Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-03-08
Coroner Will NOT
FIX Responsibility
CLAIMS LACK OF EVIDENCE IN
SANFORD, IND, TRAIN Elk
PLoSloN CASE.
CAUSE OF DISASTER
is STILL UNKNOWN

Railroads Arraigned for Careless
Handling Of High Explosives
Officials of New York Central Held
In Connection with Harlem Wreck.
Terre Haute, Ind, March Cor
oner Leavitt Tuesday returned YER
dict on the Sanford (Ind.) train ex-
plosion which occurred near here on
the night of January 49,, in which is
passengers were killed. He found
that inasmuch as the majority of the
evidence as to the cause of the explo-
sion had been destroyed, he could not
fix the responsibility.
The coroner said: II do not hold
the railroad responsible in this wreck,
neither do / wish to say the road is
not guilty, as the evidence in hand
will neither convict nor acquit."
The report says:
There were Is deaths, nine persons
being killed outright, two dying in
Sanford in the next 80 hours, three
dying in or on the way to Paris, ILL.,,
,eaAo OAO 0S 1AS III IuO CulOu uOSplIol,
!Terre Haute, some time afterward;
two Of these were blown into many
pieces and one was burned, except the
charred trunk. The number injured
was more than 80. Some lost eyes,
some were dishgured for life, and
there were various other inju-
ries. Most of these injuries were
from flying glass and timbers. The
cause of the explosion remains un.
known.
Explosives carelessly Shipped.
II found that high explosives are
shipped in a manner that is not safe.
Loose powder and broken kegs of
powder may be found in many ship
nents; bolt heads are not covered up
in cars, and kegs of powder are stack
ed on these. A car shipped by the
Big Four to Terre Haute loaded with
powder was examined and it was
found that kegs could shift six inches
with every start and stop of the train
When 1t is considered that these kegs
are metal and lying on top of exposed
bolt-heads the danger is obvious.
Trains which carry high explo.
sives are handled with no more care
than other trains, and cars containing
explosives are handled in manner
highly dangerous while switching is
done. Cars are not necessarily lock.
ed and cleated, or in any way fasten.
ed except by a seal which would be
easy for tramp to open. Cars of
high explosives are accepted on the
word of the shippers, not knowing
themselves if the car is billed cor
rectly or that it's contents are pack.
ed in manner that is safe, and when
1T Is known that the rate on some eX.
tfs IS Breach Of f trust on The nart
OF the railroads, whose duty II 10
70 know the contents of the cars and
Suae tney are correctly packed
Officials Held for Wreck,
new York, March 6.--Chauncey M
DepeW, chairman of the board of di.
Fectors OF the New York Central rail.
road, and all of his colleagues ON the
BOARD and President William H. New.
man and all of his immediate aids in
Ine operating department of the sys
!eh' nave been held accountable nv
coroners jury in connection with
Tue wreck at Harlem February 16
when 20 lives were sacrificed az -
point known as Death curve" All
or the defendants will be required to
lurnish surety to the court. The
verdict charges the directorate and
Ane operating officials with Equitable
negligence" This instance is the first
an which SO large number has been
Aeld 10 account for railway fatality.
folloWlng were among those who
nave been held: Chauncey M, De.
pew, Frederick K. Vanderbilt. ]. Pier.
pont Morgan, William H. Newman
George 3. Bowdoin, D. o. Mills, George
BAKER, William X. Vanderbilt Sam
nei r. Barger, H. NIX. Twomblv
Charies s. Clarke, William Rockefel.
aer, James Stillman. William G. Brown
Inc foregoing, with the exception Of
Mr.. Brown, constitute the board ~
directors. Mr.. Newman, by virtue Of
MS position as president Of the com.
Pany, also is of the board.
among the officials held are IN.
Guided men in charge of the 40.
counting and traffic departments Mr.
'SSANAo1 fiSC piGSlQeQt, IN char
OF the operating department, is a for.
,mer Chicagoan.
Verdict Browning Document
The verdict is not trihine docu.
ment It has strong language, and
plenty OF it. and its return caused a
surprise. 1t holds that the dera,l.
ment OF the fast electric train was
caused by portion Of the track con-
ssisting of it's easterly rails. heinz
forced out of it's proper position this
condition being due to the imnact
et the Brewster express"
Another section charges that rho
paterai pressure of the train running
over the curve where the accident nc
CURED cut off the heads of the sn,ke.
holding the easterly rail, thus hermit.
ing the displacement.
1000 Bales Of Cotton Burned.
New Orleans. March 6.-About ! nm
oales OF cotton and an entire section
OF the New Orleans cotton press shed
was destroyed by fire early Tuesday.
Ia