Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1912-01-22
SON OF CABINET OFFICER
ELDRiDGE E. WRIGHT, WHOSE
FATHER WAS ONCE sEcRE-
TARY OF WAR, KILLED.
LIMITED HITS SFASTPAsSENGER
ENGINE PLoWs THROUGH PRl
VkTE CAR OF ROCK ISLAND
VICE PRESIDENT.

Centralia, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-James 7
Harahan, Sr., former president of the
Illinois Central; Frank o. Melcher
second vice president of the Rock Is
land; E. B. Pierce, general solicitor o.
the Rock Island, and Eldridge E
Wright, son of Luke e. Wright, for
mer secretary of war, were killed in
collision of two Illinois Central
trains at Kinmundy, ILL.,, about 20
miles east of here, early today.
Two trainmen were injured and the
passengers in the coach were badly
shaken and bruised. Train No. %,
known as the New Orleans Express,
was taking water at Kinmundy at l
O'Clock when train No. 3, 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 oc-
cupied.
Four occupants of the private car
escaped death or injury. These are
Byron B. Curry, private secretary of
Vice President Melcher; Thomas B.
Busbee, attorney for the Rock Island
for the states of Alabama and Louis
lana, and two negro porters.
The engine of No. 8 plowed is way
through the private car which was at
tached to No. 25 and was stopped by
the steel coaches Immediately pre-
ceding it. The impact showed the
standing train for a disance down the
track although it's brakes were
locked. Relief trains left here soon
after the wreck intending to fetch the
injured and dead to Centralia.
The limited carried sleeping cars
only and withstood the terrific smash.
The express was composed of coaches
built of steel. The trains were due to
pass south of Centralia but because
of No. rs being late, No. 8 met it at
Kinmundy.
Eengineer Robert Stuart and G. "
Bert, fireman of the limited, were the
two trainmen injured. Stuart was
cut and bruised and Bert's leg was
broken. The bodies of the dead were
taken through here this morning to
Chicago. Grant Feathering, deputy
coroner of Marion county, will preside
at the inquest.
The cause of wreck is ascribed to
scarcity of water along the road. A
special order makes it necessary for
all trains to take water at Kinmundy
and a freight train that took water
before the express, held the express
longer than customary.
Stuart and Bert weer freight crew
lateiy put on passenger train. 1t
is believed they forgot the order fcl
all trains to take water. The fiagman
of No. 25 did not have time to flag
the limited. Harahan recently retired
from the presidency of the Illinois
Central road ON a pension. Melcher
lived IN Winnetaka, ILL.,, and Pierce in
Highland Park, Ill, a suburb of Chi
cago. Mr.. Wright resided in Mem
phis.
The wreck occurred half block
north of the Kinmundy depot The
engine of the limited went half way
through the private car, splintering it.
The four men who escaped were in
the front of the car and crawled
through the openings made by the
engine.
The bodies of the four dead men
were badly mutilated. The top of Mr..
Harahan's head was torn off. The
arms of most of the victims were sew
cred and doctor reported the legs
are held on by shreds. Mr.. Harahan's
body perhaps, was mutilated more
than the Others.