Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-21
SIXTEEN KILLED IN A COLLISION
Terrific Windst0rm Does $2,OOO,OOO
Damage at Buffalo--Five Lake
Liners Ashore in HarbOr.
TRAIN WRECKED.

| Buffalo, n. Y. Jan. 21-During the
last "a hours this city has been swept
by the most destructive wind storm of
a decade. Tonight. after a day and a
| night of continued hurricane, the Nj
| agara frontier lies a scene of wreck
| age and destruction in the wake of the
| storm.
| Two lives were reported lost so far
| and 4 property damage that will aggre-
| gate 900 is the total of the storm.
| Lake Erie with its level higher than
| has been known for 90 years. has gorg-
| ed the Niagara river to Overlooking and
thousands of dollars worth of property
has ceen carried down the stream.
Terre Haute, Ind, Jan. 2O.-Twenty-
| two charred. broken and mutilated
| bodies were taken from the shoulder
| ing ruins Of the Accommodation pas
senger train on the Cleveland Cincin-
| natl. Chicago and St. Louis. (Big Four.
Railroad. following its destruction last
night by the explosion of a carload of
| powder as the Accommodation pas
senger passed a freight at Sanford,
Ind, five miles west of Terre Haute.
| The number injured Will total at least
So.
Tne cause of the disaster has not
been fully explained but several the
cries are advanced. The result was
terrible. The shock was felt for 80
miles. many believing it to be an earth
quake. The three coaches Of the pas
senEer train were filled with travel
Iers.
The entire train, including the loco
motive, was blown from the track, the
coaches were demolished. the engine
was hurled 50 feet and the passengers
were either blown to pieces. consumed
by fire or rescued in an injured condi-
ton. Some of the 50 injured will die.
| The most severely hurt are in the hos
pital at Tcrrc Haute and at Paris, HIS,
though "A number of persons were cared
for at Sanford.
Tho full extent Of the disaster was
revealed at daylight but the death list
will not be complete until workmen
nave cleared the debris and the injured
are out of danger.
According to trainmcn of the freight.
the explosion of the powder was caused
by the conclusion of the passenger
| train which was slowing down for Sand :
ford. Another theory is that the gas es-
GAPING from an oil pipe line entered tho
powder car sitting by the Pipe, and thai
| n shark from the passenger locomotive
| ignited the gas.
The belief was expressed by one Of the
messengers that the disaster was due to
| the act of q tramp or an intoxicated
| man who may have fired shot into the
car.
col
freight cars were blown to pieces by the
explosion and huge masses of iron were
| hurled hundreds of feet from the track
The tank Of the passenger locomotive
was thrown hundred feet. landing in u
| gravel bank The wrecked train ana
| eight freight cars were consumed by fire.
starting in the wreckage. The other
cars were pulled out of danger.
| Not n building in Sanford escaped
damage.
| Windows were shattered, dishes ana
furniture broken and several doors were
torn from their hinges. The accommoda-
/ ton passenger train was running from
| indianapolis to Nation. Ill. 1t was Il
dark night and heavy rains had convert
ed the streets and tracks at Sandford
| into n pond. The residents were going
to bed and lights in many of the houses
had been extinguished when the freight
train drew in on n side track to let the
passenger train go by. Shortly after
ward the passenger train approached the
station. setting brakes as it passed the
freight. AS the passenger train was just
abreast of the powder car the explosive
let go and the entire train was blown
from the tracks into the air, crashing
to the earth a tangled mass of wood and
steel. Fire broke out in the wreckaEe
and before the eyes of rescuers many
were burned to death, the flames stopping
the work of sUccor. By the glare from
the burning coaches the people OF Sand
| ford did their best for the wounded and
worked heroically all night.
| Cries of the injured and the cracking
OF the fire urged on the rescuers. frantic
| in their endeavors to reach the unfortu-
nate passengers, but the fire soon drove
them back.
One of the first men taken out was L..
/ T. Rose of Mattoon, engineer o! main
F, tlinance of way of the Big Four road.
| CONTINUED on Page Two.)