Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-23
Flagman on New Orleans Express Says That
Brakes Were Applied.
PROMINENT RAILROAD MEN KILLED
Panama Express Telescopes Car Occupied by Railroad
Officials Four of Whom Are Mangled to Death
Flagman Tells of Signalling. OnruShing Express But
Speed Was Too Great to Prevent the Crash.

managed to make our way out OF the
car at the forward end. A crowd hau
gathered by the time we got out and
we searched the ruins of the private
car, finding the bodies Of Mr. Hara-
han, Mr.. Melcher, MI. Peirce and Mr..
Wright. They We're badly mutilated.
The compartment in which Mr.. Curry
and l were sleeping was in the for
ward end Of the car and to this fact
we probably owe our lives. 1t is mar
velous that we escaped, as it was.
Curry said he retired about 1916,
and had been sleeping soundly long
time before the accident
Broecker Says He Gave Signal
Broecker testifylng at the inquest
said he was riding on the next to the
last car on the express and that when
it stopped at Kinmundy for water, he
ran back with his lantern a block and
half to the rear. gave the onrush-
ing limited a signal and testified his
signal was answered by the engineer
by two blasts of the whistle. Stuart,
it 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 200 feet anead.
Passengers Escape with Bruises.
Passengers on each train escaped
with slight bruises caused by the sud
den stoppage of the trains. Physi
clans who We're taken to Kinmundy
flom here gave all their attention to
the three trainmen.
Conductor Corroborates Broecker.
Conductor John II. Brainard of Chi
caeo, ol the express, corroborated the
testimony Of his flagman At Effing-
5im, he testified, that ne told the flag
man that the limited was less than
ten minutes behind and to make a
quick run to the rear when the train
stopped at Kinmundy for water.
Stop Due to Gold Weather.
Indirectly the cold weather may have
been a contributing cause of the
wreck. All trains are under orders
to stop at Kinmundy for water because
Of the shortage OF water along the
road caused by the cold, A freight
train Immediately ahead of the ex-
press delayed it in getting water as
soon as expected. Supt R. w. BaX-
ter Of the Illinois Central arrived here
today and said the road will hold a
public hearing to determine the cause
OF the COllSlOn.
No Night Operator at Edgewood.
A. r LAyman, inspector for the
state board Of railroad and warehouse
commission, visited the scene tonight.
ard will make his report tomorrow.
after which the boards hearing will
begin. Testimony at the inquest will
he Used by the state board While
testlfying, Broecler said that the tow
erman at Edgewood failed to hold tho
limited the full ten minutes after the
express had passed, but Superintend-
ent Baxter said there is no night op-
orator at Edgewood.
Harahan's Previous Escapes.
Three years ago Mr.. Harahan had a
narrow escape in a similar wreck at
Cdin, ILL.,, near Kinmundy. He was in
LIS private car, which was station
airy, when a Baltimore & Ohio freighi
train dashed into It from the rear
! The private car was demolished, bu;
| Nj, Harahan was not hurt Six
uCnths after that he had another
rarrow escape in collision at Mem
phis, Tenn, according to c. D. Cary
| chief claims agent of the Illinois Cen
| tral and a friend Of Mr. Harahan. Mr.
Harahan had been in many minol
wrecks.