Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-16

riding In the third coacn was hurlee
partly through window Stunned by
the shock he was hanging out Of the
broken window when rescued.
] Fought to Get Out
Those in the front cars struggled
frantically to get out Of the coaches
Women were knocked down and tramp
led. and over a score were hysterical
when aid arrived. Some were pros
trated on the floor while others were
screaming Historically. Several of the
women had to be carried from the
coaches.
Immediately following the terrific
collision flames attacked the wreckage
OF the end car of the limited. The
shrieks OF the dying pinned in the
blazing debris could be heard for over
block. In addition to being multi
ated by the wreckage some of the
dead were partly charred by the
flames.
Those early on the scene we're pow
erless to offer aid on account Of the
flames, although they could hear the
cries Of the injured and dying They
found the ruins Of the end sleeper in
flames with black smoke curling into
the air. The second sleeper lay over
turned on the roadbed with the injured
in heap toward the front of the
coach.
Portions OF the car which met the
impact OF the engine. were scattered
for twenty feet in every direction. The
upright supports Of this car were brok-
en- and passengers were crushed by
the roof falling on them. The first
work of the rescuers was to remove
the roof. Plush seats, twisted pipes
and splintered woodwork lay about the
scene of the wreck.
Second Car Overturned.
The second car from the rear on
the limited was keeled over on It's side
and much Of the interior demolished,
but the wrecking crew was able to
hoist it onto trucks and remove 1t.
The limited cars were thrown to the
south of the tracks, while the engine
and the first cars Of the mail train
swerved to the north. The first car
of the latter jumped the rails, but re.
i med upright All Of the cars were
scorched by the fire which followed
the accident.
Hughes, the conductor, had a mirac-
ulous escape from death. He was In
the second coach of his train at the
time of the crash He was knocked
from his seat and thrown against the
front of the car, but managed to crawl
through the broken window, in spite
of broken right arm and a fracture
of the left hip.
He was lying on the roadbed when
P. H. Dehr, fire marshal at Hinsdale.
arrived. The fire marshal and the con-
ductor are intimate friends, and the
former was about to assist the injured
man, when the latter said:
"HeIp Others First"
I'm not hurt very bad. Go and
help those poor people in the fire. My
God, I wish l had gone with them"
The relatives of the victims were
aided in the search of their loved ones
by Deputy Coroner Hermann. He
would take a crowd of half a dozen !
or so through at time and as each !
body was reached he lifted the sheets
and allowed those in the party an op-
portunity to view the dead
Jury Sworn In.
Coroner Hoffman swore in jury at
the undertaking rooms and after this
was done the members visited the
scene OF the wreck in automobiles.
The Jury, composed of La Grange
follows:
The Rev. Joseph A. Ballman, pastor
Of st. Franc Xavier Catholic church
If La Grange.
George M. vial, paint manufactu
Frank D. Cossitt, real estate dealer.
H. H. Marcusson, manufacturer Of
beds and bed springs.
Puts Blame on Dead.
"Whi', the accounts which l have
of the disaster are meager
The cause of the wreck seems to be in
the failure of the engineer Of the rear
train to note the danger signals as he
passed the block at Western Springs"
said H. E. Bryan, vice president In
charge of operation for the Burlington
system, in statement yesterday after
noon.
1.-The limited train stopped after en-
tering the block at Western Springs.
The operators there had the signal
turned against the train as it entered
the block, but it did not stopifor some
distance after passing the block signal
For some unaccountable reason the
rain following behind also ran far in
to the block after passing the danger
signal BY doing so the first train
which had entered the block was
struck from the rear. I am informed
that the morning was very foggy there,
and that the operator at Western
Springs did not know whether the
limited had proceeded on its way or
not. This could not be known until
the train had reached the other end Of
the block.
Eustis Issues Statement.
In statement issued by P. 8.
Eustis, passenger traffic manager Of
he c., B. & O., after receiving reports
rom those at the scene Of the acci-
lent, the blame is placed upon either
Bronson. the engineer who lost his
life, or Woodruff, the flagman.
Reports that reached Coroner Hoff-
man that the block system was not
worked properly by the woman opera
tor in the tower was denied by the
men, but caused Mr. Hoffman