The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-23
Bodies of MT. Harahan, MT. Melcher and Mir. Peirce
 Taken to Chicago
BODIES OF THE FOUR | VICTIMS MUTILATED
Inspector of State Board of Railroads at Scene--Will Make Report To- day-No Funeral Arrange
 ments Made as Yet


 Centralia. Ill, January 22.-The state of Illinois, the coroner of Marion county and the Illinois Central Railroad com pany itself today began threefold in vestigation of the fatal collision in which four men high in the railroad world were killed at Kinmundy. 30 miles northeast of here. Tn private car of wood con- htructIon attached to train No. 25 the New Orleans Express, four men were in- stantiy killed, four other men in the for ward end of the same car escaped un- / hurt.
 The four victims of the wreck were sleeping in the rear end of the car, which was teiescoped by tho engine pulling the Panama Express, running 50 miles an hour.
 The Dead
 The dead:
 James T. Harahan of Chicago, former president of the Illinois Central.
 Frank o. Melcher second vice president of the Rock Island, whose car was crushed.
 E R Pelrce, general counsel for the Rock Island.
 Eldridge F.. Wright of Memphis, vice rresident of the Rock Island Bridge com many. and a son of Luke E. Wright, former Secretary of War
 The trainmen injured are:
 Robert Stuart, engineer.
 c. J. Bert, fireman, both of the limited. Jesse Gilbert. fireman of express.
 They were taken to their homes Tn champaigne. Bert nas a fractured skull, cilberts .p was broken and Stuart is suffering with concussion of the brain.
 PIoughed Through Car
 The heavy engine, drawing solid train of steel sleepers, plowed half way through tha private car The four other occu- nants. Byron B. Curry, secretary to Vice President Melcher; Thomas Bpsbee local attorney of the Rock Island at Little Rocs Ark. and two negro porters es- oaned with bruises, but were buried in the debris
 Witnesses were examined by deputy coroner and the inquiry was continued until Friday to enable the crew or the engine of the limited to testify.
 The deputy coroner expressed the opln- ion that the responsibility lies between Stuart and F1agman Henry J. BrocKer of the express, who lives in Chicago. The bodies of the four victims were mutilated. Their arms were torn off and the ion of Mr. Harahan's head was cut away. The car was reduced to junk. Friends of the officials took the bodies of MT. Harahan, MT. Melcher and MT. Peirce to Chicago. MT. Wrights body | was taken to Memphis. Busbee's Account MT. Busbee in speaking of the escape from the car said
 T retired only a few minutes before the wreck and had hardly fallen asleep when | was aroused by a terrific crash as the locomotive of the limited split our | car in two. When 1 got my bearings | found myself and Curry. who was asleep in the upper berth of the same compart ment. virtually covered by debris We assisted each other to arise and after e great deal of difficulty managed to make our way out of the car at the forward end. A crowd had gathered by the lime we got out and we searched the ruins of tte private car, finding the bodies of MT. Harahan, Mr. Meleher Mir. Peiree and Mir Wright.
 ..1he compartment in which MT. Curry and I were sleeping was in the forward end of the car and to this fact we prob ehly owe our lives. 1t Is marvellous that we escaped, as it was 3 o'clock. Curry said he retired about 10:45 and had been sleeping soundly long time before the crash"
 Brocker's Story
 Brocker, testifying at the inquest, said he was riding on the next to the last car of the express and that when it stopped at Kinmundy, % miles north of here, for water he ran back with his lantern and when as far as city block and a half to the rear, gave the on rushing limited signal. He testified his signal was answered by the engineer by two blasts of the whistle.
 Stuart, 1t was said, applied the brakes, but the train was going at too great a speed to be stopped. The force of the collision was so great that the stand ing train, with brakes locked, was showed POO feet ahead.
 passenders on each train escaped with slight bruises caused by the sudden stop ping of tie trains. Physicians who were taken to Kinmundy from here gave all of their attention to the three trainmen.
 Conductor John H. Brainard of the ex- press corroborated the testimony of his fiagman. At Efingham he testified that he told the fiagman that the limited was less than 1) minutes behind and to make a quick run to the rear when the train stopped at 1<inmundy for water.
 Indirectly the cold weather may have been contributing cause Of the wreck. All trains. according to an announcement are under orders to stop at Kinmundy for watec because of the shortage of water along the road caused by the cold freight train immediately ahead of the express was delayed in getting water
 Superintendent R. W. Baxter of the Illi- nois Central arrived here today and said the road will hold a public hearing to de- tcrnine the cause of the collision.
 Layman to Report
 A. R Layman, inspector of the state beard of railroad and warehouse commis- sioners, visited the scene tonight and will