The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-09
Charles keever and William
Sommers, Both of Peru,
Crushed Between Cars,
South of City.
BOSTON is HOODOO
FOR THE RAILROAD
Tuesday, Five Men Were In
jured When a Fast Freight
Plowed Into a Caboose and
Locomotive.

While engaged in the work of clean.
Ing up the debris caused by the Tues
day morning head-on collision on the
c. & o. railroad, between this city and
Boston, Charles keever and William
Sommers. members of the wrecking
crew, both of Peru, Ind. were crushed
noon, about SIS o'clock. and both died
shortly afterward. without regaining
consciousness. Keever died while be-
ing brought to this city and Sommers
died shortly after he was taken to the
Reid Memorial hospital
An order given the engineer, it is
understood, was the cause of the acci-
dent which resulted SO fatally. 1t is
understood that another member of
the crew gave the engineer orders to
back his engine and that Keever and
Sommers had no knowledge of the or
der, they being between two box cars,
attaching chains to a derailed car in
order that it could be pulled on the
track.
One of the derailed box cars had
been placed on the track and was at
tached to the engine. The engine and
box car were backed within one or
two feet of the derailed car. As Kee-
yer and SOmmers were attaching a
chain to the car, the coupling apparat-
us having been broken, the order to
back. the engine was given. They had
no warning and NO time in which to
jump. They Strengthened up as the en-
gine started to back and were crushed
between the cars. They yelled franti-
cally for the engineer to stop the en-
gine, but he could not hear them.
The injured men suffered most re
we're and excrucfating pain. They were
placed In box car to which an engine
was attached and were hurried to this
city. The city ambulance and an under
takers ambulance met the train at
the south side C. & @. station and the
men were placed in the ambulance and
taken to the hospital. 1t is thought
Keever died before the station was
reached but Sommers did not die un-
til 7:4O o'clock.
The bodies of the two unfortunate
men were taken to the undertaking
parlors of Jordan, McManus and Hunt.
where an examination was made this
morning by the coroner.
Coroner Pierce stated today that the
bodies of both men show little external
injury but that they were severely
crushed internally. The chest Of Kee-
yer was crushed and two ribs broken,
which punctured the lungs. The right
collar bone was also broken.
Sommers was injured about the
back and abdomen. His injuries were
not thought serious when he was first
picked UP.
The coroner declared he believed
that, while both men suffered injuries,
the shock had a great deal to do with
their death.
keevsr Married Man.
Keever was married and lived on
West Main street in Peru. He is sur
vived by widow and child. He was
about thirty-ive years of age Som
thirty-seven years old. Both had been
employed as car repairers on the
wrecking crew for several months.
The bodies were shipped to Peru at
1850 this afternoon. Mrs. Lille Kee-
yer. widow accompanied the body of
her husband.
Five railroaders were injured in the
collision between q north bound extra
freight train and south bound engine
and caboose, which occurred on the
curve between this city and Boston
Tuesday morning. The injuries receiv-
ed by the railroaders were not of re-
rious nature. All lived In Peru.