The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-22
Terrible Disaster Occurs on Wabash
Valley Interurban Line Between
Bluffton and Fort Wayne, md,
at Point Near kingsland
HEAVY EMPTY CAR AT HIGH SPEED
PLOWS THROUGH LIGHTER CROWDED ONE
Wreck Occurs on Sharp Curve, but None Who
Live to Tell Tale Know Whose
Error Caused Ii

BDUF'FTON, Ind. sept. 2l.-Forty'
two persons were killed in an interur-
ban trolley wreck between Bluffton and
Fort Wayne at noon today. just what
error caused the wreck has not been
explained
Az 1855 regular train consisting
Of one car. left Bluffton for Fort
Wayne AT practically the same time
d single motor car left Fort Wayne for
Bluffton. empty, 10 pick up load oil
passengers to bring back to Fort wayne
for tine county fair. Near klngsland,
eighteen miles south Of Fort Wayne,
the cars met.
Those who were in the accident can
tell little of what occurred. In the
extra car were no passengers, In the
regular local were probably ffty-five or
sixty people. OF these few escaped
death or injury.
The Dead.
W. E. BOWMAN, Button.
A. T.. HYDE. Pennvile.
8. E.. STUCKEY. Vera Cruz
WILLIAM S. BEERS, Bluffton.
LLOYD BROWN. BIulfton.
J.. C. JUSTUS, Rluffton. general man
agcr Bluffton, Geneva and Collna trac-
tion line
s. H. ROBINSON,
\. D. COOK,
ERNEST GROUSE,
RALPH WALSER.
W. D. BURGAN.
OSCAR ZIMMER.
MISS PEARL SAYLER,
JOHN w. TRIBOIET.
THOMAS GORDAN,
HAROLD NELSON, son Of Lloyd
Brown. about IS years old.
MRS, HIRAM FOLK,
MARY DAUGIIERTY,
j. T.. SWARTIE,
JOSEPH SAWYER. all of Button.
SIBAS THOMAS,
F. b. TAMM.
FRANK KING.
MRS. FRANK KING, all Of Warren,
r. F. FoLKU, Washington, Ind.
JACOB SWARTZ, Uniondae,
BLANCHE ARCHBOLD. Ossian.
CHARLES REBER, Uniondale.
JOHN JOHNSON. Markle,
JESSE HOFMANN, Marion.
DIR, s T.. THOMPSON, Ann Arbor,
Mich.
MRS. MYRTLE HARLEY, daughter
of Mrs Folk, BIuffton.
DANIEL DEBACH, Petroleum, Ind,
JOHN SMITH and MRS, JOHN
SMITH. Montpelier,
JOHN REED. battery E. Fifth ar
tillcry, New York.
GEORGE IEMTHURST. Warren.
BEN CRAMER. Frankfort
The northbound car was in charge of
Motorman G. Vandiuc and Conductor
+. A. Spillcr; the southbound car in
charge of Benjamin Corkwell and Con-
ductor Daniel Wilson.
Came on Bad Curve.
The spot where the cars came togeth-
or was in the midst of field. On each
side farmers were blowing. The acci
dent occurred on 4 curve, screened by
dense woods.
car plowcd its way into the traffic
packed coach coming IN the opposite
direction.
1t cut of seats an inch above the
floor and packed in one mass the
whole interior Of the ear, seats. over
head baskets. lighting fixtures. luggage
and the bodies of two score passengers.
In the northbound car there were
only few capable of giving aid to the
dying Prom the fields came farmers
who witnessed the accident or had been
summoned by neighbors. Word was
flashed by telephone to Blutfton and n
special car was loaded with all the ply.
scians available and rushed to the
scene.
Blame Not Fixed.
AZ 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 worst electric traction wrecks in
the history Of the country.
No official OF the Fort Wayne and
Wabash Valley Traction line would to-
night venture an opinion on whom was
the blame for the accident.
One heroic act that will stand out in
the annals of the wreck il that per
formed by Conductor Spiller of the
northbound car. Though injured severe
ly, he staggered down tho track and
tagged limited train only a short dis.
tanCe away.
Story of Survivors.
John r, Boyd Of Marion, Ind, was
probably the only passenger aboard the
ears in the kingsIand horror who
escaped without bruises from the wreck
81 decided TO avoid the crush, y
SAID he, 'ln the crowded car and got
down on the steps. After we had
passed Kingsland and were rounding
curve, ] saw a car bearing down on us
about 200 wards away at terrific speed.
We were going at about fifteen miles
an hour. Our car suddenly gave lunge
forward. Our speed increased to fully
twenty-five miles an hour almost in a
moment The other car. bearing down
upon us at forty miles an hour, wns now
not 100 feet away, [ saw what was
coming and inmpcd off
''There was splintering crash and
dull grinding The big local car