The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1906-12-10
Blows His Distress Whistle
But Crashes Into Switch
Engine.
THIRTY.FTvE MILES AN HOUR
Both Engines Damaged by Impact
and Passengers Thrown From
Seats and Berths.
WAS RUNNING BEHIND TIME

Five people were injured and two
engines smashed at the Illinois Gem
trail passenger station this morning
in collision between the Memphis
Louisville fast train and light
switch engine. 80,
The accident was caused by the air
brake on the passenger engine refus-
ing to work, and preventing the en-
gineer from slowing down as he APP
preached the station from around the
curve Of the Memphis division.
Discovering his AIR pump had stop
ped, and his air supply exhausted.
Engineer Mike Kelley, pulling the
fast Illinois Central flyer No. 1O3.
from Memphis to Louisville, blew his
distress signal as he rounded the
curve to the station and reversed, but
without avail. His heavy train
crashed into the light engine stand
ing ahead of the Paducah passenger
depot at 2:1O O'Clock this morning.
and five persons we're injured. In
rounding the curve leading to the
depot the engine nearly turned over.
and the rate of speed the train MAIN
tanned is said TO have been fully 35
miles on hour Kelley was 80 min
utes late and making up time.
The train was No. 1'04. engine No.
244, engineer Mike Kelley, city
Fireman John Willingham, city, and
Conductor George Mullindx, of Louis
Vile. The engine struck was No. 234,
Engineer Lee Smith and Fireman ].
NJ. Trice.
The passenger train was due at
1:4O, and at 2:1O O'Clock at the coal
chute Kelley found his air defective.
He saw his pump had stopped and
that his engine had gotten beyond
control. Several distress signals were
blown, and Engineer Smith, on the
! waiting hight engine, which was to
have taken the passenger train on to
Louisville, started up. He gave his
engine steam as fast as she would
take ii, but the rain made the tracks
slippery and the engine barely NOV
ing when rushing by the depot at at
least 35 miles am hour, the heavy
passenger train crashed into the light
engine.
The tank of the light engine was
smashed in and the pilot on the pas
senger engine crushed. Passengers
in the cars were thrown from their
berths and seats in utmost confusion
and none escaped minor hurts. Rail-
road physicians were on the scene in
few minutes.
Pullman Conductor Westfall
caught his right hand in the door and
three fingers were crushed SO the first
joints had to be amputated.
Jack Drummer. of New York City.
III West Fcrtieth street. was thrown
from his berth in the sleeper and suf-
fered severe bruises about the head
and severe sprains.
l.. A. Lehman, a passenger of FL
lisville, Miss, was thrown from his
berth and sustained badly bruised
head and neck.
The five-months-old son of Mrs.
Betty Sollars, Golconda, Ill.,. was
bruised about the head.
Fireman John Wilingham. of
1431 Jefferson street, was Thrown
from the cab of the passenger train
engine and his night wrist was
spralned and his face cut and bruised.
The injuries are not serious except
to the Pullman conductor. Physic-
ians made all comfortable and as soon
as the engines were separated and
the track cleared. the train was sent
ahead with fresh engine.
There we're many theories advance
ed In explanation OF the cause OF the
wreck. Kelley stated that the air
pump failed to work. This could
readily have caused the engine to get
beyond control. Another is that a
tramp riding the blind baggage
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