Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-20
FATAL WRLCk in INDIANA
Twsnty-F.v, Ssid to IL Re d in ZIG
Ecu Ctlls
FOG cOHcFAls tn: SIGNAL At FowLtR
I'm spite of Effort of operator. Trains
Meet ard Coaches Burn
from Goals In
Engine.

INDIANAPOLIS. Jan. ia special to
the News from Lafayette says reports re-
ceived there Indicate that twenty-five peo-
pie were killed in the wreck OF the Big
-Four passenger train No 3s near Fowler
early today. twenty of whom were Gre
mated. Those killed, It Is stated, were
nearly all in the combine ton car. which
took fire and burned The seepers turned
over.
owing TO the dense fog the engineer Of
the Big Four flyer was unable to see the
light Of the semaphore which directed
him TO stop. a westbound freight had
the right-of-way. The train dispatcher.
knowing that the dense fog would prevent
the trainmen from seeing the block signal,
went outside and waved his lantern fran
tically and fired at least half dozen shots
from his revolver. but the trainmen went
crashing by with their train and a moment
later the crash came.
The tender OF No. Ss telescoped the bag
gage carr the rear end of the tender cut
through to within ten rect OF the rear OF
the smoker
The hremen OF both trains were killed
Instantly, but the engineers escaped by
jumping.
The report of the collision was heard all
ever town. Fire bells and whistles called
the people to the aid Of the injured.
wreckaRe Catches Fire.
Immediately following the crash the
wreckage caught FIRE and the bodies were
burned before they could be eXtricated
from the ruins. The heat OF the burning
cars was so intense that the would-be res
cuers could not get near enough to help
The injured and some OF the dead were
taken to Kankakee. Ill.
One man who was pleading plteously for
aid was pinned under a car seat He was
rescued when the flames we're within six
feet OF him. Another man was thrown
out Of the window of the smoker into
ditch. These were the only two passengers
rescued from the smoker,
The killed included men, women and
children and all that could be seen at day
break this morning was the smoulderlng
skeletons of human bodies and the wreck
age OF the smoker and the baggage cars.
None of the passengers in the sleepers
was killed.
Coroner Comley has taken charge and
Prosecuting Attorney Hall will assist the
coroner in making an investigation Of the
wreck.
The sleeping cars were not destroyed by
IRE FIRST reported.
Statement by superintendent.
General Superintendent H. F. Houghton
OF the Big -Four said his information at
10 a. m. was that between ten and fifteen
persons were killed, while the list OF seri-
ously injured was not large. indianapolis
survivors and injured will reach the city
at / p. M. he said.
THE Indianapolis sleeper" said Mr.
Houghton, was the last car Of the train
No person on It was hurt.
Five injured were taken to the hospital
at aankakee. One Of them died on the
way.
The survivors were put aboard the next
train for Indianapolis 1t was necessary
to send this train back to SchafI and over
the Lake Erie & Western and Chicago &
Eastern Illinois to get back to the main
line for Indianapolis. Some of the pas
sengers wished to go back to Chicago
and were sent there
1--WE sent wreck train from here at 8
O. M. but the train from Kankakee was
there ahead OF IT,
Our information Is that No. 3s ran past
the block at Fowler, probably because of
the fog"
Partial List of Dead.
Later reports state that the Pullman cars,
with tbs exception Of the vice president S
private car. did not turn over. but left the
track and were burned after the passengers
had been taken out.
The known dead;
MINOR GRIFFITH of shelbyvilIe. Ind.
fireman on freight
p. ]. WHITAKER of Indianapolis. con-
Guctor on passenger train.
J. M. MAGEE Of Indianapolis, baggage
master
HENRY oUTCAULT OF Cincinnati. fire.
nan on passenger.
IrJured
John Robbie of Indiana polls. slightly
hurt.
w. T. Hall OF Memphis Tenn, slightly
injured.
Edward Trip of Indianapolis badly
bruised. He was engineer OF the passenger
train and was thrown through the window
OF his cab.
Train Was Running Fast.
CHICAGO. Jan. 1s.-Passenger train No
o. which left Chicago al 1850 o'clock las