Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-21
FORTY-SEVEN KILLED
WHEN TRAINS CRASH
Worst Wreck in History of
L. & N. Railway, at Shep-
herdsviIIe, Ky.
SIGNAL MANS STATEMENT

BY the Associated Press.
SHEPHERDSvILLE. KY. December 81
louisville and Nashville passenger
train No. z. from Cincinnati to New Or
leans, crashed into the rear end of a
Louisville, Bardstown and Springfield
accommodation train few hundred feet
south of the railroad station hero last
night. The death toll had reached forty
seven today.
The number killed was at first placed
by w. F. Sheridan, superintendent OF
the Louisville division of the Louisville
and Nashville, at thirty-eight. Revision
Of this figure caused by additional deaths
from among those badly injured in
creased the total to forty-seven.
List of Identified Dead.
:. The list of identified dead follows:
David Maraman. Shepherdsville: Mrs.
N'arrie May Simmons, Shepherdsville;
s.drs. May Muir and George Muir. Bards-
Gown; Mrs. r. II. Miller, Bardstown;
Thompson. Bardstown; Mrs. Thomas
Moore. sr.. Bardstown; Mrs. Mack Miller.
..Bardstown: w. Mack Miller. Bardstown:
Mrs. H. III. Washburn, Bardstown;
IJohn Phillips, Bardstown; Ben Talbot.
sRardstown: Mrs. Joseph Hurst and
kiby, Rardstown: David Phillips. New
Eope; Thomas Shafer Chapeze: Maggie
Hay Overall. Coxs Creek; r. c. Cherry
t,nd Mrs. Cherry, Bardstown; r. C. Cher
Iy, jr, Bardstown: Mrs. Katie Ice
Bardstown Junction; James Morrison,
twelve, Bardstown Junction; George
Duke. Bardstown Junction; Virginia
tello. Chapeze: w. H, Thompson, New
Hope; Mrs. Thomas Miller New Hope;
Flagman Greenwich of accommodation,
Louisville: Conductor Campbell of ac
High Grove; Emory Samuels, Deaths
vile: Thomas Spalding, Springfield;
]. w. Stansberry, Bardstown Junction.
Nat W. Muir. sixty-five. banker, Bards-
Bardstown. KY; Miss Ella Phillips, eight
cen. Bardstown. Ky; Miss Altha Simms.
Springfield. Ky: Elizabeth McElroy
twelve. Springfield. KY: Josie Bridges,
eighteen, Deatsville. KY; Hollie Bridges,
twenty. Deatsville, KY; Lucas Moore,
sixty. Louisville. Frank Num-, twenty
eight, Louisville: Mrs. George Duke
Bardstown Junction, Ky; Miss Emma
Samuels. Deatsville, KY; A. w Sherman,
Samuels Depot. Ky; Mrs. Daniel Mutt,
thirty-eight. Shepherdsville. Ky.
Train Runs at High Speed.
The wreck, which is said to be the
worst in the history of the Louisville
and Nashville. occurred jslst after the
local train had pulled out from the
distance when the other train came
into sight, travelling at high rate of
speed. Before it could be halted it had
crashed into the slower moving train
ahead and made kindling wood of the
two wooden passenger coaches it car
ried.
The locomotive pulling the fast train
was badly damaged by the impact, but
engineer and fireman escaped with a
few bruises. The heavy steel coaches
it pulled were uninjured, with the ex-
ception of one baggage car. and the
train was able to proceed when a sec
ond locomotive had been procured from
Louisville and the wreckage of the
local train cleared from the right of
way
!. Operator Signals Clear Track.
Blame for the disaster seems to
hinge upon whether the fast train had
been given clear block or not. Jesse
Weatherford, operator at the station,
said Immediately after the collision
that after the local train pulled away
from the station he had turned his
board to show the track clear for the
fast train. and then left his post in
response to orders to help unload bag
gage.
AS he left the office. he said, he saw
the train approaching, rushed back to
picked up a red lantern and rushed to
the platform to flag 1t. He reached the
platform just as the train passed him.
he said.
Superintendent Sheridan closely cues
toned the crews OF both trains as well
as the station force, but declined to at