The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-08
Party Given Fad Shakina-Up
When Tender. Baggage Car
and Pullman Jumps Track
NOT THOUGHT TO
HAVE BEEN PLOT
Accident Occurred Fifty Miles
Northwest of Tcrre Haute.
Newspaper Men Aboard
One of Derailed Cars
BY GEORGE II. HOLMES.

Arcola, Ill, May 7.--The special
train bearing General Joffre. Vice
Premier Viviani. and other members
/ uf rfTr f'rrT1rtT mission, eastward after
a tour OF the Middle West. was wreck
ed In the middle Of a cornfeld MIDI
Way between Arcola and flsons
Illinois. at 80 O'Clock tonight. SeV-
eral persons suffered slight bruises,
bat none OF the members Of the
French party was injured.
The cause of the wreck is not vet
known. t'errSyiva MA railway en-
rioyes who made an examination Of
the wreck hy lantern light. expressed
the opinion that the cars were derail-
I'd accidentally, Secret service men.
headed by William N%e, began an I'M
mediate investigation.
fine train Was speeding eastward
AZ the rute Of forty miles an hour.
sfter leavin1 Springfield H.. where
General 1offre and II Ntviani laid 4
wreath NJ tire tomb Of Abraham lin
eoln late This afternoon.
Fifty miles northwest Of Terre
Haute. Ind, tho tender o. the second
LOGON otiIe Of q "dou bic header"
suddenly left the rails. The baggage
car, Immediately hehi6d. Iuuged over
nn it's side aud fell crosswise OF the
rails. tangled mass
Newspaper Men I'm Thick OF 1t.
The Pullman car bearing news
Paper correspondents. Immediately
behind the baggage car, crashed into
the baggage car and left tho rails. but
did not turn over The dining car
neNt behind. left the tracks with a
crash. bHf the compartment car III
which the secret service men were
rtHng and the observation car
uuarteriug General Joffre and vice.
Premier Nivtani remained on the
rails
General Joffrc and NJ viviani were
~ dinner when the crash came. The
dishes on The table before them were
buried into their laps
General foffre was thrown hack in
his seat but recovered his poise in
q moment and, rising. peered out the
window into the gathering darkness.
F-Seithe, he nor NJ NiySati BETRAYED
the ~iisfstest trace Of excitement
The secret service men. seeming "A
plot rushed into the dining car ard
escorted General .TofYre and NJ
Ntviani into the observation car m
the rear Then they ioaped from the
observation platform and ran down
the track ~ see what had happened
after advising Joffre and Eiyiani TO
remain In the car
Joffrc Takes a Look. Too.
Curiosity got the better OF the hero
Of the Marine. He swung down The
steps and accompanied by NJ Niviani
picked his way along the muddy track
10 the spot where the wrecked din
ing car lay on Its side tie watched
while the secret service men with
he ira asrt.r.t.rf
lay lantern light every section of the
500 feet of rails ripped np and twisted
The preliminary investigation led
members az the train crew to believe
that pin or heavy bolt had worked
itself loose from the bottom OF the ten
der OF the second locomotive and had
dragged along until 1t finally caught
in rail joint. wrenChing the rails loose
AS the train sped on.
Secret service men filed lengthy
telegram to the state department al
Washington.
Only an hour before. as the train
Was pulling out of Decatur. the loco
motive struck and killed man. be-
iieved TO have been intoxicated who
Nas walking along the track.