The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-29
FORTY DIE IN
TROLLEY CRASH
MANGLED In COLLISION OF INTERURBAN CARS
NEAR KINGSLAND, IND CARS MET
ON CURVE IN DENSE WOODS.
WORST TRACTION HORROR IN COUNTRY

Il
was a curve screened by dense woods.
Bearing down from the north came the
lighter-yet empty of passengers-car.
Speeding toward Fort Wayne was the
coach filled with men and women bent
on a merry-making of a day or two at
the Allen county fair.
Even the time of the accident is in
doubt. Probably it was about half
hour after noon. Out of the ends of
this short curve near Kingsland, IS
miles south of Fort Wayne, came the
two cars. 1t was only a flash; a
breath. The cars were together. The
south-bound car seemed to take the
right of way. Like giant missile it
ploughed its way through the traffic
packed coach in the opposite direction.
Its heavier frame cut like a keen knife
pathway half the length of the OPP
posing vehicle. 1t cut off seats an inch
above the floor and smashed and
packed in one CHASTITY mass the whole
interior of the car seat, overhead bas-
kets, lighting fixtures, luggage and the
bodies of two score passengers.
| In the car there were only few
capable of giving aid to the dying.
They did what they could and from the
| fields came the farmers who had wit.
messed the accident or who had been
summoned by neighbors. Word was
| flashed by telephone to Bluffton and
| special car was loaded with all physi-
clans available and sent to the scene.
At nightfall all the dead and injured
had been removed and the wrecked
cars were lying beside the right of
way, bonfire to illuminate the spot
of one of the greatest, If not the great
est electric traction wrecks in the his
tory of the country.
The cause of the accident has not
been fixed officially. 1t is certain,
however, that the regular crew had or
ders to meet at siding No. log, mile
south of Ossian. The limited crew
over-ran this siding. Whether this
was due to failure to receive orders
or mistake of the dispatcher in Civ
ing wrong order, must be determined
by investigation by the company off,
Gals.
That an accident was imminent and
could not be averted was known at
Ossian and Fort Wayne before the
cars came together. This was shown
when the dispatcher at Fort Wayne
telephoned to Agent Koontz at Ossian,
asking if the limited crew had arrived
yet. He was told the car had just left
without receiving orders. Conductor
Wilson had stopped to get some match
es, only. Agent Koontz called up the
Lake Erie & Western operator and
asked him to call the tower man at
Kingsland. He did. The regular car
had passed and even then the COL
lision which has startled the entire
country had occurred.
Scene of the Wreck.
The spot where the disaster took
place is isolated. There was not a
doctor in Kingsland and the people of
the village seemed paralyzed by the
immensely and horror of the disaster.
They lacked leader and until the re-
lief cars from Fort Wayne and Bluff
ton arrived, little was done to take the
dead and injured from the wreck.
| 1t was a long, hard task to remove
the bodies from the wreckage. The
dead and injured were laid in rows at
the side of the tracks. Farmers wives
brought sheets to cover the dead and
to make bandages for the wounded
The bodies were all horribly mangled
Legs and arms were severed, heads
were cut from bodies, and strips were
torn from the flesh of the victims. Be
cause of the broken bones, the post
ures OF the victims were terribly dis
torted. the bodies being entangled
with the timbers of the crushed cars.
| To add to the horror of the situation
flies settled on the long rows of dead
and injured in great swarms. The
physicians had little assistance from
the townspeople and farmers and the
injured suffered the extremity of their
hurts for two hours before they were
relieved by lotions and narcotics
brought by the physicians. All the
time pending the arrival of the physi-
clans the injured writhed and scream
ed in pain and the crowd that gathered
about them stood awe-stricken and
helpless TO AID tnem.
Injured Brought to Fort Wayne.
The injured were placed on the spe-
cial relief train from Fort Wayne and
brought to hospitals in that city.
The Injured.
F. A. Parkhurst, Bluffton, broken
spine and head wounds.
Il C. NJ. Brown, Warren, both legs
broken; may recover.
Margaret Tribolet, Bluffton, concus-
sion of the brain and internal injuries.
John Eichenberger, Berne, legs brok-
en- and internally injured
Mrs. w. ID. Burgan, Bluffton, brok-
en- leg and numerous body wounds.
B. T. Corkwell, Fort Wayne.
Calls for Dead Husband.
: Mrs. w. ID. Burgan, who is at Hope
hospital suffering broken leg and nu-
merous body wounds, is in a semi-con-
scious condition. Physicians in attend
ance say she will recover Her hus-
, band, w. d. Burgan, the we'll known
insurance man of Bluffton, was killed
instantly. Mrs. Burgan is continually
calling for her husband She has not
been informed of his DEATH Her eld-
est son, Raymond, is at her bedside
, and the terrible strain of his fathers
death and his mothers injuries are
hearing on him terribly He is attemY1,
ing to be cheerful for his mothers sake
Traction Company BIames Motorman.
C. D. Emmons, general manager of
T the Fl. Wayne & Wabash Valley Trac-
To- into
newspaper reporters placed the entire
: blame of the accident on Motorman B.
!, r. Corkwell of Fort Wayne. According
to Mr.. Emmons, Corkwell had received
, instructions to give five minute clear
ance at Yoder. Instead, he disobeyed
, orders and ran through without stop.
, Corkwell was motorman on the south.
, hound car. Motorman Corkwell is IA
: Hope hospital. 1t is thought he cannot
l.,