Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

that at least eleven passengers were
crenated in the burning cars, and
it is not probable that their identity
will ever be established. A heavy
fog, disregarded danger signal
and a high rate of speed contrib
uted to bring about the disaster.
FOWLER, Ind. January 19.-At least six
teen persons were crushed or burned to
death early today in a collision between
freight train and the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago and St Louis Queen City flyer"
which left Chicago last night Ten persons
were seriously injured and several more
slightly hurt
The passenger train was running fifty
miles an hour, and consisted of combna-
ton coach, three sleepers and Big Four
private car. occupied by Mrs. c. E. Schaff,
wife of the vice president of the railroad.
The train was destroyed by fire except the
private car and one sleeping Seven of
Eleven Burned to Death.
Eleven of the victims were burned to
death in the combination coach. and only
two Of these have been identified. With
but one exception every member OF the
passenger train crew persisted.
1t has been impossible to get full list
of the names of the dead. as the bodies
were nearly all burned, leaving nothing by
which they can be identified.
The dead:
w. B. Harris, Indianapolis. died In Elmer
gency Hospital. Kankakee. III.
Peter ]. Hiddinger. Indianapolis. conduc-
tor of passenger train.
L Fl. Magee. baggagemaster. indianapolis.
j. A Shannon, Wllliamsport. Ind, died
on way to Emergency Hospital. Kankakee,
Illinois.
Henry E. Olcott. Cincinnati. fireman Of
passenger train. We.
The injured IN the hospital at Kankakee:
N w. Tripp Indianapolis. engineer of
passenger train: jumped and was nearly
drowned in pool beside tracks; condition
serious.
John Cobble, Indianapolis, engineer Of
freight train slightly injured.
Miner Griffin. Shelbyville, Ind; fireman of
freight engine; seriously, but not fatally.
injured.
H. W. Link, Hastings. Mich; seriously,
but not fatally, injured.
L. F. Lang. Chicago; slightly hurt.
NJ. A. erection, an Armenian, Al West
21st street, New York city; left leg slightly
injured.
E. C. L. Barnes. Cincinnati; slightly
bruised.
S. A Douglass, Freeport. ILL.,. and John
Meyer. New York; leg broken.
None of the passengers in the sleepers
suffered serious injuries.
Ran by Danger Signal.
The passenger train in heavy fog ran
by a Geographic block signal which call
ed for a stop. The red light was not
obeyed 1t was probably obscured by
fog.
The locomotive was telescoped with
the combination coach, making mass of
wreckage under which the passengers in
the car were wedged. Seats were hurried
through the roof and Goals from the fire
box set the debris in flames. There were
many instances of presence of mind and
rare heroism among the passengers VINO
were uninjured. MRS. Schaff gave her car
took in the to nankakee. ane was
taken with them to Il hospital. anu .llter
seeing to their wants able 10 con-
tinue her journey TO Cincinnati
Crash Awakened Iown.
The crash of the wreck awakened
nearly every person in Fowler. Among
the first persons to reach the wreck were
County Recorder Kay Gillespie. ana County
Auditor Lemuel Shipman.
These men procured axes and saws and
before the flames had reached the sleeping
cars began the work Of rescue. They even
worked their way INTO the mass Of wreck
age caused by the tender and the COM
bination coach. -Four bodies We're seen pro-
truding from among the broken seats. The
faces were black though from strangu-
lation. One man was alive. with his arms
and legs pnioned. He was John Meyer
OF New York. and he was rescued when the
fire was within few feet of him. and he
was begging someone to shoot him. He
suffered a broken leg. After Meyer was
taken out the rescuers were driven away
by the flames.
a woman In the car was heard Shrek
ing for help but could not be saved This
Is believed to have been Mrs. Henry A.
Price. whose husband was burned to death
Battle With Flames
The injured were first taken into the adj
Joining sleeping cars, which had run or
the rails. but flames compelled a second
removal of the wounded. The private car
was saved by dashing water from the ditch
over 1t with hats.
When wrecking crews arrived at day.
light the debris was still burning The
tender had crashed entirely through the
coach and the two locomo-
tives were locked together in a tangled
mass.
This afternoon enough fragments to make
eight bodies were recovered.
1t is probable the exact number OF VIC
tins will never be kf9wn Railroad orti-
GERS, of whom there were several on the
train. said there were not more than If
teen passengers in the combination coach,
but passengers say there were nearly thir-
A! ty persons in that car. If this he true the
death list may reach twenty-five. Thomas
! b. Christy of Hamilton. CansGa. a pas
senger in the first sleeping car. injured his
leg severely while helping in the rescue.