Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-10-05
WILL FIX BLAME
FOR ILLINOIS BIG
TROLLEY WRECK
Coroner Holding Inquest and
R. K. Commission Investigating
Crash That Killed Thirty-six.

STAUNTON, ILL.,, Oct. 5.-With the
inquest over the bodies of the Illinois
Traction wreck victims at C%arlinyille,
under the direction of Coroner Doris
Harms, of Macoupin county. and the
preliminary investigation by the rail-
road and warehouse commissioners
here today. the responsibility NAV be
fixed for the disaster which snuffed
out thirty-six ives and injured thirty
one persons at Dickerson Curve, two
miles and a half north of here, yester-
day afternoon.
That Motorman John Herman, of
local No. Ia, north-bound, ran wild.
despite orders to meet limited second
section of No. 73, south bound, at Wall,
is the charge made by the dispatcher
here.
One of the dead women at Carlin-
Vile was identified today as Mrs. II.
w. Reed, of Peoria, Ill. A ring with
IF. w. r." engraved on 1t was on one
of her fingers.
John Hermann, motorman of the To-
cal car; M. A. Leonhard. conductor of
the local. and E. j. Young, motorman
of the limited, were taken to Carlin-
vile this morning at the request of
Coroner Carnes Conductor M. V. Dun
can, of the limited, who is in the
hospital at Granite City, could not be
taken to the inquest.
The task of removing the debris con-
sumed the greater part of the night,
and it is expected that traffic will be
resumed today.
The accident happened on the IIli-
nois Traction railroad, which has a
single track. with loops on which cars
travelling in opposite directions pass.
1t was a head-on crash between a local
car n the second section of an ex-
cursion train crowded to the plat
forms and taking it's passengers to the
famous Yelled Prophets parade in st.
Louis.
officials Killed.
Three of the dead were officials Of
the railroad. They are j. E. Berry and
d. v. Black, of Springfield, ILL.,, the
first a land commissioner for the Illi-
nois Traction system, nj the other
assistant superintendent of the motive
power n equipment. and w. n.
Street, of Staunton, assistant train
master.
The st. Louis train, s~outhbound, had
been given the right of way. Thu local
n%orthbound car, in charge of M. A.
Leonard, conductor, and John Herman.
of Staunton, motorman, had been in
structed to lie on the siding and per-
nit the passing of the st. Louis spe-
cial excursion train. This was in two
sections. The local car had been in
structed to await the passing of both
sections. 1t only awaited the passing
of the first. Then the local shot ahead
and had gone rushing on for two
miles; just as it leaned over taking a
sharp curve it smashed into the second
section of the st. Louis special
Cars Reduce to Debris.
Not only did the two cars telescope
they were utterly knocked to pieces.
A mound of twisted steel n iron and
Jagged ended plank and splinters eight
feet high was the outcome, n in this
distorted pile were scores of victims
struggling and dying. If not dead,
From Peoria and Springfield special
relief cars were rushed. The injured
were taken to the Granite City Hospi-
tai. General Manager Chubbuck
brought on his car every physician
from Springfield. h least seriously
injured had been flung free of the
wreck.
The crews of both trains escaped
with their lives. They were free to
leap from the platform. Those within
the cars had no chance to jump, even
had they had warning of their peril
Twenty-eight of the thirty-seven dead
have been taken 10 Carlinville, where
the Town Hall has been turned into a
morgue. 1t is doubtful If some of thu
daad will even be identified.