The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-19
AS AT vOLLAND.
Wreck on Big Four Similar to
Rock Island Disaster.
Passenger Train Meets Freight
Head to Head.
INJURED NUMBER 40.
Only Five Escaped Alive From
the Forward Car.
Engineer Failed to See Signal
Owing to a Fog.

| killed or burned to death in the wreck
of passenger train No. % eastbound at
Fowler. Ind. at 2 O'Clock this morn
| ing. The wreck occurred on the Big
Four road, the passenger train which
! left Chicago at 1880 last night, run
ming into freight train. The cause
of the collision is said to be that the
engineer on the passenger train failed
to see the block signals Fire followed
the collision, adding horror to, the
wreck and it is believed that more
We're killed by the collision.
There were 25 persons in the COM
bln9t1on day coach and baggage car
and only five of them escaped alive.
The passenger train consisted of three
! Pullmans, the private car of President
| Schaf of the Big -Four and combi-
nation day and baggage coach. Some
OF the passengers in. the Pullmans and
| private car were injured, but none
killed. None of the freight crew was
| injured. A.x
Some of the injured passengers were
brought here in tie private car. Mrs.
Schaff. who had been visiting in Chi
cago, was in the private car on her
way to Cincinnati and she had some of
| the injured taken on board and
brought here, and assisted in dressing
the injuries of the injured. The num-
Der of the Injured is said to be. about
40. Three of those brought here are
not expected to live.
Three Bodies Consumed.
Cincinnati, o., Jan. 19.-At the Big
-Four headquarters in this city this
morning it was stated that the names
of the unfortunates who were roasted
alive in the wreck at Fowler. Ind, will
not be known until later in the day
The bodies of three people were con-
sumed with the timbers of the cars
The conductor and baggagemaster of
MAJ
the fireman was killed.
Several in the sleepers were injured
but all escaped before fire added to
the horror of the scene. The killed
were in the combination coach which
| bore the brunt of the crushing impact
of the collision ahead and the freavy
fsleepers in the rear.
Injured Taken to Kankakee.
+ Kankakee, Ill, Jan. 19.-Seven sur
yivorss of the%Big Four wreck at Fowl
eF- were brought. here in the private
car of Vice President Schaff The PR
vate canvas the, only one on the train
not burned. 1t was said that possibly
TWENTY-FIVE persons We're burned In
the wreck. Only five are said to have
been rescued,
The conductor kand baggagemaster
of the passenger are missing The en-
gineer of the freight train told the
passengers, that. his train had a clear
track according to orders, and that the
of fifty miles an hour when the COL
lision took place,
The following is "a partial list of the
injured at Kankakee.
Injured.
Barnes, c. L., Cincinnati, severe
bruises
Creton; NJ. A, New Y ork. burns.
Griffin. Mipers shelByville, Ind, Sc
liar rias. TER b, Indianapolis, both
legs mangle d.szss
Lang. L. F.. Chicago. back hurt and
leg injured, not seriously.
Lynch, H w. Chicago, leg broken
back bruised, internal injuries; will
probably recover.
Trip, E. W., indianapolis, engineer
of passenger train. jumped and near
ly drowned in pool beside track; con-
dition serious.
Running so Miles an Hour.
Chicago JAM 19.-Passenger train |
No. 50, eastbound, on the Big Four
railroad. coI1ided l1ead-on with west
bound freight train No. 95 at Fowler, |
Ind, small town 28 miles west of
Lafayette, Ind, at about 2:30 o'clock |
this morning. killing and injuring a |
number of persons, variously estimated |
at from IL to %. The passenger train |
which left Chicago at 1:30 o'clock last !
light was known as the Queen City |
special and consisted of a combina- |
ton baggage and day coach, three |
sleeping cars ana the private car OF Z. |
E. Schaff, vice president of the road.
The train was running at the rate of
so miles an hour when the accident oc-
Cured and the force of the collision was
SO great that the tender of the passen-
ger engine was driven the entire length
of the combination car, in which were
a number of passengers, estimated at
from Is to %. All the dead and injured
were taken from the wreckage of this |
car, none of the passengers in the sleep
ers having been hurt. Soon after the
the engine Goals and all the coaches |
except the private car of Vice President |
Schaff were DESTROYED.
Paul D. Harris, an attorney of Chi |
cago. who was en- route to Florida, was |
so far as known, the only person to |
escape from the combination car. He |
reached Lafayette on another train and |
reported that the dead and injured as |
fast as they were drawn from the |
sleeper-the Cincinnati sleeper. This |
car caught fire and the victims were |
hastily removed to the next car-the |
Indiana polls sleeper. The fire also |
spread to this car, and it became neces- !
sary to again transfer the dead and in /
jured. this time 10 Vice Presidents |
Schaff's private car, in which they were |
taken to division headquarters at KAN
kakee, ILL., One passenger was pinned |
under some of the wreckage and burn
ed to DEATH
The engineer of the passenger train
was seriously injured but will survive
The fireman of one of the engines was
crushed to death. His body was recov-
cred. According to Mr.. Harris, both
trains had orders to stop at Fowler but