The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-15
rs WERE INJURED
The Accident Was Caused by n Mis-
placed Switch. and the Excursion
Train, Rushing at 10 Miles an Hour.
Dashed Into the Freight Train
Standing on n Side Track-Thc Lo.
comotive. Baggage Car and First
Passenger Coach Were Demolished.

Chicago. July 13.-Twenty persons
We're killed and about 25 injured tonight
in a collision on the Chicago and East
ern Illinois railroad at Glenwood. H..
% miles south OF Chicago. The coils
ion occurred between a picnic train
from Chicago. which was returning
from Momence, His, and a freight
train, into the rear end OF which the
excursion train dashed at high speed.
The picnic train was coming north, and
the freight was on the northbound
track. A misplaced switch threw the
picnic train over on the northbouad
track. and before the engineer could ap-
ply the brakes. it ran at forty miles an
hour into the rear OF the freight. The
locomotive. the baggage ear and the
first coach of the picnic train We're de-
molished and all Of the killed and in
tured were on the locomotive and In
the two cars.
The picnic was the annual outing OF
the members of Doremus After spend
ing the day on the picnic grounds at
Momence, the train load started on the
return trip, running in as the second
section of the regular passenger train.
which is due in Chicago at s:25 p. m.
when the picnic train reached Chi
Cago Heights four miles beyond Glen
wood, where the accident took place
it was switched to the regular south
bound track, and although IL was COM
ing north, it was given a clear track
by the operator at Chicago Heights,
m chn arh nSsI FnVsr
miles away. The train after leaving
Chicago Heights gradually increased
its speed and when half the distance
between the two stations had been COW
cred ii was plaunging along at the rate
of forty miles an hour. Just half way
between Chicago Heights and Glen
wood there is a sharp curve As the
picnic train tore around this on the
southbound track. freight train was
backing from the southbound to the
nOrthbound track. It was partly on
both tracks and no train could have
passed it in either direction. The bend
is SO sharp that the engineer OF the
picnic train did not see the freight
until he was almost on II. II was too
late to do anything but to set the
brakes. but before they could take ef-
feet, the passenger smashed into the
freight at full speed. The locomotive
and the baggage car of the passenger
train went through the freight and
were piled up in a heap of wreckage,
on the further side of the switch track
The first coach of the picnic tram
plunged into the wreckage and buried
itself in a mass of kindling wood.
Nearly all of the passengers in the first
coach were caught beneath the mass
of debris and it was here that the loss
OF life occurred. The people in the
rear coaches were hurled from their
seats and many OF them were bruised.
but all of the serious casualties occurr-
ed in the first car. The uninJured pas
sengers and train men at once hasten
ed to the relief of those who were pin
ned under the wreckage.
The wreck was two miles from any
where and much delay ensued before
some of the injured who were held down
by heavy timbers, could be extricated.
Nothing could be done for them until
lifting machinery came from Chicago
Heights. The first train to arrive at
the wreck came from Chicago Heights
and IL carried six physicians. A short
time afterward, a second train arrived
from Glenwood. bringing additional
physicians and a number OF nurses.
Darkness had fallen and rescue went
on by the light of bonfires.
A regular relief train was made Up
at Glenwood and 1t brought the dead
and wounded to Chicago.