The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-10-05
DIE
WHEN TROLLEY
CARS CRASH
Heap Of WreCkage Full of
MangIed Bodies
MANY MORE BADLY HURT
Failure to Obey Orders Results in
One OF the Worst Accidents In
Electric RaAroading

Stanton, ILL.,, Oct. 5.-Thirty-seven
persons were killed and from 16 to
rs injured in a collision on the Him
ois traction system, two miles north
of here yesterday. Three of the in
| jured, and possibly more, are not ex-
pected to survive. Reports from the
wreck up to the present time have
been difficult to obtain and although
some of the statements received
from there made the number OF in
iured as high as so 1t is not believed
IL will run over 25. Only three of
the dead have been identified as yet.
The collision occurred between a
local train northbound and an excur-
sion 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 present information was
due entirely to the disregard of or
ders by the crew of the local, which
was in charge of NJ A. Leonard, con-
ductor and John Herman of Staun-
ton, the motorman. The local train
had orders to pass the southbound
at Staunton. The latter train was
running in two sections and the or
ders given TO the local were that it
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. needless of the second
section and started north. At a sharp
turn called Dickerson's curve, two
miles north of Stanton. the two
trains came together In a spintering
crash.
,, The cars were so close that It was
, impossible for either OF them to stop
,, or slow down. The crews were able
/, 10 do nothing except set the brakes
and Jump for their lives. Both crews
y leaped as soon as they saw the col
,, lision was inevitable and all four
Y men escaped injury They were bad
= ly shaken up. but were able TO lend
: assistance to the injured None OF
the passengers had a chance for
a safety as the crash between the cars
= followed Immediately the cries OF
% warning uttered by the conductors
. and motormen as they jumped from
y the trains.
y The cars came together with ter
a rife crash. and both were demolished
n and piled In one huge mass of wreck
n age. through which the bodies of the
y dead and wounded were scattered. II
u Is not definitely known how many o.
r. the passengers escaped uninjured bu
% II is certain that by far the larger
N portion Of those on both cars wer,
~ either killed or desperately injured
a The two trains were so closely twist
- ed together that Il was a marvel tina
a anybody escaped death or injury.
~ As quickly as possible word Of III,
~ accident was telephoned to Spring
"a field and Peoria and a special car wa
rushed from these points Othe
cars also were sent north from Gran
tie City, I'll. These last took man,
=. OF the injured and hurried them bacl
g to Granite City. where thew wer
placed In hospitals. As fast as tn
In dead We're eXtrlcated they were Mac
it ed In one Of the cars sent fror
lie Springfield. In a short time a ca
10 containing 2S bodies was sent to ca
O. Invite where thew we're placed In a
ne undertaker's establishment. Fror
Springfield all physicians were hui
a rled 10 Staunton
e. Within few minutes after the CO
lie lision occurred farmers from Sudg
ct county and nearly every man
as Staunton was on his way to the seen
", OF the accident 20 render what asst
ly lance was possible The early con
he ers were greeted with q spectacl
tn such as was never before seen
that part OF the country. The wv
es cars had come together with sue
~ awful force that they were not onl
er telesconed but they were actual
OF battered out Of all semblance 10 the
lr. original shape. They were simply
en- mass OF splntered wood and twiste
gh iron and steel. eight feet high. |
ad this pile OF wreckage the dead an
Is wounded were flung I'm every concel
able position and every imaglnab
m form Of mutllation. Some bodies
Oh the dead were actually torn apart an
mt streams OF blood flowed down N
debris IN dozen places. The IA
mers and the citizens OF Staunto
worked with desperate haste and
short time had taken from n
nj wreckage all OF the living and mo-
OF the dead. BY means OF the rur
m. telephone the news OF the accldei
nd was quickly spread throughout q
I'm country and when II became know
IN. that % OF the killed had been TAX,
M. to Carlinvllle the long distance tel
mi phone TO that town was literal
Tr swamped with messages from an,
,sl. Gus lnuuirors. asking for the nam,
an OF those killed. To all OF these ho'
90. ever but one answer could be civ,
rr.. and this was that no identification
had been made