Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-28
az DEAD IN CRASH
Continued from page !

CO0Onen OF the MlcniHnu (ciuhi 1u'h'
through which It had plowed while
travelling ut nearly 80 miles an hour.
The darkness and tho tangled mass OK
wreokage made rescue work slow. rail-
road officials waiting for daylight before
Attempting an accurate check OF dead
and injured.
A statement by Towerman j. c. Cook.
on duty at the crossing. declared the
block two miles away was set against
the Michigan Central train while the
track was left clear for the New York
Central Railroad officials at the scene
of the wreck said Engineer w. II. Long.
OF jackson, Mich. who escaped unhurt.
declared he had received n clear signal
and had checked IL with his fireman.
He left early today for his home.
When the Michigan Central train
struck the derailer 600 feet from the
crossing II was tho first indication he
had of the impending crash. Long Is
said TO have stated. From that point
the eight coaches of the Michigan Cen
trail train bumped along over tho ties.
coming TO n standstill with the third and
fourth coaches at the intersection of the
tracks and an instant later the New
York Central train burst through.
All except two baggage and mail
cnrs of the New York Central train re-
mained upright. although bits of the
wooden coaches of the Michigan Cen
trial 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, and all Of the passengers on
the New York Central escaped, climb
ing down from their cars through the
wreckage.
Most OF the identified dead and the
seriously injured were from Indiana
and Southwestern Michigan.
For no reason that railroad officials
could assign. almost all of the dead
taken TO the little morgue at Chesterton
across the tracks from Porter. received
their fatal wounds in the head. Some
were decapitated. accounting for the
failure to identify nine OF the 20 which
had been taken there up 10 o'clock.
The first group of those critically in
| jured were rushed IN an ambulance TO
! Michigan City. Ind. and two OF them
| died on the way Railroad officials ex-
| pressed the belief carly today that all
| Of the others injured would recover
| Hospitals and private homes at Mich
1 iGar city and Gary received the injured
Efforts or volunteer doctors and
/ nurses from Michigan City and Gary
| 10 rush the injured 70 hospitals led e
1 confusion in the check OF raildoad Of
/ ficials upon the list of casualties. but
| il was believed the total would not ex.
1 coed 35.
The speed Of the New York Centra
train while fatal 20 passengers in the
| two death cars saved the passengers ir
the rear coaches OF both trains from
worse than a severe tolting.
Railroad officials had no definite es.
innate early today Of the total injured
The heavy death toll. they believed
made i, doubtful If more than score
had been seriously injured,
Because Of the darkness, the shoci
! OF the catastrophe and the frenz.ed ef'
forts of volunteers. many names were
at first given out BY railroad official:
as among the dead. who later were
| found not 20 have been aboard.
The engine OF the New York Centra
train burst through the wooden coachc:
! with such force that il whirled hal
around. far down the track and thc
small blaze which started in the wreck
I age was quickly subdued.
Within a short time lights in the up
right coaches OF both trains were turneC
on again from an emergency connection
and any semblance Of panic among IN
untnjurcd was allayed.
Bodies Of Engineer Claude johnson
and Fireman George De.and OF the New
York Central train were recovered earl!
today.
Engineer W. +. Long. Of Jackson
Mich. and Fireman George Block o
Michigan City. Ind. were able 70 saw
themselves. their engine being far be
yond the poi-t Of collision.
Il was not 70 blame" Towermal
Cook told an Associated Press repres
entative az his home n Chestertol
early today. Il threw the distant blocl
against the Michigan Central train.
threw the block two miles. back fron
the crossing. I do not know why the,
failed OF catch the signal
An official statement issued from n
Offices Of the Chief Dispatcher Of IN
Michigan Central az Chicago also de
clared the Michigan Central engin
crew apparently failed 10 observe tha
the crossing signal was set agains
them.
said that the automatic recording dc
vice in the tower at the crossing shove
that the New York Central train hl
the automa tic tower bell signal static
three miles back from the crossing o
each line just 20 seconds ahead Of III
Michigan Central train. thus giving tn
New York Central train the right O
way.
Porter, Ind. Feb. 2S.-Tdward
Fierke, Of Grand Rapids. Mich. VIII
stosd on the platform OF the day coac
Of the Michigan Central train just
few feet from the point where the Ne
York Central engine hit il and saw th
passengers IN this coach trying 10 e'
cape as the headlight bore down o
them. gave a graphic description of III
wreck today
The car swayed suddenly and LEI
the tracks" he said. We bumpe
along the ties for a few feet at fun spec
From one side I heard a blast of a whi;
tie, J looked out. There was anotht
train bearing down on us at full spec
II couldn't move. My tongue stuc
in the roof OF my mouth. ] tried
open the door in the day coach 70 shot
10 the people inside. Ny hand refuse
70 function,
"As ] stood could see into the da
coach. on the side the New York Ger
tral train was approaching / could 50
that other passengers had seen ii
train woman jumped up from ht