The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-11-13
APPALLING DISASTER ON
BALTIMORE & OHIO ROAD
Four Score Russian and Polish lmmi-
grants Escape Massacre Only to
Meet Death in Roaring Flames.
Bunder of Empoye Sent Hapess Victims to Their Doom
Explosion of Engine Boiler.

Chicago, Nov. lahore than one
half the passengers on an immigrant
train on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road were killed or injured in col
lsion today between the passenger
train and a freight mead Woodville,
Ind.
One hundred and sixty-five passen-
gers were on the train, and of these
forty-seven were either killed outright
or were burned TO death in the fire
which broke out in the wreckage inn
mediately after the collision. The
names of all of the dead will probably
never be known, as forty-five of the
bodies We're consumed in the flames or
were SO badly burned that Identified
tion is impossible.
Thirty-eight people were injured, and
several of these will die. Eighty others
4 escaped unhurt, but lost nearly all
their baggage and clothing
Bunder of an Employe.
The disaster was caused by blunder
of some employe of the railroad COM
pany, but just where the blame lies
has not as yet been determined. The
passenger train, which was loaded with
Russian Jews, SerVianS and Poles, all
of. them recent arrivals in this coun-
try, and bound for Chicago, or places in
the northwest, was the second section
Of a through train from Baltimore.
The engineer Of the freight train, No.
S6. on instructions received at McCool,
Ind, waited at a siding at Babcock
Ind, to allow the immigrant train to
pass. One report is that the engineer
OF the freight train had not been in
formed that the passenger train was
running in two sections; the other is
that the first section of the passenger
train carried no lights or signals of any
kind indicating that second section
was close behind.
Trains Crashed Together.
As soon as the first section of the inn
migrant train had passed the switch at
Babcock, the freight train, in charge
&C Engineer Burke and Conductor
Moste, started eastward A light snow
was falling, which increased the dark
ness Of the early morning and as the
freight was rounding q sharp curve
just west of WOodville the second sec
ton of the immigrant train came in
sight a short distance away. tearing to-
ward Chicago at the rate of forty miles
an hour. The two trains came together
with unslackened speed and in the
crash six passenger coaches and sew
eral freight cars were knocked into
kindlng wood and together with the To-
comotives went rolling down the ten
foot embankment.
Met Horrible Death.
Fire broke out almost Immediately in
the wreckase. and although a number
Of the injured were saved by the des-
perate efforts OF the train crew and
surviving passengers the greater part
of those who were pinned down in the
debris were burned to death The
flames spread through the wreckage so
rapidly that il was impossible to save
a number Of people who were but
slightly hurt. but were held fast by the
ti1nbers. These were burned in plain
sight of the thrOng which stood around
the scene of the disaster utterly unable
30 lend assistance. The fire continued
Until all of the shattered cars were en-
I tirely consumed, and OF the forty-seven
y people whose deaths followed the col
Y lisiOn, forty-five were burned to ashes
Narrowing Scenes.
Relief trains were at once sent out
from South Chica go and from Valpa-
raise. Ind, with every available pro-
vision. and every possible aid was given
TO the injured. A large number of the
relatives of the passengers on the ILL
fated train were in Chicago awaiting
the arrival. and when the report OF the
catastrophe was received the scenes
around the Baltimore e. Ohio station
were narrowing. Mon were there who
had come to this country to escape the
massacres in Russia and who after
months of hard work. had saved enough
to pay the passage of members of their
families, and their grief when they be-
came aware that possibly all their sac
rifice and effort had resulted only in
the death of those they had sought to
bring to them, was pitiful
Foreigners Wildly Excited.
Crowds of Russians and Poles waited
around the depot all day, waiting for
news from Woodville. and when late in
the afternoon q train came in. bearing
the thirty-eight injured passengers. it
was with the greatest difficulty that
the police were able to open passage
way for the wounded. Several of the
foreigners became so excited that they
attempted to attack station attaches
whose uniforms led them to believe
they were employed by the Baltimore
d Ohio road.
Pathetic Incident.
Among the wounded who were
brought to Chicago was Mrs. Anna
Chyza who had come from Warsaw to
meet her husband, who had been work.
ing here for six months. Mrs. Chyza