The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-07-19
.FAIA train Wreck
BURLINGTON FAST MAIL RuNs IN.
TO OVERLAND EXPRESS NEAR
CHICAGO. a
CARS ARE TELEscoPED.
Victims Crushed and Wreck Takes
Flre-o hohls Believed to Have
to Have Robbed
Bodies.

Chicago, Illinois. - Thirteen persons
were killed and Is or 20 were injured
In wreck on the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy railroad at Western
Springs, a suburb of Chicago.
Coming through fog, with sup
posedly clear track a head, train No.
3, a fast mail, ran at full speed into
the rear of train No. 2, known az the
Overland Express from Denver, which
was standing on the track, telescop.
ing two Of the Overland's Pullman
cars
Railroad officials refused to fix the
blame until after, the wreck had been
investigated thoroughly.
Mrs. F. "A. Wilcox, who was in
charge Of the tower from which the
block signals were controlled, said she
was certain the block was thrown
against both trains. She collapsed at.
ter the accident and still is in high.
ly nervous condition.
Fire starte In Wreck.
All the dead except Engineer
Brownson were taken from the rear
coach Of the Denver train. The en-
CINE Of No. plowed through this
car. halvfng 1t, and crushing the help.
less passengers. many Of whom still
were in their berths. On into the sec.
ond coach the engine continued. Hail
way through that car it veered to the
left. derailing the sleeper. The engine
was stripped when 1t stopped.
Fire. starting from the ;aC lights
In the sleepers. Immediately broke
out.
Believed Bodies Were Robbed.
Members Of the fire departments of
Western Springs and La Grange were
on the scene within a few minutes
after the wreck and they put out the
fire with lines Of hose.
Ghouls are believed to have robbed
the dead before they reached the
morgue in La Grange. More than
dozen large diamond sets were miss.
ing from jewlery, and although most
of the dead appeared to have been
persons in comfortable circumstances,
a ten-cent piece was the largest sum
of money found on any of the bodies.
Coroner Hoffman promised a thor.
ough investigation of this feature of
the accident and an Interstate com.
merce commissioner was on the scene
early. gathering material for an in
vestigation. Coroner Hoffman ordered
all the bodies embalmed Immediately
and early in the afternoon empanelled
jury to investigate the wreck.
Another Story Of Cause.
Another story of how the wreck &C.
CURED differed from that of Mrs. VIII.
cox. 1t was that No. 2. having been
blocked by signal. had sent back a
brakeman to set torpedoes to warn
No. 8.
Identified Dead.
Francis A. Barcley. aged 20 years.
Billings. Mont; George Brownson, age
IS, Galesburg. ILL.,, engineer on train
No. 8; A. E. Bunch, aged 80, negro
porter on Pullman car on train No. Q;
Mrs. c. M. Hart, wife Of physician
Of Canton, Ohio; Mrs. e. G. Pohlman,
San Francisco; M. E. Stern, Chicago;
G. w. Tudor, aged 40. Lacey. Iowa.
Unidentified Dead.
Unidentified woman, Is years old,
gray hair. black and white striped
waist and skirt. Unidentified woman,
40 years, light hair, medium build,
blue serge dress, black patent leather
shoes with white tops. &c. l.. p" to
IL. P. H." engraved on jewlery. I'm
Identified woman, "a years old, brown
hair. blue eyes, two gold crown teeth,
on upper left side of mouth. linden
titled girl, years old. light hair. gold
band ring, blue and white silk dress.
Unidentified boy, years old, linen
ireaa rod eocka ond h1ooi> ao,ao1.