The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-09-18
EXCURSION TRAIN
IN awful Crash
ONE WOMAN DEAD AND SCORES
HURT IN WRECK AT cHES-
TERToN, IND.
WILD SCENES FOLLOW
COLLISION IN THE DARK
Theater Coaches Dash Into Cars at
Indiana Town, Passenger Meeting
Death While Daughter Narrowly
Escapes with Life.

Chesterton Ind, Sept. 15.-One Chi
cago woman was almost instantly
killed and nearly two score of other
persons, most of them residents of In
dianapolis, were more or less seriously
injured in one of the worst excursion
wrecks of the year, which occurred at
Chesterton, q miles from Chicago,
Monday.
A Lake Shore suburban train known
as the "Chesterton theater dummy"
crashed into an indianapolis excursion
train which had been stalled near the
station. The dense smoke blown down
from the northern forest fires is de-
clared to have been one reason for
the accident
PIows Through the Crowd.
The engine of the suburban train
rear coach of the excursion train, with
terrific force and plowed it's way
through a mass of humanity which
packed the seats and crowded the
aisles. In the impact three-fourths of
the car was telescoped and the engine
of the dummy train wrecked. Early
estimates placed the number of per-
sons hurt at between 35 and 40, includ-
ing several who, it is believed, will not
survive.
A wrecking train brought back to
Chicago most of those badly hurt Mon
day. They were taken to Mercy hos
pital. At the hospital the number of
injured received was given as 20.
Cause of the Wreck.
The first information as to the cause
of the wreck obtainable was to the eff
feet that it was due to the failure of
the flagman of the excursion train to
walk back and notify the approaching
"theater dummy" that his own train
was stalled.
This and heavy fog with the for
est-fire smoke, which made it impos-
sible to see more than a dozen feet
ahead of the engine, are said to have
been responsible for the wreck.
The Chicago woman who so far is
the only death victim is Mrs. Esther
Hecox, SIS years DID, who lived at 571
Sixty-third street. She was on her
way to Indianapolis with her daughter,
Miss Frances Hecox. Mother and
daughter were seated side by side
when the dummy train crushed
through the car. The cowcatcher of
the engine plowed right through the
woman's body, but missed the daugh-
ter, who was showed aside by the
force. She sustained injuries to her
hip and chest, but were not serious.
She did not know anything of her
mothers fate until after she herself
had been extricated from the wreck
age.
Fast Erie Train Goes Into Ditch.
Meadville, Pa, Sept. 15.-Thirty -four
persons were injured early Sunday in
the wreck of Erie train No. 4, Chicago
to New York express, at Geneva, Pa,
a small station eight miles west of
here. The wreck, railroad officials be-
lieve, was due to enemies of the COM
pany opening a switch shortly before
the passenger train arrived.
All of the injured were brought to
this city and % of them were taken
to Spencer hospital. Five of these
after having their injuries dressed,
were discharged during the day, while
Is still remain at the hospital.
Thirty-one of the injured were pas
sengers and three were railroad en-
ployes. 1t is not believed any of the
victims will die from their injuries.