The Brunswick news., 1912-01-23
TWO FAST TRAINS
IN 4 COLLISION
J. T. HARAHAN, F. o. MELcHER.
E. q. PIERCE AND E. WRIGHT
MEET DEATH IN PRIVATE CAR.
Private Car Was Attached to Rear Of
New Orleans Express and Was Tele--
scoped While Locomotive Was TAX
ing Water at Tank.

Centralia, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-James t.
Harahan, Sr, former president of the
Illinois Central; Frank o. Melcher,
second vice president of the Rock Is
land; E. B. Peirce, general solicitor
of the Rock Island, and Eldridge e.
Wright, son of Luke e. Wright, for
mer secretary Of war, were killed in q
collision of two Illinois Central trains
at Kinmundy, ILL.,, about twenty miles
from here, early today.
Three trainmen were injured and
the passengers in the coach were bad
ly shaken up and bruised.
Train No. 25, known as the New
Orleans Express, was taking water at
Kinmundy at 1 o'clock, when train No.
B, the Panama Limited, ran into the
rear of No. 25.
The killed were in the private car
of Mr.. Melcher. Their bodies were
found near the berths they had occu-
pied.
Four Escape Death.
Four occupants of the private car
escaped death or injury These are
Byron B. Curry, private secretary OF
Mr. Melcher; Thomas B. Busbee, at
torney for the Rock Island in the
states of Alabama and Louisiana, and
two negro porters.
The engine OF No. plowed its way
through the private car which was at
tached to No. 25 and was stopped By
the steel coaches Immediately pre-
ceding. The impact showed the stand
| ing train for some distance down the,
tracks, although its brakes were lock-
| ed.
The engineer and fireman of the
limited were slightly injured, but were
able to take the train south as soon
as The wreckage was cleared away.
Relief trains left Centralia soon af-
ter the wreck, intending to bring the
injured and dead to this place.
The limited carried sleeping cars
only and withstood the terrific smas2-
ing. The express was composed OF
coaches built Of steel.
No. IS Was Behind Time.
The Panama limited was scheduled
to pass No. 25 south of Centralia, but
No. 25 was late and the crack Pan
anna overlook it at Kinmundy.
1t is declared hagman failed to
run hack from No. 25 to warn the en-
gineer Of the Panama limited that Che
rails were blocked.
Harahan recently retired from the
presidency of the Illinois Central road
on pension. Melcher lived at Win
netka, ILL.,, and Peirce in Highland
Park, suburb of Chicago. Mr..
Wright resided in Memphis.
Residents Of Kinmundy, town OF
800 inhabitants, opened their doors
to succor the injured.
The bodies of the dead were taken
through here this morning to Cni.
cago.
The cause Of the wreck is ascribed
to scarcity of water along the road.
A special order makes it necessary
| for all trains to take water at Kim
mundy, and a freight train which took
water before the express, held the ex-
press longer than usual.
1t is believed the engineer and fire.
man Of the Panama Limited forgot
about the order for all trains to take
water. The fiagman on No. rs did noe
have time to flag the limited.
Bodies Were MutiIated.
The bodies Of the four victims were
mutilated. The top of Mr.. Harahan's
head was torn off. The arms Of most
of the victims were torn OF, and q
doctor reported the legs are held on
by shreds.
Responsibility for the wreck waS
placed on the towerman at Edgewood.
by Henry ]. Brocker, fiagman OF train
No. Is, at the inquest, which began
here at noon. He declared the tower
man should have blocked No. for ten
minutes.
Broecker declared that he went
back to fiak the other train. I ran
lback with my white and red lanterns.
he testified, "and gave Engineer Sun
lart signals. He indicated by whistles
that he caught the signals, but y
i seemed to be tooslate Tor him 70 sooI
hia engine"