The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-06-22
Ten ARE DEAD
And Forty Are Injured in Head on
Collision.
FEARFUL ACCIDENT

FEARFUL ACCIDENT
Two Cars on the Chicago, Lake Shore
and South Bend Line Strike Each
Other, Head-On, Near South Bend,
Ten Persons Being Killed and
Forty Injured.
Ten persons were killed and 40
injured in q werck OF the Chicago,
Lake Shore & South Bend railroad
in Porter county, Ind, Saturday
night, two of the big electric cars
colliding head-on. According tc Cen
eral Manager H. U. Wallace, the
wreck was due to a disobedience
of orders by Motorman G. A. Reed
of the east6ound car, who was killed.
Reed received instructions at Gary
to wait at Wilson, short distance
west Of Baileytown, the point at
which the disaster occurred, for the
westboupd car 70 pass. The impact
of the cars was SO great that they
were reduced to mass OF Wreckage.
The eastbound car was going SO
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 aud most OF the injured,
passengers on the westbound escap-
ing with bruises.
The two cars were wedged togeth-
er in q cass Of debris. The cries
for help caused a scene of confusion
for many minutes. Soon, however,
the coolheaded passengers brought
order out Of chaos and, while some
converted the home Of E. r. Borg
into a hospital and morgue, others
rescued the injured.
Darkness. greatly interfered with
the progress Of the rescuers and to
make matters worse the nearest tele-
phone was nearly mile away.
All but one of the killed were in
the smoking compartment of the car
in the front end. The space was
crowded. Titus E. Kinsie, real
estate dealer, and Cordius Kline,
both of South Bend, left the smoking
room less than a minute before the
crash and escaped death, although
the latter suffering severe injuries.
Davis Crawford, chauffeur OF
South Bend. related a graphic story
of the accident. .
There were about so in our car,
said Crawford. Most of us had
been at the automobile race at Crown
Point. Many of the tired passengers
were asleep. Suddenly there was
terrific crash. Motorman George
Reed was pinned between the vesti-
bules of the two cars SO solidly that
it was impossible for US to remove
the body...::,,:.>
G. A. :Schimmel, motorman OF the
westbolnd car, said his car was at
a full stop. when the eastbound car
struck 1t. He said:
when / saw the headlight, OF the
eastbound> train in the; distance l
realized that the motovman had over
looked orders. i put on the brakes,
brought my car to stop and tried
to back It, but the air breaks did
not release the wheels and l could
not move before the crash came"
1t was impossible to run electric
cars to the scene, because the troll
lev wire had been broken. When
physicians reached the secene they
found scores of farmers and villagers
rushing about endeavoring to care
for the wounded and to extricate
the dead and dying by the light OF
a few lanterns It was necessary
10 use axes to release some OF the
wounded.
One of the heroes Of the wreck
was C. A. Simmons Of Benton Har-
Dor, Mich. He lost consciousness
Immediately after the collision
When he recovered his senses he was
living in the sand near ditch. Both
Of his legs were broken, but when
DR.. Axe of Michigan City reached
him and rendered surgical aid, he
refused it, instructing the physician
to give his time to others more Sc
riously injured than himself
my legs are broken" he said
but my head is all right, and
guess | can stand it for while
Mrs. Guy Stutzman OF Misawaka
who suffered deep cash in the bach
of her head. was holding a SINAI
baby at the time of the accident, bu'
the infant escaped without scratch