Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-11-13
RAILROAD ACCIDENT

~ n
Fifty persons are known to have been
trapped and burned TO death and ~
others seriously injured in the head-on
collision early yesterday near Woodville,
Ind, 4S miles from Chicago, in which
Baltimore and Ohio immigrant train
was smashed by a fast freight train.
All but one of the six cars on the pas
senger train we're burned, and NIL but six
of the bodies were inciuersted.
One hundred and sixty 1--we passengers
were on the train. OF these so were
either killed outright or we're burned to
death in a FIRE that broke out in the
wreckage Immediately after The collision.
The names of all OF the dead will prob
ably never be known, as As of ;he bodies
were consumed in flames or were 80 badly
burned that Identification will be out OF
the question.
Thirty eight people were injured, aud
several of these will die. Eighty Others
escaped uuhurt, but lost nearly all their
bsg age and clothing, The disaster was
caused by blunder Of some employe of
the railroad company, hut Just where The
blame lies has not as yet been determined.
The passenger train, which was loaded
with Russians. Serviaus and Poles, oll of
them recent arrivals and bound for Chi
cago or other places in the Northwest,
was the second section of through train
from Baltimore.
The engineer of the freight, train No.
96, on instructions received at McCool,
Ind. waited at a siding at Babcock, Ind. If,
to allow the immigrant train 20 pass.
One report is made that the engineer OF
the freight train had not been informed
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 a second section was close behind.
As soon as the first section of the in
migrant train had passed the switch at
Babcock the freight, in charge of Engi-
neer Burke aud Conductor Mecte, started
eastward. A light snow was falling,
shich increased the darkness of the
early morning, and as the freight was
rounding sharp curve just west of Woot-
Vile the second section of the immigrant
train came in sight short distance swav,
tearing toward Chicago at the rate of 40
miles an hour The two trains came to-
gether with unslackeued speed, and in
the crash six passenger coaches and
several freight cars we're knocked i3to
kindling wood, and, together, with the
locomotives, went rolling down the To-
foot embankment.
Fire broke out almost Immediately 10
the wreckage, and although number Of
injured were saved by desperate efforts OF
the crew and survivors, the greater part
of those who we're pinned down in the
debris were burned to death. The flames
spread through the wreckage so rapidly
that it was impossible to save number
of people who were only slightly hurt,
bat were held fast by timbers that weigh
ed them down These we're burned in
plain sight OF the throng that stood
around the scene of the disaster utterly
unable 10 lend assistance in any way.
The fire continued until all of the shat
tered cars were entirely consumed, and
of the so people whose death followed the
collision 40 were burned to ashes.
The crash OF the collision was so great
that a number OF farmers and other resi-
dents of the neighborhood came hasten
ing to the scene, but they could do moth
ing except lend assistance to the Injured
who had already been taken from the
wreck. All Of the six cars Of the immi-
grant train were burned, as were the
three freight cars.