Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-19
FOG CAUSES WRECK
MANY ARE KILLED
Disastrous Head-0n Collision
on Big Four Railroad.
TEN PASSENGERS CREMATED
Number of Dead and Injured Not Def.
initely Known.
BLOCK WARNING WAS IGNORED
Engineer Said to Have Run by Rcd
Light-Hard Fight to Save
Wounded From Flames.
Number of Dead and Injured Not Def.
initely Known.
BLOCK WARNING WAS IGNORED

Many persons killed and injured,
some of whom were cremated in the
wreckage, is the result of collision
on the Big Four railroad, which in
some respects is strikingly like the
recent Terra Gotta disaster. \ heavy
fog prevailed, and the engineer of
one of the trains is said to have
passed red signal at block tower
at fifty miles an hour. \ few mo-
ments later he had crashed into an
other train, and from twelve to twen-
ty lives were snuffed out without
warning.
CHICAGO, January 19.-Passenger train
No. 49, eastbound on the Big Four railroad.
collided head-on with westbouud freight
train No. % at Fowler, Ind, small town
twenty Eight miles west of Lafayette, Ind.
at about 2:3O o'clock this morning killing
and injuring a large number of persons.
variously estimated at from twelve to twen-
ty-five.
Following is a partial list Of dead and in
jured:
Dead:
J. p MIGGINER, conductor of the pas
senger train.
]. MAGEE, Indianapolis, baggage mas
ter. ------ .--.-. -
HENRY MINOR, Griffith. Ind. fireman
on freight $3.50 -
HENRY OUTCAULT, Cincinnati, fireman
on passenger.
JOHN SCHANNAN, Wiliiamsport. Ind.
Eleven occupants Of the combination car.
names unknown"
Injured-C. L. Barnes, Cincinnati. severe
bruises; NJ. A. Creten, New York city.
burns; Miner Griffin, Shelbyvile, Ind. Sc
verely bruised; w. B. Harris, Indianapolis.
both legs mangled; L. F. Lang. Chicago.
back hurt and leg injured, not serious; H.
w. Lynch, Chicago. leg broken, back
bruised, internal injuries, will probably re-
cover.
The Company's Statement.
The following Is the official statement re-
garding the wreck, Issued from the offices
of the Big Four railroad in this city:
Train No. 3S, known the Queen City
Special, which left Chicago at 100 last
night, colided with No. 95. fast merchan-
disc freight train, 500 feet east of the east
switch at Fowler, Ind. No. IS ran by
stop signal at Fowler. This a tele-
graphic block signal, and the red light was
burning brightly, but the engineer failed to
see it and stop, probably on account of the
very heavy fog.
1T is reported that there were thirteen
people in the combination car and all of
them were killed, with the exception OF
two, who were badly injured. The occu-
pants of this were either killed out
right or so seriously injured to be I'M
able to escape, and their bodies were burn
ed in the car.
Collided With Terrific Force.
The train was running at the rate of fifty
miles an hour when the accident occurred.
and the force of the collision was SO great
that the tender of the passenger engine
was driven the entire length of the COM
bination car, in which We're number of
passengers, estimated at from fifteen to
twenty -five.
All the dead and injured were taken from
the wreckage of this car, none of the pas
sengers in the sleepers having been hurt.
Soon after the collision. the wreck caught
fire from the engine Goals and all the
coaches except the private of Vice
President Schaff, were destroyed.
1t is reported that at least ten of the
dead and injured were cremated.
One man. who was rescued when the
flames were within six feet of him, and an
dow of the smoker into a ditch. were the
only passengers rescued from the smoker.
The killed included men, women and chill
dren.
Coroner Comley and Prosecuting Attorney
Hall will make investigation OF the
wreck.
Paul d. Harris, an attorney of Chicago,
who was en- route to Florida. was 50 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 wreckage were placed first
in the first sleeper, the Cincinnati sleeper.
This car caught fire and the victims were
hastily removed to the next car-the In
dianapolis sleeper.
Pursued by Flames.
The fire also spread to this car. and it be-
came necessary to again transfer the dead
and injured this time to Vice President
Schafr"s private car. in which they were
taken to division headquarters at kanka-
kee Ill. One passenger pinned under
some of the wreckage and burned to death.