine after running into the switch
struck string of freight cars. and. with
the first three coaches, was piled into a
heap across the track, and caught fire
Immediately.
/. r. Mills, who was killed, was internal
revenue collector at Decatur. and one of
| the most prominent republicans in CEN
| trail Illinois.
The track was reported clear at the last
station. and as the train was running
q 10 mo n
was not noticed. Il
Nearly all the passengers were bound
for st. Louis, and those not injured left
on the Illinois Central train an hour later.
Three Of the injured have since died.
Coroner Gray is here and will hold an
| inquest.
Survivor Tells Story.
A dispatch from ST. Louis says: Mr.. and
Mrs. w. Bachelor of Chicago, who were on
the wrecked train. arrived in st. Louis
tonight. coming over the Illinois Central
I've know very little about the wreck"
| said Mr.. Bachelor when seen at his hotel.
I'VE were in the chair car at the rear of
the train, and it did not leave the track.
When the accident occurred the front
cars piled upon the engine. took fire and
burned. There were dead and injured
people all around, and 1t seemed to us
that there were forty killed but probably
| the number is not SO great. We did not
| learn the cause of the accident nor the
| actual number of the dead and injured, as
| we took the Illinois Central train for st.
| Louis soon after the accident
Many of the passengers who were unin-
| jured were brought to st. Louis tonight on
| the Illinois Central road.
Interviews with several of them elected
the information that the train consisted
| of seven cars. all heavily loaded with pas
sengers. The three rear cars, diner and
two sleepers, We're not derailed. The other
in mi
nate mass. and. with the crushed freight
cars on the siding, took fire. A rumor
spread that one of the freight was
loaded with explosives, and for the time
| this had the effect of retarding the work
| of the reScuerS.
Bodies Were Cremated in Wreckage.
DIR. p J. H. Farrell of Chicago. who
was uninjured, at once went to work d.
recting the rescue work and giving medi-
cal attention to the injured. Temporary
| hospital headquarters were hastily estab-
| lished in Litchfield and the injured were
| removed to It. Coroner Gray hurried to
| the scene and the dead were removed as
| speedily as possible to undertaking rooms.
| 1t is probable that the exact number of
| dead will not be known for several days,
as the passengers here assert that bodies
| were cremated in the burning debris.
| A relief train was hurried from Decatur,
| and in a driving rain TIE work of rescue
proceeded.
Saw Two People Burned to Death.
A. e. Darling of st. Louis was one of
| the passengers on board the observation
| car. He said: Il saw two persons burned
| to death. One was a man and the other
| a young girl. 1 do not know their names
| Wreckage held them down until the heat
| became unbearable. and the men who were
| trying to save them could not remain an
1 rlA- thar
| senger, woman. whose feet were pinned
| down by a heavy beam. 1t could not be
moved. and she begged that her feet be
cut off. Flames drove everybody away
| before she could be saved"
F. Ward Of Chicago showed particular
nerve One of his legs had been torn off
| When he was carried out of the wreck he
said:
! Lay me down somewhere and go back
and save the women and children.
The wounded were mostly taken to pri-
vate houses in the vicinity of the wreck,
| and later on those who were able were
| removed to hospitals. The survivors OF
| the disaster went on to st. Louis late to-
| night.
| President Joseph Ramsey. jr.. received
| the following telegram tonight from Itch
field:
| From the best information I can get
| upon arriving here there about fifteen
| killed and twenty-five injured. Engineer
| Sandford Is killed. DR.. Parish of the De-
| Catur ftOSpltdl Is III CIldTSt VI tlc iEJuI GU
and will run them to Decatur as soon as he
| is ready to receive them
| Fears About Delegates.
| 1t is believed many Illinois delegates to
| the st. Louis convention were aboard the
| train, but their fate is unknown.
The wreck tore down the telegraph lines
and all the information received came in
a brief bulletin from Alhambra,. ILL.,. and
| a telegram to the railroad officials from,
| Decatur.
Joseph Ramsey. jr., president of the Wa
| bash, said late tonight:
| What information l have Is to the effect
| that the train was derailed at a switch al
| Litchfield. l presume the accident occurred
| in the yards not far from the station
Poisoned by Candy Sent by Mail.
A dispatch from Atlantic City last night
| says: Suffering from symptoms Of poison