Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-14
False Signal Causes Col
lision of Two Pacific
Electric Trains.
TWO HUNDRED INJURED
Youths Responsible for Wreck
Near Los Angeles Are
Crushed in Debris.

Los Angeles, Cal, July 14-To
horse play" by youths who pulled
a train whistle is attributed the loss
of about IL lives and the injury Of
some 200 persons, many fatally, near
here, last night Two Pacific electric
trains collided, telescoping two cars
and wrecking another, at Vineyard sta
tion, near the city limits.
Three trains loaded with excursion
lists TO the beach at Venice, 16 miles
from Los Angeles, had stopped at q
curve where a switch is turned. The
last train began moving slowly for
ward while the two foremost trains
remained at a standstill. Conductor
Bartholomew of the last car of the
center train jumped to the track with
light to flag down the approach
ing train.
PULL WHISTLE IN JEST.
Some youths on this car, say passen-
gers who escaped deatn, pulled the
whistle in Jest. This is said by rail-
road men to have been misinterpreted
by the motorman of the moving train
as a signal TO go ahead. With a crash
Of breaking glass, splitting of timbers
and cries Of passengers. the motor car
Of the last train drove into the rear
of the center train.
The youths who had played with
the whistle were crushed in the debris.
The colliding cars were telescoped.
The second Car of the stationary train
was almost demolished. The motor
man of the moving train, hearing the
whistle, had put on full speed. The
curve had prevented his seeing the
standing cars Of the next train. The
third train was not affected.
Most OF the killed were cut to pieces.
SAILOR REMOVES LIGHT BODIES.
Special trains rushed the injured to
TO a Los Angeles hospital and the dead
20 morgues here. Passengers on the
rear car of the train filled the seats
and stood in aisles when the crash
came. The seats we're shufiied as a
deck of cards. Those who stood were
crushed against each other into the
far end Of the Car. The lights went
out
Arthur Hill. sailor on the torpedo
boat Paul Jones, carried out eight
bodies, including woman gripping an
infants body in her arms. The moth
er and child were dead.
Mrs. W. Il. Stewart of Los Angeles
dragged out the prostrate body Of her
husband, who was stunned.
A few Of the Christian Endeavor CON
vention delegates were on the trains.
Practically all the killed and injured
. I
suburbs.
CURVn Is BLAMED.
An investigation to fix the blame
was begun today. a curve in the
tracks Of the Venice Shortiine at the
place where the wreck occurred is
partially held responsible for the fail
ure OF the motorman TO see the sta
tionary cars with which his train col
lided. The motorman is missing -
day. His body was not found in The
debris. although # is certain he was
killed. Stories OF the accident differ
widely, and much difficulty will be
experienced by officials and the coro-
neT's jury.
SOME OF THE BEAD.
Inc known dead:
MISS EDNA ALTER, Pasadena.
OLLIE AXLEY. San Francisco.
MISS VERONICA MILLER, Los An
geles.
MYRTLE EVANS. Los Angeles.
WILLIAM TAYLOR, JACOB BAR
MAN. EDWARD MURRAY, address
ip unknown.
TWO JAPANESE.
TWO UNIDENTIFIED WHITES.
Forester was later located by the
companies officials.
The names OF few OF the injured
were known early today. Helen Hane
OF Escanaba, Mich. is reported prob
ably fatally injured. Her body was
crushed. c. b. Craig and wife OF De
troit were internally injured and their
condition is serious.
Miss Ingborg SwendSon OF Chicago
had knee fractured.
Railroad officials are inclined 10
place the blame on Forester, the
missing mOtorman