Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-10-05
ExCurSiOniStS Are Crushed to
Death When Trains on Illinois
Traction System Collide Near
Staunton.
SPEEDING CARS MEET
AT CURVE ON INCLINE
Passengers Are Caught in
Crash Without lnstant'S
Warning While Crews Set
Breaks and Escape By lump
ing.
IBy Morning Journal soecial Leased wirOI

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased WircI
81. Louis, oct death sWoOped
down on the Illinois Traction system
this afternoon and plotted out thirty
seven lives. At least thirty persons
were injured.
The lives were lost when two in
terurban cars collidod head-O near
Staunton H.. forty miles from st.
Louis. ON OF the cars was bound for
st. Louis loaded with passengers in
tent on seeing the annual Yelled Pro
phet parade The other car was for
the state fair at Springfield.
Car No. If north bound local, had
orders 70 meet both sections Of No
73 south bound At Staunton. The
orders to meet were carried out as far
rs the first section was concerned
hut il is officially reported that the
orders for the section were over
looked
When the first section had passed
cn its way to 81. Louis the local, north
pound, pAlieu out.
At Dickcrson's Curve. t,vo miles
north OF staunton, the track turns
sharply C. the right and Just at the
edge of cut, With the second golne
UhNuI lhllN mites an iAputs lilF itNftA
dashed down grade at top speed
and the cars COllided.
OF passengers in the south bound
car, not one escaped uninJured ana
very few in the north bound car.
Among the victims were three Of
Gcials OF the traction system, one be
ing W. w. street, whose duty 1t would
have been in the event OF a wreck -
direct the succor of the injured ana
a4l A
Both motormen jumped when the
crash was imminent The conductors
were at the rear end of their respec-
tive cars ana escaped with bruises.
Twenty eight of the dead were
taken to Carlnvillc Ill, in a special
ear. Ten Of the bodies at CarlinVllle
have not been identified. IL IS report
ed that nine bodies were mangled re
such an extent that indentifiCatiou Will
he difficult. The injured were taken
i'm q special car to Granite city He
Mr.. William Walters, OF Duquoin.
passenger on the north bound ear
though pinioned beneath the wreck
age. escaped with only few minor
injuries
Il was talking with a woman Sit
ting next to me- said Mrs. Walters
"OW converse tion was broken by
terrific smashing and grinding NOISE
ANA | telt myself being thrown
through the all and struck against
beam. As fell. @ heavy beam
crashed down on me, piling up only a
tcot over my head.
when ! regained my senses
could hear the shrieks of the wounded
nd dying. \ foot away from me was
man. his head severed from ms
body ana next 10 him woman whose
limbs had been crushed. She was
hcgeing for some one to Kill her
II screamed for help, knowing the
Wreckage above me might cave in
any moment. Two men came win
crowbars and released me-
The arrest of Motorman John Licr-
mon of Staunton. who handled the
controller on the noIth-bound car
has been ordered and the police We're
instructed 10 take him into custody
The county authorities got similar IN
structons. Herman disappeared ana
h"d not been located up 10 an early
hour this morning.
Members OF the railroad and ware
house commission of Illinois took m
modiotc cognizoncc of the calamity
ana or Geographic adviccs the mem
hers lett theil homes last night on
specials All of them were expected
boz Staunton before da flight ms
mc1nng and 81 was understood that
board Of inquiry would 81 once be
formed.
Dispatcher Louis Tehbs OF Staunton
late tonight gave out statement IN
Nhirh he cleimcd he gave orders 20
Motorman John Herman, and con
ugctor NJ. A. Leonard OF car No. IA 10
meet the other car et n siding al Wall.
lle asserted the crew oVeiran their
orders and rs 3 result collided with
the second section of the south Inbound
tt0in
Tcbbs has been railroading for fif-
teen years. .Ie was not q regular dis
patcher and was usually employed as
conductor on n limited run. During
rush periods however. he has been
employed rs extra dispatcher and as
Hp serving today.