Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-01
RS RUFFLE
Las PAPER
.Re CRASH
Tramp Himself a Victim.
Believed Cause of
Rail Disaster.

Dunkfrk, n. Y July L.
light persons are kncWn to be
ad and more than forty were
Hred In q rear-end collision
the New York Central rail-
t0ad between the second sec
ti0n OF train No. Al and train
No. z, known as 'sThe West
erner,7 at 2:20 o'clock this
morning at the Third street
ation here. All the fataIi-
occurred IN the first pas
sen v car of tie rear train,
Thdw WesteTner, when its en-
giJSe 5nckfeR back through a
w1s0den express car.
Eight bodies we're taken from
the wreckage aHd rescuers clear
ing the debris we're working to-
ward what thex believed to be two
additional bodies.
Twenty persons, some seriously
inje-ed. were taken to the Brooks
Memorial hospital. As many more
passengers were treated by local
enG out-of-town doctors and
brought here on relief trains.
The engineer and fireman Of
The Westerner were killed.
Cars Telescope.
Both trains left Buffalo at one
minute past midnight, train No. Al
having the right Of way, and this
morning both trains were ahead
of train No. 7. The second section
step cd here to discharge passen-
gel ard was delayed in getting
IN, way again By an over-heat-
ed lrnal. Train No. Is q through
exp ess. Eye witnesses of the ac-
cie nt say that when the engine OF
trsfn Ns. plowed into the rear OF
the standing cars its speed had tli-
minishee only slfghtty. The rear
coach as teleseoped by No. 7-s
engipe and three others were
amp Cause Of Wreck.
5hington. July Am uniden-
ked tramp, killed in the New
FYork Central wreck at Dunkirk
this morning was according to re-
ports to the railroad administra-
ton, probably the cause of the
tragedy. The mechanism controlI-
ing the flow of air from the Iocomo-
tive to the brakes on the train was
found shut of, at the place where
the tramp was riding.
Is Only a Tangled Mass.
The official report says that
when the locomotive Of train No. z
exploded after teIescoping the
steel Pullmans, It drove the wreck
into such a tangled mass that P, q.
Crowley, general manaser of the
New York Central, who was in
Dunkirk, had to order acetelyne
flame torches to separats the
wreckage.
The official report to II -siiroad
administration puts tbs hown
dead at nine; the moratal = .,ured |
at three; the seriously h.lr; II, !
and does not give the tng of |
lesser injured, although il ~ aid |
to be large.
- Brakes Failed to Work.
Ehe preliminary inye stigat on
haA ssveloped that on lea in. he |
BuHss syards, the engi ee. OF |
trafaRAe. tested his brak ~ i ee /
times and found them worl ing 1t |
had no further occasion o e
them until running into Dunkirk |
when he encountered a caution sig
u6A 4 tAHSGA W. II
Dunkirk station. When he applied |
the air, it acted on the locomotive |
and tender only and was not com
municated to the ears following. |
The train crew said that the engi-
neer whistleG for brakes but be-
fore they could be used No. Z
crashed into the standing No. A.
Tramp's Body Found.
AS the wreckage was cleared |
the crushed body of the tram i
found on the head end" the n:
row space between the tende a,
the f1rst car of the train. T.
angle cock controlling the few &
air through the brake pipes was
!. closed. 1t probably will never a. I
Aelop whether the man unwitzing-
closed it with his foot, as he /
M the cock as step to lift hin.
up into the car, or whether 1t !
done Intentionally.
ANDNIECE OF