New-York tribune., 1921-03-01
Death List i'm
Indiana Wreck
Stands at 81
All Bodies Recovered From
Splintered Coaches, but
Many of Them Are Man.
gled Beyond Identification
Engineer Still Missing
Known to Have Escaped, but
Disappeared immediately
After the Crash Occurred

PORTER. Ind, Feb. 2s (By The Asso-
ciated Press).-A COMP lcte check un bv
railroad officials and the coroner Of the
bodies in the Chesterton morgue at 6
O'Clock tonight revealed that there
were not more than thirty seven known
dead in the Michigan Central-New York
Central wreck last night.
The discrepancy between this count
and the one of more than forty pre-
viously announced by Coroner H. O.
Seipel was found to be due to the mutt
lated condition of some of the dead
IN some cases q body badly mangled
had been counted as Two
Coroner Seipcl announced the FOL.
towing official tabulation:
Bodies in Chesterton morgue-Twen-
ty-five to twenty
Bodies removed from Chesterton
morgue-Eight.
Bodies in Michigan City-Two.
Total dead-Thirty-fve to thirty
seven
Coroner Seipel said it might never
be known exactly how many were killed
because of the way in which some of
the bodies were maugred.
The coroner said he did not think
more dead would be found under the
vreckage, but that this was possible.
The morgue was closed for the night
at O'Clock and no further idcntltica-
Hons will be made until tomorrow.
Only one part of the debris remained
TO be searched .,cto u
broken hulk of the New York Central
locomotive which tore through the
wooden Michigan Central passenger
coach with such force that it was
buried several feet in the soft earth.
No word had been received here to-
night from the engineer of the Michi-
gan Central train, who has not been
heard from since soon after the &C
cidert, although he was known to have
escaped. Trainmen and citizens here
continued in their belief that Joe
Cook, the substitute signal operator
on duty last night, had closed the
crossing against the Michigan Central
train and opened it for the New York
Central train. Cuts in the -Iichigan
Central ties were pointed to as proof
that the train had been deraled by the
automatic derailing switch and then
had climbed back on the track when
it hit the "diamond' at the intersec-
ton
Signals Declared Properly Set
Charles Whitehead, telegrapher in
the signal tower which regulates the
passage of the trains over the crossing,
tonight for the first time gave his
version OF the collision.
He substantiated the statement of
Joe Cook. operator of the fifty-sx
levers in the tower, that the signals
were set against the Michigan Central
train and exonerated Cook of any
blame for the disaster.
II send and receive al messages tell
ing when trains will arrive" he said.
Il have nothing to do with the op-
Grafton OF the signals and am not con-
sidered responsible fer them.
"Ordinarily man named Pierins
runs the levers, but he wanted to take
a night IF and hired Cook, who is q
substitute, to work for him
"Becausc Of the mass Of switches.
detours and the intersection, both OF
us must be on our toes all the time,
and we were last night.
Far d.wn each track is IN appli
ance which rings bell in the tower
when q train hits it. Last night when
We heard the bell, we saw it was the
New York Central. About thirty Sec
onds later the Michigan Central bell
rang Joe set the signals against the
Michigan Central and opening the
track for the New York Central. We
sat peering down the New York Cen
trail tracks, watching the headlight
gradually grow larger and larger. We
hadn't noticed the Michigan Central.
Saw Wreck Impending
"The New York Central engine
gradually grew larger and larger and
finally it's outlines we're plainly visib e.
Suddenly l heard Joe shout.
"'My God, Charley, the M. c. is
coming through the block
II can still hear that shouted warn
II turned quickly to the right and
there, not $50 feet away, was the
Michigan Central, No. 20, crashing
down at sixty miles al hour. 1t was
SO close | could see the spaces be-
tween the fender bars. Joe jumped for
the door and jumped after him.
eve heard terrific grinding smash.
There was hiss of steam, a brilliant,
sed glare lighted up the tower and our
little building shook all over. The
crashing of glass-the tower windows
breaking ng-tingIed in my ears and the
tower continued to rock.
eve lay against the door for a mo-
ment and then collapsed to the floor,
Later, few seconds later, I suppose,
Joe got up and dashed downstairs. l
followed him.
"When ! reached the ground Joe
was running full speed up the road to
Chesterton, two miles away. am told