The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-22
-FOUR IN PRIVATE CAR DEAD
Former President Of Illinois Cen
trail One OF Victims
Vice President and Solicitor Of Rock
island, and Son Of Luke Wright,
Meet Death.

Centralia, H., Jan. 22.-James r.
Harahan. Sr.. former president of the
Illinois Central. Frank O. Melcher.
second vice president of the Rock ISL
and p. p. Peirce, general solicitor OF
the Rock Island, and Eldridge Wright,
son of Luke f. Wright, former secre-
tary of war were killed in a collision
OF Illinois Central trains at Kinmundy.
ILL.,. at 1:10 o'clock This morning.
Train No. 25 known as the New or
leans Express, was taking water at
kinmundy at l o'clock. when Train
No. 3, the Panama Limited ran into
the rear of No. % The killed were
In the private car OF Mr.. Melcher The
bodies We're found near the berths
they had occupied
Engine Plouehs THROUGH Car.
The engine Of No. plowed through
the private car attached To No. 25, and
was stopped by the steel coaches
ahead
-Four occupants OF the private car
escaped death. These are Byren Il.
Curry, Melcher's private secretary:
Thomas B. Buzbee. an attorney for the
Rock Island and two negro porters.
Relief trains left here soon after
the wreck to fetch the injured and
dead TO this place.
The trains were due 10 pass south of
Centralia. but because No. 25 was late,
No. 3 met IL at Kinmundy.
Through an error IL is reported train
No. 3 was given the block and bore
down upon No. 25 without a seconds
warming Melcher's private car was
demolished and the car Immediately
ahead. a steel Pullman. withstood the
shock, but all the occupants were
thrown from their berths and many
were injured
A relief train arrived at Kinmundy
at 4:20 O'Clock
Cause Of the Wreck.
Harahan had retired from the presi-
dency Of the Illinois Central. Melcher
lived at Winnetka. H.. and Pierce in
Highland Park. H.. suburbs of ChIca-
ga. Wright resided at Memphis.
Engineer Stuart and Fireman Vert,
Of the Limited, were the trainmen in
jured. Both are from Champaign. ILL.,,
and were taken TO their homes. Stuart
was cut and bruised and Vert has "A
leg broken.
The bodies Of the dead were taken
through here this morning to Chicago
The cause of the wreck is ascribed
to scanty water along the road. a
special order makes IL necessary that
all trains take water at Kinmundy, and
freight trains which took water be-
fore the Express held the Express
longer than customary. The fagman
on No. 25 did not have time to flag
The Limited. 1t is believed that Stuart
and Vert. who were recently put on
he Limited. forgot about the order
where all trains should take water.
Sketches OF the Victims.
Chicago, Jan. 22.-E. ID. Peirce was
BORN in Mississippi forty years ago.
He received his education there and
,egan the practice OF law in Little
Rock. Ark. For several years he was
assistant TO general counsel Cherctaw
" the Oklahoma & Gula railroad.
which. i'm 1902. was taken over by the
cred the law department of the Rock
sland. and was made commercial
in 1907. Two years ago he be-
anne general sollcitl- He was
member Of the University and Union
league clubs. He is survived by a
widow and one son and n daughter.
Eldridge Wright. killed in the Kin
h.. 81
luke f.. Wright. former secretary OF
war. and made his home I'm Memphis.
Tenn. He was about thirty years OLD.
He was stockholder In the Memphis
Commercial Appeal and connected
with many other Memphis business
Mr.. Wright is survived
~ widow. who is in Memphis.
James T. Harahan came TO the pres
dency OF the Illinois Central in 1905
through the influence Of f. VI. Harri-
nan who had, after long fight sue
reeded in ousting Stuyvesant Fish
from the presidency That fight had
It's beginning in 1903. according To
the late r. ". Hartman. who. In tes-
lifying before the Interstate Commits
sion. alleged Fish had been using his
position as president OF the Illinois
Central Ito further his own personal
interests"
Young Hsrahsn IN Hospital.
Chicago. Jam 22.--James r fIara-
han. Jr.. at one time reported 10 have
been killed In the Illinois Central
vreck at Kinmundy. is confined to ST.
.ukes hospital here with broken
lrm. w. J. IIarahan. another son. who