Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-28
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NOyQl
State Contention
/: Here In March
b Some 400 women, representing tn.
,rvarious Royal Ne1ghbor camp,
~tdthroughout the state Of North Dakota
tAarc expected to come to Grand Fork,
cafor the annual state convention to b
thheld in this city on March 16. Mrs
rdClara shultz OF Bismarck. N. D., stat,
aHoracle, will preside over Pill the SEES
ttFions. Thu morning and Afternoon
a4neeting will be held in the Odd Eel
lows hall, it has been announced. II
h4hc evening there will be a banque
Observed in st. Mary's auditorium, ii
eahonor Of the visiting delegates.
pa 1t has been announced that an in
MEill be h initiation of a class of owe
80 members.
tri Miss Nellie Garvick was appointe,
rofeiegate to the local meeting from tn
scfirand Forks camp at a recent meet
ping ofthe local lodge and Mrs. Georg
C4Eeifert was named alternate TIL
te meetings throughout the session viii
SlRC Illh NSN VII = PIOA& Gill
e0~a ..tsps.arr ree AL cite
check Of railroad officials upon the
list of casualties
Speed Saved Many.
The speed Of the New York Central
train, while fatal to passengers in the
two death cars, saved the passengers
in the rear coaches Of both trains
from worse than a severe joltins:
Bodies Of Engineer Claude johnson
of Elkhart, Indiana, and Fireman
George Deland Of Elkhart, engine
crew on the New York Central train,
were recovered early today from be-
meath the tangled mass Of iron to
which their engine was reduced by
the impact.
Other Crew Safe. =
Mich. and Fireman George Block Of
Michigan City. Ind. were able to ave
themselves. their engine being far. be-
yond the point Of the collision.
Il was not to blame Towerman
Cook told an Associated Press repre-
sentative at his home in Chesterton
early today. II threw the distant
block against the Michigan Central
train: I throw the block two miles
back from the crossing: I do not know
why they failed to catch the signal"
Representatives of the Indiana rail-
road commission were expected on the
scene early today to start the states
angle of the investigation.
An official statement issued from
the office OF the chief dispatcher Of
the Michigan Central at Chicago also
declared the Michigan Central en-
CINE crew apparently failed to observe
that he crossing siEpal was set
against them.
Clearing Of Wreckaxe.
With the coming OF daylight. off,
Gals in charge OF the wrecking crews
expected to clear away the wreckage
on both tracks and to remove the last
of the bodies still held down by TIM
bers.
Because of the darkness. the shock
of the catastrophe. and the frenxied
efforts of volunteers. many names
were at first given out by railroad Of
ficialS as among the dead who later
were found not to have beer aboard.
Railroad ofacials had no definite es-
innate. early today, Of the total num-
Der Of those sustaining serious in
juries, as they were rushed to Michi-
gan City and Gary by different groups
} of volunteers in automobiles and am
balances.
The heavy death toll. it was believ-
ed, made 1t doubtful II more than q
score had been seriously hurt. accord
ling to railroad officials. as only the
passengers in the two coaches receiv-
ed the shock of the flying New York
Central train. =
The engine of the New York Cen
tfal train burst through the wooden
coaches with such force that it whirl-
and. the small blaze which started in
the wreckage vas quickly subdued.
Within a shirt time lights in the up
right coaches Of both trains were
turned on again from an emergency
connection, and any panic among the
uninjured was allayed, while the un-
hurt ministered to those from their
seats but still living.
Parts OF Bodies Found.
At 8 o'clock, parts of what seemed
to be at least three bodies were Ia
ken from the heart of the pile of
debris, gathered in a basket and ia
ken to the Chesterton morgue. Rail-
road officials n Coroner Seipel of
Valparaiso at that time had almost
given UP hope of identifying half a
dozen of the bodies and had sewn
them up in shrouds, to await the ser
vices of u~ndertakers. Entrance to the
little back room of the undertaken.
chapel was barred to all except a few
who were able to show they. could
help in Identification.
Records Investigated.
officials Of the New York Central
said the. automatic recording device
in the crossing tower showed the
New York Central train hit the au-
tomato tower bell signal station,
three miles back from the station on
each line, just 20 seconds ahead OF
the Michigan Central train, thus Civ.
ing the New York Central train the
right of way.
The derail at the crossing is auto
m%atically set when the block signal
is set against a train at the block tow
er two miles back from the crossing
they said.
The derailer on the Michigan Cen.
trail tracks threw the train off the
rails $50 feet from. the intersection
although the engine and coaches
bumped along the ties over the inter-
section, and the wheels Of the Mich
igan Central engine went back on the
rails, when they struck the New
York Central cross-over
After stating that Engineer Long
Of the Michigan Central train had left
for his home at Jackson, Mich, mem
bers Of the wrecking crew and Mich
tgan Central railroad men admitted
that he had not gone there. but they
refused to disclose his whereabouts
Clearing Tracks.
By 9 o'clock. one track of the New
York Central was cleared of wreck
age, but the. Michigan Central was
still blocked 9he New York Central
train struck tho Michigan Central day
coaches at such a sharp angle, APP
proximately IS degrees. that the