The Red Cloud chief., 1906-11-16
Al BURNED TO DEATH
COLLISION BETWEEN EMioRANT
TRAIN AND FREIGHT.
Russian Jews, Servlans and Poles,
Destined to Northwest, Perish In
Burning Cars on Baltimore and
Ohio Near Woodville, Ind.

SntO wear WoouNtIiS, tuus
Chicago. Nov. 13.-More than one
half of the passengers or an immi.
graz. train on the Baltimore and Ohio
road we're killed or injured in a col.
lision between the passenger train and
a freight near Woodville, Ind.
One hundred and sixty-fve persons
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 immedi.
ately after the collision. The names
of the dead probably will never be
known, as forty.flve of the bodies were
consumed or so badly burned that
Identification is impossible.
Thirty-eight people were injured and
several of these will die. Eighty 9th.
ers escaped unhurt, but lost nearly
all their baggage and clothing.
The disaster was caused by a
blunder of some employee of the rail.
road company, but just where the
blame lies has not been determined.
The passenger train, which was loaded
with Russian Jews, Servians and
Poles, all of them recent arrivals in
this country, and bound for places In
the northwest. was the second section
of a through train from Baltimore. Az
soon as the first section of the immi.
grant train had passed the switch at
Babcock, the freight train started east
ward. A light snow was falling,
which increased the darkness of the
early morning, and as the freight
was rounding a sharp curve just west
of Woodville, the second section Of the
immigrant train came into sight a
short distance away, tearing toward
Chicago at the rate of forty miles an
hour. The two trains came together
with unslackened speed, and in the
crash three passenger coaches and
several freight cars were knocked into
kindling wood and, together with the
locomotives. went rolling down the
ten-foot embankment. Fire broke out
almost Immediately in the wreckage,
and although a number Of the injured
were saved by the desperate efforts
Of the train crew and surviving pas.
sengers, 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
It was impossible to save a number
of people who were but slightly hurt,
but were held fast by timbers. These
we're burned in plain sight of the
throng which stood around the scene
of the disaster utterly unable to lend
assistance. The fire continued until
all OF the shattered cars were entirely
consumed and of the for~ty-seven peo'
pie whose death followed the collision,
forty-five were burned to ashes.
A large number of the relatives OF
the passengers on the Inflated train
were in Chicago awaiting their arrival
and when the reports Of the catastro
phe we're received, scenes at the depot
were narrowing. Men were there who
had come TO this country to escape
the massacres in Russia, and who aft
err months of hard work had saved
enough to pay the passage of mem
DerS OF tnelT ldIHilleS, anu lhSii SiiS'
when they became aware that possibly
all their sacrifice and effort had re
suited only in the death OF those
whom they had sought to bring tt
them was pitiful. Crowds OF Rus
slams and Poles were around the depo
all day waiting for news from Wood
Vile. and when a train came in bear
ing the thirty-eight injured persons
It was with the greatest difficulty tina
the police were able to open a pas
sageway for the wounded. Severa
of the foreigners became so excited
that they attempted to attack depo
attaches, whose uniforms led them Il
believe they were employed by tn
Baltimore and Ohio road.