Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-07-18
TRAINS COLLIDE
At STEGER, ILL,
DISASTROUS WRECK ON CHICAGO
& EASTERN ILLINOIS.
AN OPEN SWITCH THE CAUSE
Three Persons Killed and a Dozen or
More Injured-Wreck of Freight
Train Costs Three Lives
in Iowa.


known to be dead and IL or more in
jured as the result Of wreck on
the Chicago & Eastern Illinois rail-
road. A special train crashed into q
suburban train at Steger, ILL.,, early
Friday. Other reports had it that
bodies were still in the wreckage.
Some of the injuries are expected to
prove fatal to those now being cared
for at hospitals.
Accident at "Facing Switch"
The accident was caused by a
facing SWITCH" one similar to that
which caused the wreck of the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern train
near Cleveland recently. The switch
was open, either through accident or
design. Coroner Hoffman and Vice
President H. l. Miller, of the railroad
company, have started separate inves-
LEGATIONS. Coroner Hoffman, on learn
ing that an open switch was the cause,
went direct to Steger to make per-
sonal inquiry.
The dead are: James Lyke, Chicago,
engineer OF suburban train; George
Epstein, Chicago Heights; Charles
Horn, Crete, clerk employed in Chi
cago post Office.
Many other persons were injured,
several of whom may die.
Engines and Car in Ruins.
Most of those injured were in the
smoking car Of the suburban train.
Both engines we're demolished, as well
as the first suburban coach. The st.
Louis special train consisted of Ia
heavy coaches, and was due to arrive
in Chicago at 7;45 o'clock. The sub.
nrban train, consisting Of two coaches
and an engine, was bound for its ter,
minal ct Crete.
Both trains neared the station at
Steger at the same time. The special
was running 80 miles an hour, while
the other was just drawing up to the
station. Suddenly the engine of the
St. Louis train left the north bound
track and dashed across switch and
into the suburban train on the parallel
rails. Two OF the heavy cars on the
st. Louis train left the tracks.
buAy 1UoA 70 1SSsC0S.
The crash was heard throughout the
town Of Steger, and many persons hur.
ried to the assistance Of the injured
Passengers from ST. Louis assisted the
train crews IN extricating the dead
and MANNED from the wrecked smok-
Ing car Of the suburban train. The
accident was due to an open switch,
according to persons who visited the
wreck shortly after the wreck oc-
CURED.
After the bodies Of the victims had
been taken from the wreckage the in:
3nrsd were placed on special train
and rushed to Chicago.
Engineer Lyke, Of the suburban
train, fell from his seat under the
heavy st. Louis engine, which ever-
turned and crushed him to death. Ep-
stein was sitting In the forward part
Of the ill-fatsd smoker, He was
ground between the side Of the car
and his seat
Three Killed Ia iowa.
Marshalltown. Ia,. July 15.-Three
men were killed and two probably ia.
tally injured Friday in q freight wreck
on the Iowa Central railroad, near
Richland, la. The dead are: Jesse
Long, engineer; William West, fire.
man; Samuel Woolsey, brakeman. The
injured: Engineer G. H. Williams and
". 4. MoMahon, fireman. A car Of oil
took fire. the tank exploded and burned
the bodies Of the killed to crisp. The
Are destroyed q bridge over q creek.
where the wreck occurred and burned
six cars. All the dead men lived ct
Oska1oosa