The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-04

Railroad officials at the scene of the
wreck said Engineer w. F. Long, of
jackson. Mich. who escaped unhurt,
declared he had received a clear sig
nal and had checked 1t with his fire.
man. He left early today for his
home. When the Michigan Central
train struck the derail 600 feet from
the cross 1t was the first indication
he had Of the impending crash, Long
Is said to have statAi. From that
point the eight coaches of the Michi-
gan Central train jumped along the
track coming to a standstill with the
third and fourth coaches art the in
| tersection of the tracks, anil an in
slant later the New York Central train
burst through.
Cars Scattered Some Distance.
All except the two baggage and
mail cars of the New York Central
train remained upright, although bits
of the wooden coaches of the Michi-
gan Central train were scattered for
| fifty yards. Passengers in the four
| coaches of the Michigan Central train
behind the death cars were unhurt
except for the shakeup. All of the
| passengers Of the New York Central
train escaped. For no reason that
railroad officials could assign almost
all of the dead taken to the little
| morgue at Chesterton, near Porter
received their fatal wounds in the
head. Some were lecapitated, ac-
/ counting for the failure to identify
nine of the twenty five which had
j'been taken there.
The first group OF those critically
injured were rushed in an ambulance
to Michigan City, Ind, and two OF
them died on the way. Railroad Of
ficials express the belief early today
that all of the others injured would
recover. Hospitals and private homes
at Michigan City and Gary received
the injured. according to the char
acter of the injuries.
Coroner Investigating.
Preliminary investigation and the
handling of the identifications at the
Chesterton morgue were taken over
Val Paraiso, Ind, assisted by Divi-
sion Superintendent Mckee, Wright
and Markay of the Michigan Central.
Records of the Michigan Central train
disclosed a large number of railroad
employees travelling on passes. sched-
uled to 60 on the wrecked train. but
they could not be located in the
Chesterton morgue. Efforts Of vol
| unteer doctors and nurses from Mi
chigan City and Gary to rush the in
jured to hospitals led to confusion in
the check Of railroad officials upon
the list of casualties, but it was be-
lieved the total would not exceed
thirty five.
The speed of the New York Central
train, while fatal to passengers in
the two death cars, saved the pas
sengers in the rear coaches of both
trains from worse than a severe
jolting.
Cook Says He Was Not to Blame.
Bodies of Engineer Claude Johnson
of Elkhart, Ind, and Fireman Geo.
Deland of Elkhart, engine crew on
the New York Central train were
recovered early today from beneath
the tangled mass of iron to which
their engine was reduced by the i'm
pact. Engineer w. F. Long, OF Jack
SON, Mich, and Fireman George Block
of Michigan City. Ind, were able to
save themselves, their engine being
far beyond the point Of the collision.
81 was not to blame" Towerman COOK
said. II threw the distant block
against the Michigan Central train; l
threw the block two miles back
| from the crossing. do not know
why they failed to catch the signal"
Representatives of the Indiana
railroad commission were expected
on the scene early today to start the
states angle of the investigation. An
official statement issued from the Of
Ace of the Chief Dispatcher Atcher,
of the Michigan Central at Chicago
also declared the Michigan Central
engine crew apparently failed to OBJ.
serve that the crossing signal was set
against them.
No Estimates From Officials.
With the coming of daylight, Off
! Gals in charge of the wrecklng crews
expected to clear away the wreckage
sufficiently to enable trains 10 OPP
crate on 10th tracks and TO remove
the last of the bodies still held down
by timbers. Because OF the darkness,
the shock of the catastrophe, ana lne
| frenzjed efforts of volunteers, many
/ names were at first given out by rail- i
road officials as among the dead VINO
| later were found not to have been
| aboard Railroad officials had no DEF :
inite estimate, early today, or the
total number of those sustaining
! serious injuries, as they were rushed
To Michigan City and Gary by diner,
emf groups of volunteers in autos ana
ambulances. :,
lieved, made it doubtful if more than
score had been seriously hurt. ac-
cording to railroad officials, as only
the passengers in the two coacnes
received the shock of the flying New
/ York Central train. The engine OF
the New York Central train burst
through the wooden coaches wltn
such force that 1t swhirled nan
around. far down the tram; anu .Ie
small blaze which started IN ;th he
in a short time lights in the upright
coaches of both trains were turned
on again from an emergency connec
ton and any semblance of panic
among the uninjured was allayea,
while the unhurt ministered to those
l 49, -,al e..ora their seats but SUI