The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-02-28
TERRIBLE TRAIN
WRECK IN INDIANA
FORTY-TWO BODIES TAKEN OUT
OF DEBRIS OF TWO FAST
PASSENGER TRAINS.

Porter, Indiana-By A. P.)-Forty-
two bodies have been recovered today
from the wreck last night when 8
Canadian & Interstate limited train
on the Michigan Central and New
York Central lines respectively,
crashed into each other at grade
crossing here.
Parts of what seems to be at least
three bodies were taken from the
heart of a pile of debris. Railroad
officials and the coroner have aban-
doned hope of identifying half a
dozen bodies.
Death List Definitely Fixed
Porter, Indiana-(By A. P.)-2:O5
p. m.-The death list of last night
railroad wreck was fixed today by
Coroner Siepel at 49, Thirty-six are in
the morgue at Chesteron, four are
known to be still under the wreck
age; two in the hospital at Michigan n
City. Only 18 have been positively
Ident fled.
How The Wreck Occurred
NV York Central train No. Isl
New York and Boston to Chicago
ploughed through Michigan Central
train, No. 20, Chicago to Detroit and
Toronto, demolishing wooden coach,
a COIuOllldC1Oli PdSoOuSSI ctllQ OctSSdSc
car, and killing or injuring practical
ly every person in it.
The wreck occurred at a lonely
junction point SO miles from Chicago.
It was two hours before the first
relief train arrived and only efforts
of volunteer fire fighters prevented
many of the injured from being burn
ed to death.
The accident was caused, according
to railway officials, when the Michi-
gan Central train crew failed to OBJ
serve stop signals at the intersection
of the two roads and was thrown on
to the New York Central tracks from
the derail switch. 1t was stated the
New York Central train had the
right of way. Both the engineer and
firemen of the Michigan Central train
are being held.
When the Michigan Central train
hit the derailing switch at the cross
over it ploughed across the ties for
more than 800 feet and stopped with
the wooden coach in the path of the
New York Central train. The heavy
engine struck the coach at an angle,
ground it into slinters, left the rails,
ploughed a hole in the earth and turn
ed over on its side.
Anthony Foster of Porter, who was
standing 22O feet from the crossing
when the wreck occurred, says he was
attracted by the screeching of the
brakes on the Michigan Central train.
/ was horrifed when / saw the New
York Central train approaching at
high speed as the Michigan Central
train lay across the tracks of the
New York Central" he said '"The
New York Central train approached
at nearly fifty miles an hour and was
so close behind the Michigan Central
train that the frantic efforts to stop
the train were unavailing.
"Shrieks rose from the injured and
dying and trainmen ran about waving
their lanterns as the wreckage caught
fire.
'The work of rescue began quickly
but was hindered by the darkness.
Bodies were placed along the right of
way as rapidly as they were pulled
from the wreckage.
Forty-one Bodies Taken Out
Porter, Indiana-Q:45 p. m)-l
After the forty first body had been
taken to Chesterton morgue Superin-
tendent Pieffer, of the Michigan Cen
tral, said he thought probably the !
last one had been found. Two bodies
are at Michigan City. 1t is SAID that /
possibly several more are under the
engine At this hour the number of |
identified dead is FL.
Union Pacific In Collision
Omaha-Fourteen persons were in
jured, none seriously, when Union
Pacific passenger train No. 25 tele-
scoped the rear end of the Missouri
Pacific passenger train No. 104 at
of Omaha, at $3.50 this morning.
to Kansas City, was waiting on the
main track for a freight to clear the
block when the Union Pacific train,
twelve minutes late rounded a bend a