The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-29
MANY GARY PEOPLE
ARE WITNESSES
West Bound Michigan Central Train
Yesterday Afternoon Played Havoc
With Property of Daniel Kinsley.
East Bound Train Delayed for Half
Hour in Order to Remove Debris.

A crowd of two hundred people
shuddered yesterday afternoon as train
No. 1888 west bound crashed into the
truck and team belonging to Daniel
Kinsley at the Michigan Central sta
ton in Gary, instantly killing the
horses and imperiling the life of the
driver. who by miraculous presence of
mind jumped to safety in the baggage
car on an adjoining track.
The accident was one of the most
thrilling witnessed in Gary.
Witnessed By ThrOng.
The throng of people waiting for the
incoming trains, were paralyzed with
fear as the heavy mogul engine ground
down upon the man and beasts, trapped
in between the two trains with no pos
sible chance to escape. For a few sec
onds before the inevitable happened,
the crowd took in the situation at
glance, and many turned their heads
to avoid the grewsome sight. In an
instant the horses were ground to
pieces. The train was brought to a
standstill. and the passengers who
clamored from the train, in state of
excitement were sickened at the sight
Driver Escapes.
No one expected to see the driver of
the team alive They had seen him an
instant before the train struck the We
hicle throwing the trunks aboard the
east-bound train from the wagon they
saw the flying debris, the powerful en-
CINE with steam applied grinding upon
the rails until it came to a sudden halt,
and then a Like stiffness, in which
every one pictured the mangled body of
the river between the two trains, be-
sides the bodies of his dead horses.
Appears in baggage Car Door.
To their amazement however Kins-
ley appeared at the door of the bag
gage few minute later, unframed He
had not sustained bruise or scratch
The man, according to the story of the
witnesses, did not even have time
to hurl himself from the truck before
the impact of the train. as he was about
to spring, threw him into the bag
gage car upon which he was loading the
trunks.
Lost All His Property.
The owner of the team lost every.
thing that he had in the world. Kins
ley came to Gary few weeks ago from
Walkertown, Ind, where he had work
ed for a number of years. While il
Gary he had built up good drayin,
business investing all the money tina
he had saved up, in this enterprise
His lucky escape, however, left him il
nervous condition, being thankful tina
he escaped with his life, northumberland
ing that the horses were killed.
Accident Near Curve.
The story of the incident told by En-
gineer P. l. Fiarity and Fireman Bret
"a, is that they were unable to Sc
the precarious condition of the tear
while they We're rounding the curry,
which is located a few hundred feet be
fore the station is reached. No soone
had he reached the straightaway, tina
he saw at a glance what was about I
happen and shut off the steam and at
pile dthe brakes. The engine wa
brought to a standstill twenty fee
from the place where the horses wer
struck. The animals were LITERAL
ground to pieces. The women VIII
swarmed from the coaches to see tn
wreck went back Immediately, unabl
to see the sight.
Train Is Delayed.
The west-bound train was delaye
for a period of over half an hour an
the east-bound was tied up at the sta
tion for fifteen minutes longer. Tt
train due at Gary at 4:57 had alread
been notified of the occurance and tt
crew. as well the passengers. wei
on the alert to grasp the seriousness
the accident. Experienced trainme
who gathered around the scene ate
the accident, from other roads in II
vicinity, stated that the fault of II
trouble lay with the train crew of /
west-bound train.
Kinsley, it is understood, has alrea6
employed a lawyer to fight his case
the courts TO recover damages for ii
loss of the team and the wagon tt
multitude of witnesses at the accidel
will make it easy to determine Il
liability of the road when the ca.
comes to trial.