Potosi journal., 1904-07-06
WAS COLLISION
WRECKERS' WORK =?
Wreck al Litchfeld Leads Authori
ties to Make Investigation.
OPEN SWITCH A MYSTERY
i;an.- Of These PinioncI Beneath the
DC rbris burned i,ciuTc the Eyes
OF ih, I:nrrif;ci Spec
tUtDrs.

IitchfcId, Ill, July Did train
wrprRcrs open the Wabash switch here
Snn5ay &1iesaoon and cause the cot
,ision i'll which is persons were killed
l-d approximately 80 injured?
This is the theory upon which the
au hG.i:ies are working.
States Attorney l.. Y. Hill, Of Hills
b0ro, and Coroner Gray have started
III investigation along this line.
The open switch is a mystery A
lOrt time before the wreck a south
bound fast passenger train passed safe
j. over the track. running at a high
rate Of speed. The switch had not been
used during the entire day ny train
men. according 70 & statement Of Wa
bash Agent Charles a. Corneau.
another theory is that the train
Jared the switch open by its high
speed
Monday morning a wrccEing 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
IN lie lrain. A complete list Of the
dead has not hccn made up for The
rclso on that the exact number is not
known. The official estimate. including
tWu who Gicd Monday morning. and
those who p"rishod in the wreck is %.
in m
wreck Monday morning.
was $40 p. m when tho wreck
occurred and the train was due at ST.
Louis at p. II.
Tra:n Milking tp fine.
The train was 90 mi,.utcs late and
was running at an c>timated rate Of %
miles an hour 10 make up time when
il struck tho open switch.
With a thundcrnus crash, heard by
| pcrs ons 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 p0nderouA engine recoilod,
few into the air and turned completely
around. facing tho direction from
which it had been running.
Til" tender was broken from the
| engine ard hurled over l0o feet further
down the track. shattered. twisted and
shapeIcss heap Of iron.
There were seven cars in the train.
The mail. baggage and the forward
-, 4
spIjntcrch and their unfortunat" oc-
curantS either pinioued beneath the
debris Or hurled away and wounded.
There was ccarccly Il passenger in
those two coaches who escaped without
injury.
Grrntcr IInrrnr Begins.
ThCn came the greater horror OF the
catastrophe. Tho engine frchoX had
been broken and the Goals scattered
| among the splntcrs of the wreck They
coon generated flames that swept zap
idly through The mass OF tindcr.
The city fire bell. spreati the alarm
to he populace, which turned ont CT
masse with the fire department 10
fight thI flames and to save lives
" mere litt ittdift IL {! VI HtN IL '}ttH
and many We're saved in this way.
One unidentified woman, whose
ankles were pinned beneath a heavy
beam, begged those working on The
wreck to cut off her legs rather than
allcw her to perish il The fire. The res
cucrs worked swiftly ahoHt 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 bys'aNders say three. some i've
The clcarinc away of the wrcckage viii
rot tell the story. for the bodies were
entirely consumed by the fire.
The i0dics of The en@ineer ard fire.
man. who were urdou,Gjediy killed, are
still under She engine, If they. too
have not been burned. Howard Groves
| 2 train dispa,cher is also said to haE.
been or the engine. No trace Of him
has been found.