Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-23
ARREST ENGINEER
AND FIREMAN IN
GARY TRAIN WRECK
Death List Reaches Sixty
When More Bodies Are
Found.
CIRCUS PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT
IN MICHIGAN CENTRAL SMASH
Wrecked Cars Become Seething
Mass of Flames, Burn
ing Many.
TRAIN STALLED on SIDING
Renowned Clown, Joe Coylc, Sees
Death Strike Wife and Two
Babies at His Side.
TRAIN STALLED on SIDING
Renowned Clown, Joe Coylc, Sees
Death Strike Wife and Two
Babies at His Side.

Babies at His Side.
GARY. IND, June 22.--The death list
IN tho collision to-day between an
equipment train and Wallace Ha gen
back Circus train was Increased to-
night to sixty. when eight additional
bodies were taken from the ruins and
tho death Of one of the circus troupe
81 the hospital The injured number
lco
Emil Klauss. the fireman, and -Alonzo
n. Sargent. the engineer ot the troop
train, were arrested Tonight. the
former AZ Michigan City. Ind. ana the
other At kalamazoo. Mich. kiauss fed
from the scene Of the wreck and wen:
to his home in Michigan City. lie Will
hc brought back 10 Cary Monday TO
testify at the coroncrs inquest. Sar-
cents arrest followed "A conference
with railroad officials at the Michigan
C"ntrars roundhousc late to-day. The
officials declined 10 make any state
ment. II was learned tonight that
Sargent was taken from "a Michigan
Central train bound for his home in
Jackson. Mich. He is charged with
manslauEhtcr. lie signihcd a willing
ness 70 return to Gary Monday to give
his testimony.
We we're running along n, good
rate of speed between Hammond and
Gary. and ala no, see the circus train
on the siding until we were nearly
on top OF IT," said Klausy ~ saw
that collision could no, DC avoided.
and grew day and sick in my
stomach al the thought OF what was
certain TO happen. did not notice the
engineer. and do not know what ne
did. l crawled down from my seat in
the locomotive cab and dragged my
sci! onto the tender. where / fell face
downward on pile OF coal That Is
the last thing remember. mus;
have been unconscious when The col
ilsion came. as do no, remember
feeling II. Ny mind was a blank for
long time. The next thing re-
mcmbe! was Oh train bound co.
fny home IN Michigan city"
ENGINEER SAYS STEAM
oBsTRUCTED HIS VIEW
Sargent. It is said. told friend tina,
steam from an Indiana Harbor Belt
Line engine on a siding obscured ,hc
:enaphorc. lie said he told ,hc fire.
man to jump. but that he stayed on
d.
Virtually all victims were members
OF the circus.
Thirty eight bodies, all except one
charred beyond recognition, have been
placed I'm Gary undertaking establish
ments tonight. Twenty-Five bodies
have been taken TO Hammond The
identified dead:
At Gary-Mrs. Alex Todd. Blooming
ton. III.
At Hammond-John Collins. property
man: Arthur Derrix. Belgian strong
man; Mrs, Joe Coyle and two sons.
Howa-d. aged nine. and Joe. Jr.. aged
two and one-halt.
Officers OF the circus made futile at
tempts during the day to obtain moro
complete casualty lists.
Work of removing the mass of debris
from the shattered circus coaches. IN
further search Of bodies. continued to-
night.
According TO reports to local authori-
ties. the circus train. which carried
four sleepers. i've stock cars fifteen
fiat cars and caboose. pulled part
way into "A switch and stalled there
on account OF a hot-boX. The flag
man went back on the main track and
set fusecs as a warning of danger. The
circus train was In this position when
The equipment train plowcd into the
sleepcrs. reducing them tor Pile of
tangled steel and timbers lire broke
out in the circus train almost imnicdi-
atcly, and when rescuers reached the
scene the entire wreckage was In
flames.
Clowns. bareback riders. trapezc per-
formers and acrobats. many of them
veterans in the circus world, perished
in the first great crash. Other Vie
Tins were sunocated and burned
SCREAMING VICTIMS
STRUGGLE IN FLAMES
Attempts OF the Gary fire depart
ment to curb the flames were unsuc-
cessful because OF lack of water III
the outlying district. Survivors strug-
Glcd about the wreck, screaming for
relatives and friends, and only force
prevented two or three men from rush
ing into the blazing wreckage.
In a hospital, Joe Coyle, clown.
wcpt bitterly rs he lay on a strctcher
and told how his wife and two babies
had joined him only recently after
months of absence and how all three
had been crushed to death at his very
side.
THE kiddies had been so glad to see
their daddy" he said. wish 7 could
have died with them"
The circus was TO have played to-day
at Hammond.
~ number Of the dead and injured
are negroes.