Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-18
ENGINEER ADMITS HE
-. SLEPT AS SEVEN ARE
SENT TO DEATH
Continued from page IL

not until his train was fairly upon the
other. He called TO Carlson and In
Long. but not much more than a hall
minute before the engine plunged in
to the freight standing ahead. All
three Jumped to safety without civ,
ing any further attention TO their 10.
comotive. The engine is said to have
been on full steam ahead and the air
unapplled when the collision came.
Those acquainted with railway op.
erations stated TO officials that Carl
son and other members of the crew
must have driven from Meridian to
' Eariville inside" the blocks placed
against the crew of engine 5307 This
according to railway men, is as gross
a piece of negligence as Is possible
Tor any railroad man to perpetrate
and any member of the engine crew
should have seen their error and
warned Carlson against his danger.
Then at Mendoza Carlson was or
stock train pass him. As soon as the
order had been complied with he left
the switch and went out onto the
main line, following closely the train
ahead. He knew positively there was
no chance for the preceding freight
to get any great distance from him.
as both trains were carrying about
the same tonnage, Under these cir.
cumstances he evidently made no ef
fort to combat the effects of the
drug" he had taken to relieve his
cold
c. G. Fisher. conductor of the i'll
fated freight, said he saw the train
approaching from the west and when
il passed the brakeman guard, real
lied that a wreck was inevitable He
hurried into the way car and passen.
ger coach carried by his train and
started to route out the passengers
= He managed to awaken half the sleep
ers and get them to safety before the
crash came George G. Redmond
last man to leave the train, verified
Fishers statement and said it was
impossible to arouse those who slept
soundly in time to get them to safety
Both Carried Heavy Loads.
Engine 5307, pulling the freight that
was standing waiting for the block to
give it clearance, pulled sixty cars of
mixed livestock. The second train
carried 81 merchandise, coal and
grain cars. When the collision Oc
Cured cars were spilled in all d.
rections. Five car loads of corn were
scattered along the right of way and
farmers WASTED no time in bidding
the grain in at 75c bushel. Cars
of sheep We're crumpled and a rem
derer paid 81 for thirty head that
lay dead adjoining fields.
Steel gondolas carrying coal were
telescoped as tho they were made Of
paper. Hundreds of tons of fuel were
dumped along the tracks and TO I'M
tangle the mass OF bent iron 1t was
necessary to use aceiylene tanks to
burn them apart so the debris could
be cleared away The tracks were
torn up for distance of half a mile
and traffic along the line was blocked
the greater part of the day, Two
wreckng crews worked daysand night
to clear away the wreSMWEe
To Send Bodies Home.
The bodies of the five dead men
who are in The morgue at Earlvlle
= will be sent to their western homes
as soon as relatives arrive to take
charge Of them The two who died
in the Aurora hospital will also he
turned over to kin who are now in
their way TO claim the remains of the
victims.
Injured men who are in the hospital
at Aurora are reported today as being
greatly improved and all stand fair
chances of recovery,
Members Of the Jury.
!. The men who comprised the coron-
er's jury that held Carlson and other
members of the crew to blame for
the catastrophe were:
James Haml, Earlville.
/. Ray Tabor. Earlville
Leonard S. Thorsen. Earlville
Clayton Anderson, Leland.
Chester Jacobson, Leland.
George Schreuner, Sheridan.