Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-20
TWO WRECKS IN ONE DAY IN
INDIANA
Trains Crash at Fowler and Powder
Car Explodes at sandford, Kill
ing Many--5odies Burn
in Flames
CONTINUED from Page one)


mass Of flames and the relief party was
able to reach only the passengers VINO
had been either blown from the train
or were able to crawl from the coaches
after the explosion.
Two of the men who were cremated
were still alive when the relief party
from this city reached the wreck, but
the rescuers were unable to reach
them and were compelled to stand and
watch them burn
The flames lighted UP the scene so
that the rescuers did not have to work
in total darkness. The station at Sand
ford was turned into a morgue.
After the physicians from Paris. ILL.,.
and the members of the relief party
from Terre Haute arrived the flames
died down so the men had to work by
the dim light of lanterns.
1t is not known how many passen-
gers were on the train, but it is said
both cars were almost full.
Only about sixty have been accounted
for and it is thought a number were
either killed outright or were buried
under the wreckage and burned to
death.
Many grewsome finds were made by
the relief party and it is probable that
some of those who were blown to pieces
or were cremated will never be identi-
fed.
From the most definite information
obtainable the freight train had lust
cleared the main track and had come
to standstill when the passenger
started to pass it.
1t is thought that the concussion
caused by the passenger set off the
powder in the freight car.
Seven of the dead have been iden-
tilted. Eleven of the victims were
burned to death in the combination
coach and but two of these have been
identified.
With but one exception every MEM
Der of the passenger train crew per-
ished
None of the passengers in the sleep
ers suffered serious injury.
The passenger train in the heavy
fog ran by telegraphic block signal.
The engine and tender telescoped the
combination coach
Seats were hurled through the roof.
and it was here the dead We're burned,
many of them beyond recognition.
The crash awakened nearly every
person in Fowler. The men secured
axes and saws and began the work
of rescue. They worked their way
into the mass of Wreckage caused by
the tender and combination coach.
Four bodies We're seen protruding
from among the broken seats. The
faces We're black as though from
strangulation. John Meyer of New
York was revived.
The body of Henry A Price was
found almost consumed by the flames
which drove rescuers away.
Woman Dies, shreking
A woman in the car was hcara
shrieking for help, but could not be
saved.
The fire burned so rapidly and fierce
ly that the search for more victims
was abandoned
The injured who werc taken into the
adjoining slecpers which had left the
track but had not turned OYER had to
be hastily removed later because the
Pullmans We're also burning
The private car was saved by dash
ing water from the ditch oGCr it from
hats.
This afternoon enough fragments 10
make eight bodies had been taken out.
1t is probable the exact number of
victims will never bc known. Thn rail
road officials Of whom there were a
number on the train. said there were
not over fifteen persons in the COM
bination car, but passengers say there
were nearly thirty.
Fog Obscured Signals
owing to the dense fog the curjuccr
of the Big -Four flyer was nanir 10
see the light of the scmaphore which
directed him to stop, as a Wcstbouud
freight had the right of way.
The train Dispatcher knowing tugt
the fog would prevent the traiunou
from seeing the block siauIl, went out
side and waved his lantern fanticaTy
aud fired at least half a dozen shots
from his revolver but the train went
crashing by and momen- later the
smash came.
The tender of No IS tclescopcd rua
baggage car, the rear end of the tender
cut through to within ten feet of the
rear of the smoker, The hremcu of
both trains were instantly killed, but
the engineers escaped by JUMPING
The report Of the collision was heard
all over town Fire bells and Whistles
called the people 10 the aid of the
injured.
Immediately following the crash the
wreckage caught fire and the bodies
were burned before they could be eX-
tiicated from the ruins The heat of
the burning cars was so intense that the
rescuers could not get near enough to
help.
one man who was pleading piteously
for aid was pinned under a car seat. He
was rescued when the flames were with
i'm six feet of him. Another man was
thrown out of the window of the smok-
ing car into a ditch, Those were the
only two passengers rescued from the