The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-14
Railroad Commission of In-
diana Will Conduct a
Searching Inquiry as to
Cause of Disaster.
GRAND JURY TAKEN
TO WRECK SCENE
Injured Victims Are Recover
ing.-Care Being Taken
to Establish Identity of
All the Dead.
tNational News Association,

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, Nov. IA
With the exception of four persons.
all of the victims who sustained inju-
ries in the frightful wreck of the c.
II, & ID. passenger train at Irvington
were making rapid progress towards
recovery at the Deaconess hospital to-
day. The four whose condition gives
the physician most alarm are w. ].
Filler. of Liberty. Ind; Fireman III.
/ Hutcheson. of Madison, Va; Hugh
Kemp. of Berlin. KY; and ]. w. JEFF
ferson. of Chicago. colored porter.
Judge Markey of the criminal court
took the grand jury to the scene OF
the wreck in automobiles this morn
ing TO begin a thorough investigation
with the view to fixing the RESPONSE
bllity for the wreck. Prosecutor Baker
stated that he would be greatly handi-
capped by the fact that many of the
witnesses who were members of the
train crews are seriously injured or
dead
Coroner Durham has identified sat
isfactorily all of the fifteen bodies ta-
ken from the wreck and arrangements
have been made for the shipment for
all the out of town victims.
In order to prevent confusion as the
bodies were searched the BELONGINGS
were tied in handkerchief and tag.
ged with label to distinguish them.
Each body also was labelled with a
N % ola
ed to clear away the debris Of the
wreck today under guard of a large
force of officers who kept the curious
from the scene of the wreck
Wreck Inquiry.
The railroad commission of Indiana
has fixed Monday. Nov. %, as the
Time for hearing evidence to deter
nine the cause of the wreck.
/ w. II. Belknap. member of the In
erstate railroad commission. is ex-
ncted to come from Washington. ID.
Z, to cooperate with the state ON
chls. in fixing responsibility for the
wreck
d. f Matthews. chief inspector of
the nilroad commission of Indiana.
reached the scene of the wreck short
iy before O'Clock yesterday morning
and obtained evidence to be used
when the investigation is formally
made by the state and Federal COM
missions. While he has not completed
nis Investigation, II is said that the ev-
dence obtained by the inspector plac.
Is the direct responsibility on the
lead brakeman of the freight train.
me inspector ascertained that the
amp on the switch stand was NOT
turning. and. this being true. there
fas no signal to the engineer of the
incoming passenger train to warn
Inn of the open switch.
IL was said last night that r -
moacn or Cincinnati, o.. signal enef-
eer LOT the Z. II. & ID. railroad. win
'me mere today to investigate the
reck Tor his company and to confer
itn members of the railroad commi.-
on.
Block Signals Laekino.
wreck would have been averted
a Diock signals been in use" sai6
dee J. F. Mcclure of Anderson. a
smoer OF the railroad commission
ne wreck will cost more than en-
sn money TO have paid for biol.
the road all the way from Indiana
lis to Cincinnati. Block signals are
pensive. but they would have nre-
nted this costly wreck and saved
lives of fifteen persons"
ne Indiana Railroad Commjss;o,
ueo an order May 9, 1912. directing
y III. d ID. railway company To
e automatic block signals in oner.
'n on its road, between GIenwood.
:, ana the Ohio state line by Jan
1913, out no order has been given
tne company to block" it's road
"een Gienwood and IndianapoIis
stated, however. that the Railroad
mission had expected to issue an
n In December for an extensjo,
ne blocking system over the Glen.
o-indlanapolis half of the division
ng the next year 1t has been ra-
ed to the commission that the com
has made little or no propress
installing the block signals as
q, between Glenwood and the
: line
HOOK signals. which We are order
railroads to install as fast as pos-
would have prevented this catas-
ne, said Chairman W. j. Wood
lie Railroad Commission I'VE be-
mat the C., II. & d. Railway
ANY should have blocks over fts
eastern division in Indiana. We
start to obtain this improx4-
last May. when we ordered the
any To install blocks over one
of its eastern division in indiana