Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-22
90 KILLED IN GARY
WRECK; TROOP TRAIN
RAMS INTO SPECIAL
HAGENBGCk.WALlACE CIRCUS
PERFORMERS VICTIMS OF
CRASH-SOLDlER TRAIN WAS
RETURNING EMPTY TO CHtCA-
GO.

Gary, Ind, June 22.--Fifty persons
are dead and more than eighty in.
Jured as the result of wreck west
of here in which an empty Michigan
central troop train, travelling fifty
miles an hour, crashed into the sec.
ond section of a Hagenbeck Wallace
circus special.
Iflfty bodies have been re-
covered mp to ! O'Clock this after.
noon Twenty-Five men. women and
children, whose bodies have been re-.
covered have not Yet been identified
Flrebroke out almost Immediately
following the crash and more than
nan OF the deaths were due 10 burns
Horror ruled at the scene, women
pleadlng for their children. lost in
one OF the four coaches demolished
llrst by the crash, and brought TO
ashes by the conflasration, men beg
glng to be shot rather than be left
TO burn to death. clowns sobbins for
friends they could not find.
In the roaring tangled mass were
many whom rescuers were unable to
reach and who cursed CRYING vajnly
iof help. Circumstances surround.
ing the tragedy have led inyestigat-
ing officials to believe the engineer
OF the empty troop train was either
dead or asleep at his post before he
struck the circus train, as warning
signals sent mp by trainman Of the
latter train, which had stopped for
repairs, were totally ignored
There We're between 250 and 500
OF the circus folk on the train. The
casualties were made heavier By the
fact that the circus cars were Of wood
and because Of the berths were built
three in a section instead Of the ia.
ual two
The fire departments of Gary and
Harmon rushed apparatus to the
scene but their arrival was delayed
Forty Of the injured were reported
at the Mercy hospital here. and ten
are at the Gary general hospital. while
others are scattered among other in.
sttutions.
The circus train was The second
section OF the Hagenbeck. Wallace
show. II had sixteen HAT cars, con.
tanning equipment, in addition to the
-four tourist sleepers Il WAS bound
for Hammond whore a show is sched.
uled for today.
A broken axle was discovered at
lvanhoe, and rainmen with warning
llares were sent back along the tracks
according TO the circus men
At sixty miles an hour the empty
troop train came on. failing to stop
in answer to the signals displayed
It crashed through the four coaches
and the engineer was buried in the
wreck, from which arose the screams
Of, the injured Then flames began
. to rise from the demolished cars.
/ The fireman. who had miraculously
escaped from his cab. could nor
stand the strain Of he tragedy be.
fore him--he ran into the woods and
has not been seen since
For Gods sane, kill me- scream.
ed a woman pinned under a heavy
car beam, as the approaching flames
began to send ont their warnings o.
heat xiii me, XIII me-don't let me
burn to death
Il was the fire they feared those
injured, captured circus folk driven
by fear into hghting animals, sim.
liar 10 those who make up part Of
their show Two clowns, one of them
with his legs broken fought each
other franetically in an effort In es
cape The oneoming fire.
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