The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-05

MIS- j. X. Agee, Springfield, badly
| hurt.
Ethel Agee. Springfield, cut on head,
| left side injured.
Julius Engelman. o'Fanon, H..
| slight.
George Miller. Troy. H., not seri-
Mary Dosner, Nilwood. ILL.,, nose
| broken.
sam o,Farrant. Brooklyn. N. Y,
| right arm broken and cuts; chest
crushed
c. w. McGehe, Shawneetown. H.,
head badly cut, back injured
Guy Smith, Shawneetown, ILL.,, not
| serious.
John Hohe. Trenton, III, head and
| face crushed, back injured
Joseph Clark, BeneId, Ill, wooden
leg broken.
Mrs L. E. Corduna, Gillespie, Ill.
chest crushed. legs and back injured
G. B. Clifton, Staunton, ILL.,, not seri-
Gus.
c. F. MehI, a traction company en-
ploye, not serious.
The men who were injured and
who were taken to their homes are:
George Oehler, Staunton, ILL.,
James Park, Staunton.
Henry Saul, BeIleviIle Ill
Frank Ruble, O'Fallon. Ill.
S. T. Henry, Princeville. Ill
Beatrice Senizer, Springfield, III.
Adolph Kuenze, Belleyille, III.
II. L
Miss Lizzie Mcpherson Gillespie,
Mrs. C. II. Kane, Granite City ILL.,
How 1t Happened.
The lives were lost when two inter-
urban cars collided head-on near
Staunton, Ill, 20 miles from St Louis
One of the cars was bound for ST. Louis
loaded with passengers intent on see
ing the annual parade of the Yelled
Prophet. The other car was for the
state fair at Springfield.
1t was not only the worst wreck in
the history of the9Illinois traction sys-
TEN, but the most disastrous in the an
nails of interurban railroading in Illi-
nois.
Car No. IA, northbound local had
orders to meet both sections of No
73. sout bound, at Staunton. The or
as the first section was concerned. but
it is officially reported that the orders
for the second section We're overlook
ed. When the first section had passed
on its way to st. Louis, the local.
northbound. pulled out.
At Dickerson's s curve, two and a half
miles north of Staunton. the track
turns sharply to the right and just at
the edge of cut, with the second sec
t1on going about 40 miles an hour, the
local dashed down the grade at top
speed and the cars collided.
The crews barely had time to jump
ana there was no opportunity to re-
duce the speed. The local teIeScoped d
the heavier limited car and. in falling,
sinking down. wiped out many lives.
It practically took off the top of the
limited.
The impact drove both the cars
down the track so feet from the place
of the collision and piled them in a
huddled mass of wreckage beneath
which were pinioned the dead and in
Jured passengers OF the south bound
!
very few in the northbound car.
Officials Among Victims.
Among the victims were three Off
| cials of the traction system. one be-
| ing w w. Street, whose duty it would
| have been in the event of a wreck, to
/ direct the succor of the injured and
the clearing away of wreckage Mr.
superintendent of the ST. Louis
Springfield division and had been the
| man in charge of all the wrecks in
that period.
Beside his body in the wreckage lay
the body of D. E. Black of Spring
field. master mechanic of the system.
With these two on the car had been
John E. Berry of Springfield, land
commissioner of the system. He died
in the special car on the way to the
Granite City hospital making the
death list include three of the COM
pany's important officials.
John Herman of Staunton was mo-
torman and w. r. Leonard of Staun-
ton conductor of No. IA, the north
bound car, and w. V. Duncan of
of Springfield motorman of car No.
| 73. Both motormen jumped when the
crash was imminent.
The conductors were at the rear
| end of their respective cars and es-
| capped with bruises.
Twenty-seven of the dead were TAX
en- to Carlinville, Ill, in a special car.
The wreck was in Macoupin county,
and the coroner of that county will
hold the inquests. Ten of the bodies
at Carlinville have not been identi-
fed. 1t is reported that nine bodies
were mangled to such an extent that
identification will be difficult.
The injured were taken in special
car to Granite City. Ill. and were
| treated by surgeons summoned from
surrounding towns. The interurban
officials rushed to the scene of the
wreck and rendered what aid they
could. Farmers took blankets and
mattresses to the injured.
Although the wreck occurred at 4
o clock, no word was known of it in
the surrounding towns until the dead
and injured We're taken to them
Admits Responsibility.
Staunton. Ill. Oct 5-Motorman
John Herman of the northbound ca
admits he alone is responsible for the
wreck, according to H. E. ChubbucA
vice president and general manager If
the Illinois Traction system, who in
Vestigated the wreck.
Herman was noted for his careless
ness and there seems to be no reason
for his fatal Observation-Disclosures by over
running a meeting point at Walls sid
ing.
Both train orders are absolutely
clear to the minutest detail, showing
the dispatching to be flawless. As far
as I can find out Herman had no
trouble on his mind"
f'Motorman Herman and Conductor
Leon Hard are responsible for the co..
1ision'' said C. T. Handlesey. general
superintendent. They received orders
| to meet the second section of No. 80
at Walls siding. They failed to obey