The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1912-01-23
BLAME FOR WRECK
CAN'T Be LAID
TO ANYONE
THREE INVESTIGATIONS IN ILL
NOiS MAY EXPLAIN WHY AC-
clDENT OCCURRED.

Centralia III. Jan. 22.-The state.
the railroad company and the coroner
began separate Investigations tonight
to fix the responsibility FOR the rear
end collision or the two Illinois Gem
trail passenger trains at klnmundy
early today, in which four men-thrcr
of them high In railroad circles-werc
killed and three tralnmen injured The
victims OF the wreck were sleeping
I'm private car Of wood construction
attached to train No. 25, the New Or
leans express when the engine OF No.
the car.
The dead:
JAMES T. HARAI1AN. Of Chicago,
former president of the Illinois Gem
trail
FRANK O. MELcHER, second vice
president of the Rock Island, WHOSE
car was crushed.
Il. B. PIERCE, general counsel of
the Rock Island,
EI.pREDGE Il. WRIGHT, Memphis,
vice president Of n Rock Island bridge
company. and n son Of Luke r.
Wright, former secretary of war.
The trainmen injured are Robert
Stuart engineer. and G. j Bert. fire
man Of the limited, and Jesse Gilbert,
fireman of the express. They were
taken to their homes IN Champaign.
Bert has "A fractured skull. Gilbert's
hip was broken and stuart Is suffer-
ing from cpncussion of the brain.
Engine Plows Through.
The heavy engine. drawing solid
train of steel sleeping cars, plowcd
halfway through the private car.
| Four other occupants, Byron II. cur
ry. secretary to Vice President Mel
cher; Thomas u Rusbcc local nttor-
| nev for the Rock Island at Little Rock.
Ark. and two negro porters escaped
! 18th bruises. They were sleeping In
the front end OF the ear.
The Investigations IN progress are
| in charge Of the coroner Of Marion
county. the state board Of railroad ana
Warehouse commissioners ana the r.
linois Central railroad, The coroner's
inquest was continued untIl Friday tn
enable the crew OF the engine Of tho
limited to testify,
| Deputy Coroner Weathcrlng nN-
pressed the opinion that the responsl T
bility lies between Stuart and Flag
man Henry j Broeeker of the express
| who lives in Chicago.
Bodies Mutilated.
| The bodies Of the four victims We're
| mutilatcd Their arms were torn on
and the top Of Mr. Harahan's head
was cut away.
The bodies of Mr. Harahan, Mr.. Mel
cher and Mr. Peirce were taken t.
| Chicago
Mr.. wrlghts body was taken tc
Memphis.
Broeeker, testlfylng al tho inquest
said he WAS riding In the next 10 the
last car OF the express and that Wher
II stopped at Kinmundy. 23 mile'
north of here, for water, he ran bach
with his lantern, and q block and q
half to the rear gave the on rnshinl
| limited a signal He testified his sig
nal was answered by the engineer bl
two blasts of the whistle,
Stuart, It was said, applied thu
brakes, but the train was going at tor
great n speed to be stopped and thu
engine crashed into the private ear
The force Of the collision was so grea
that the standing train, with brakes
locked, was showed 200 feet ahead
Passengers escaped with slsh
bruises caused by the impact Of th'
two trains
Conductor John r. Bralnerd or Chi
cago, Of the express, corroborated tl'
testimony Of his flagman, At Fffin~
ham, he testified, he told the fla"
man that the limited was less than i
minutes behind and to make qnIcl
run to the rear when the train stoppe'
at Kinmundy for water.
Superintendent r. w. Baxter OF tn
Illinois Central announced that IN
road will hold a public hearing to de
'termine the cause OF the collision