New-York tribune., 1910-10-05
g DIE IN CRASH
OF SUBURBAN CARS
TWenty-Six Others Hurt in a
Collision Near Staun-
ten. Ill.
DIS0BEDIENCE OF ORDERS
Cars Meet on Curve at Bottom
of Grade-Crews Escape by
Jumping - Dead in
Mass of Debris.


Staunton. III. oct disregard Of
the train dispatcher's orders and
sharp bend in the track which hid two
rushing trolley ears from each other
were responsible today for the most
appalling wreck in the history of cleo
trio railroads in Illinois. Thirty-two
persons were killed. one died on the
way to a hospital, another is not ex-
pected to live until morning and twen-
ty-six other passengers and trainmen
sustained injuries.
The collision occurred on the lines Of
the Illinois Traction System. two miles
1.orth OF Staunton. Twenty-eight of the
dead are now at CarIinville. H.
Four of the dead are prominent Off
cials Of the traction system. Among the
unidentified victims are nine women.
The identified dead
RUBLE, FRANK, O'FaIIon. III.
HENRY. s. T. PrinceviHe. III
MCPHERSON. Miss LIZZIE. Gillespie.
MCPHERSON. Miss LOU, Gillespie
BERRY J. E Springfield land commissioner.
Illinois Traction System.
STREET, ". W. staunton. assistant train
BLACK. n T. Springfield. assistant superinten-
don't of motive power, Illinois Traction Sys-
tenn
PRICE; A. auditor Of disbursements. Illinois
HABBEGGBR, J R. merchant. Jameston. III.
WERNER. G. Chaplin. M
Bauer, Herman. carpenter. ST. Louis
KIRVIN. T J. salesman, ST Louis.
tNDERMILL4 Manuel A. insurance agent
GANAWAY. nr. II c. Decatur. III
SgHAEFFER, !. c. St Louis.
MIf q P PriTceton mta 1n9 senla TsIuav va t-auan
BLoCKTNA. John. tea teanster. si,tq; Bend
BLoCKTNA. Mrs. John. Benld.
R6HSHAW, R6gfIsaX Or d F R.ni5 Ggrran; ai1sT III
ROBINSON. Mrs. H B. Benld.
ROSE, F NJ, collector Golfers Vee3iy,
Chicago
Among the injured is Samuel o. Tar
rant of Brooklyn. n. 7. His chest vas
crushed. his right arm was broken and
he was badly cut and lacerated.
The collision occurred between a local
train northbound and an excursion train
headed toward ST Louis. and loaded with
passengers on their way to view the
parade OF the Yelled Prophets at St
Louis. The accident according to early
information. was due entirely 70 the dis
regard Of orders by the crew of the local,
which was in charge of NJ. A. Leonard.
conductor. and John Herman. of Staun-
ton, the motornaan.
Met in Spiinterina Crash.
The local train had orders 70 pass the
southbound train at Stsunton. The lat
ter train was running in two sections
and the orders given to the local were
that il should pass both sections of the
southbound train at Stanton. The first
section had passed when the crew of the
local pulled out on the main track. heed
less of the second section. and started
north At sharp turn. called Dicker-
sons Curve. two miles north of Staun-
ton. the two trains came together IN a
splintering crash.
Dickerson's Curve Is a 4 the bottom of
a decline both from the north and from
the south. The local train and the sec
cnd section of the excursion train were
both on the down grade and moving at
forty miles an hour when they met. The
collision occurred qt the bottom of the
double incline and at the sharpest part
of the curve.
The cars we're so close that il was i'm
possible for either to slow down. The
crews were able to do nothing except set
the brakes and jump for their lives The
two men composing the crew of the
local and the crew of the speCial-W. V.
Duncan and Z. J. Young, both of Spring
field. IlI.-leaped as soon as they saw the
collision was inevitable. and all four
men escaped without serious injury.
No Chance for Passengers.
They were badly shaken up, but were
able to lend assistance to the injured.
None of the passengers had a chance
to escape, as the crash between the cars
followed Immediately the cries of warn
ing issued by the conductors and motor
men as they jumped from the trains.
AS quickly a possible word of the ac-
cident was telephoned to Springfield and
Peoria and a special car was rushed
from those points. other cars also were
sent north from Granite City. Ill These
last took many of the injured and hur-
ried hack to Granite City, where they
were placed in hospitals. AS fast as the
dead were extricated they were placed
in one of the cars sent from Springfield
In a short time a car containing twenty
eight bodies was sent TO Carlinvtlle.
where they were placed in an under
taking establishment.
Farmers Aid Victims.
Within a few minutes after the col
lision farmers from the surrounding
country and nearly every man in Staun-
ton was on his way to the scene Of the
accident TO render what assistance was
possible. The early comers were greeted
with spectacle never before seen in
this part of the country.
The two cars had come together with
such force that they were not only
telescoped. but were actually battered
out of all semblance to their original
shape They were simply a mass OF
splintered wood and twisted iron and
steel. eight feet high In this pile OF
wreckaGe the dead and wounded were
flung in every position and every form
OF mutilation. Some bodies of the dead
were torn apart. and streams of blood
flowed down the debris in a dozen places
The farmers and the citizens of Staun-
I 4. l. U~Tn hr.N.r