The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-06-25

To A StandStill, But The Impact
Was So Great That The Two Cars
Were Welded Together And Many
OF The Dead And Injured Had To
Be Cut Out OF The Wreck-The
Responsible Motorman Killed At
His Post.
South Bend. Ind Especially Ten
persons were killed and 40 injured
in a. wreck on the Chicago, Lake
Shore and South Bend Railroad. in
Porter County, Ind. two of the big
electric cars colltding head on. Ac-
cording TO General Manager H. U.
Wallace, the wreck was due to a
disobedience of orders by Motorman
George A. Reed, of the eastbound
car. who was killed
Reed received instructions at
Gary to wait at Wilson, short dis
lance west of Baileytown, the point
at which the disaster occurred, for
the westbound car to pass. The i'm
pact of the cars was so great that
they were reduced to a mass of
wreckage.
{ AO CdoIOOuuu Cal was 6OtAS OV
miles an hour to make up lost time.
When the crash occurred the east
bound car was telescoped and almost
demolished. In this train were all
of the killed and most of the in
jured passengers on the westbound
train escaping with bruises.
The two cars were welded to-
gether in mass of debris, in which
lay the dead and dying and two
score injured. The cries for help
caused scene of confusion for many
minutes. Soon, however, the cool
headed passengers brought order out
of chaos, and while some converted
the home of e. R. Borg into hos
pital and morgue others rescued the
injured.
Darkness greatly interfe1ed with
the process of the rescuers, and to
make matters worse the nearest tel
ephone was nearly mile away.
All but one of the killed were in
the smoking compartment of the car
in the front end. This space was
crowded. Titus e. Kinzie. a real
estate dealer, and Cordius Kline,
both of South Bend, left the smok-
ing-room less than minute before
the crash came and escaped death,
although the latter suffered severe
injuries.
David Crawford, chauffeur of
South Bend, related a graphic story
of the accident.
There were about SO in our
car" said Crawford. Most of us.
got ON at Hammond, having been
at the automobile races at Crown
Point. Tired out by the long day
of excitement, many of the passen-
gers were asleep. Suddenly there
was terrific crash. Motorman
George Reed was pinned between the
vestibules of the two cars SO solidly
that it was impossible for us to re-
move the body. He had apparently
done nothing to prevent the collision.
The accident occurred on a straight
track"
G. A. Schimmel, motorman of the
westbound car, said that his was
at full stop when the eastbound
car struck it. He added:
my car was nearing Dune Park
when saw the headlight of the
eastbound train flashing in the dis
lance. The train had been ordered
to wait for my car at Wilson, some
distance west of Dune Park. l rea-
liked at once that the motorman of
the car had overlooked his orders.
put on the brakes and brought my
car to stop, while the eastbound
car kept rushing toward me. L
tried to back my car, but the air
brakes did not release the wheels
and could not move before the
crash came"
superintendent Welsh, Of the Ina
terurban line. was in Michigan City
when the accident occurred, but it
was impossible to run electric cars
to the scene because the trolley wires
had been broken. Three physicians
were sent in a gasoline traction
speeder and three more dispatched
in an automobile. When the ply
sicians reached the scene they found
scores of farmers and villagers rush
ing about endeavoring to care for
the wounded and to extricate the
dead and dying by the light of a few
lanterns. Many of the wounded
We're pinioned in the wreckage SO
that It was necessary to use axes.
Oficers of the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern Railroad told a
passing WCSJUOuuu Train 10 take on
doctors and nurses at South Bend
and Laporte and put them off at
Dune Park. Similar instructions
were given an eastbound train,
which brought assistance from Whit
ing and Indiana Harbor. The New
York and Boston fast express of
the Lake Shore and Michigan South
ern Railroad stopped at Dune Park
and took aboard the wounded, who
were carried to South Bend and La
porte and placed in hospitals.
One of the heroes of the wreck
was C. A. Simmons, of Benton Har-
Dor, Mich. He lost consciousness inn
after the collision. When
he recovered his senses he was lying
in the sand near a ditch. Both of
his legs were broken, but DR.. Axe,
of Michigan City. reached him and
rendered surgical aid, he refused it.
instructing the physician to give his
time to others more seriously injured
than he.