Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-01-22
OFFICIALS KILLED
IN COLLISION ON
THE ILLINOIS
CENTRAL
Tower Man DisObeys Orders
Two Trains Crash Together,
Harahan, Melcher and
Wright Losing Lives.
PRIVATE CAR FAILS
TO BE PROTECTION

(ny EvcninG Bersld a. y, asssrd W1Fci
Ccntralia. H.. Jan. 22.--James r.
Harahun. Sr., former president OF the
Illinois Central; Frank O. Meloher,
| second vice. president OF the Rock
Island. r. -. Pierce. general solicitor
OF the Rock Island. and Eldridge T..
Wright son OF Luke y. Wright, for
mer secretary Of war, were killed In
a collision Of two Illinois Central
trains at Kinmundy. H., early today.
Two trainmen were injured and che
passengers In the coach were badly
shaken and bruised Train No. 25,
known as the New Orleans Express,
was taking water at KiRmundy at one
o'clock, when train No. 3, the Panama
limited ran into the rear OF No. 20.
The killed were IN the private car
OF MIR Melcher Their bodies were
found near the berths they had occu-
pied.
Four occupants of the private car
escaped death or injury. These are
| Byron y. curry. private secretary OF
| Vlce-President Melcher. Thomas v
/ Busy. attorney for the Rock Island
f, Tor the states Of Arkansas and Lou
lsiana, and two negro porters.
The engine Of No. 3 plowed It's was
through the private car which was at
tached to No. 25. and was stopped by
! the steel coaches Immediately Dreced.
ing. The impact showed the standing
| train for "A distance down the track,
although ts brakes were locked,
Relief trains left here soon after
the wreck intending To fetch the In
juTed aud dead TO Centralia.
Tho limited carried sleeping cars
only and withstoOd the terrific smash
The express was composed OF coaches
built of steel. The trains were due "a
pass south of Ccntralia but because
Of No, 2s being late No. 3 met IL al
| Kinmundy
Engineer Robert stewart and fire
man Vert OF the limited were the tive
trainmon injured. stewart was cu
and bruised, and Verts leg was
broken.
The bodies OF tho dead were taken
through here this morning 90 Chicago
Grant Scthering. deputy coroner of
Marion county viii preside az the IN.
lquest.
Tho cause OF the wreck ls ascrlhed
]
a special order makes II necessary iol
all trains Co take water az kinmundS
and freight train that took water
before the express held the express
longer than customary.
stewart and Vert were freight
crew lately put on passenger service
u is believed they forgot the order
for all trains 10 take water.
The flagman OF No. 25 did not haV,
time 10 Nag the limited.
Harahan recently retired from th'
presidency of the Illinois Central road
on pension. Melcher lived at Win
notka. Illinois. and Pierce IN High
land Park. H., a suburb of Chicago
MIR. Wright resided in Memphis.
The wreck occurred half a bloch
north OF the Kinmundy denot The
engine OF the limited went half way
through the private car. sphnterint
A. The -Four men who escaped wer,
.n the front OF the car and crnwleo
through the openings made by th,
engine The bodies OF the four dead
were badly mutlated The top OF MT
Harahans head was torn off. Ih'
arms of most oi the victims Wer'
severed ana a doctor reported the ies'
are held on by shrods Mr.. Hnranan'
body perhaps was mutilated more
than the others.
The responsibility for the wreei
was placed an the tuwerman az Edge
wood by Henry r. Broeckor, fiaBmai
OF train No. %. at the inquest, whici
began here shortly before noon h'
testified the towerman should have
blocked No. for ten minuteS III
added that ne left his car and Wen
10 alag the other train.
"i ran back with my white and rec
lanterns, he testified, "and gaVl
Engineer stuart the signals He an
swered by whistle, showing that h'
caught the signals. but It seemed TO-
late for him TO stop his engine
The fireman of No %, Jesse GIL
bert. who was standing on the ten
der, was thrown 90 the ground AM
tsuffercd Internal injuries.