Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-06
CRASH OCCURRED.
ON SHARP TURN
AN ILLINOIS TRACTION TRAIN
LOADED WITH ExcURSIoNlsTS
BOUND FOR sT.LoUIs coLLlDEs
HEAD ON WITH LOCAL.

SkduuLOu, lll., OCI. O.-DOCu Cuc COh
oner Of Macoupin county and the rail-
road and warehouse commissioners to-
day are endeavoring to place the re-
sponsibility for the disaster which
J snuffed out thirty-six lives and In
jured thirty-one others at Dickerson's g
curve, swo miles and half north OF
here, late yesterday afternoon. That
Motorman Hermann of local No. IA,
north bound, ran wild, despite orders
to meet the limited, the second sec
ton Of No. 73, south bound. at Wall,
is the charge made by Dispatcher
Tebbs Of Staunton.
The task of removing the debris con-
sumed the greater part Of the night.
Motorman Hermann and Conductor
Leonard In charge of train No. II,
were arrested at their homes this
morning and taken to Carlinville and
held for the coroner's inquest The
company officials accuse them of over
running the point of meeting the
other train.
On Way to Soc Pageant.
The collision occurred between local
train No, IA. northbound, and an ex-
cursion train, No. 73, headed toward
ST. Louis and loaded with passengers
on their way to view the parade of the
Yelled Prophet in st. Louis.
The accident, according to present
information, was due entirely to the
disregard of orders by the crew OF
local No. IA, which was in charge Of
NJ. A .Liernan of Staunton, motor
man.
Train No. Ia had orders to pass
train 73 at Staunton. The latter train
was running in two sections and the
orders given to No. IA were explicit
that it should pass both sections OF
the south bound train at StauntOn.
The first section of No. 73 had
passed when the crew of No. IA pulled
out on the main track, needless of the
second section. and started north. At
sharp turn in the road, called Dick
erson's Curve the two trains went to-
gether in splintering crash.
Forty Miles on Down Grade.
q Dickerson's Curve is a sharp bend
in the road and is at the bottom of a
decline from the north and from the
south. Train No. IA and the second
section of No. 70 were on the down
grade and moving at forty miles an
:
hour when they met.
The collision, occurred right at the
bottom of the double incline and at
the sharpest part of the curve. The
cars were so close that it was impos-
sible for either to be stopped or slowed
down, and the crews were only able
to set the brakes and jump for their
lives.
. 4, 80 A = H. ~
No. 73, which was composed of w. V.
Duncan, conductor, and E. ]. Young,
both of Springfield, ILL.,. leaped as soon
as they saw the collision was in
evitable, but all four escaped without
serious injury They were badly
shaken up. but were able to lend as
sistance to the injured an instant
later.
No Chance For Passengers.
None of the passengers had a
chance, as the crash between the cars
Immediately followed the cries Of
warning shouted by the conductors
and motormen as they jumped
The cars jammed together with a
terrific crash and were entirely de-
molfshed. being piled in one huge
MASS Oh WTeCkdSe, luEOuSu WHICH tuc
lhodies of the dead and wounded were
Icattered. The trains were so piled
up and twisted together that it was
marvel that anybody escaped death or
injury.
AS quickly as possible word was
telephoned to Springfield and special
car was rushed from that point and
other cars also we're sent north from
Granite City, Ill. These last took
many of the injured and hurried them
back to Granite City, where they we're
placed in hospitals.
AS fast as the dead were extricated
they were placed upon one of the cars
sent from Springfield, and in short
time one car containing twenty-eight
bodies was sent to Heinz's undertake
ing rooms in this city.
Dead at CarIinvilie.
The identified dead at Carlinville are
rs follows:
]. r. HABEGGER, merchant, of
Jamestown. ILL.,
G. WERNER. of Champaign, III.