Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-28
OVER 40 KILLED
AND 100 INJURED
New York Central Express
Dashes Into Michigan
Flyer
BODIES MANGLED
26 Victims Removed From Wreckagc
Engineer is Blamed-Passengers
Tell Ct Crash.

Porter, Ind, Feb. %. More thar
% pareons were killed and at least
100 injured in a collision betweer
two passenger trains here rat 6:2(
o'clork Yesterday evening.
Folr hours after the accident e
5odi:.s had been taken a frdm tho
vreckage, and railway officials dc.
,larcl the death toll might exceed
Is. Many of the bodice were
20 badly manglcd that Identification
is imocss:ble.
New York Central train No. 151
! known as the Interstate Express
from Boston to Chicago, travelling al
great rate of speed, dashed into
he riddle of Michigan, Central train
No. 20. known as the Canadian Flyer
from Chicago to Detroit, at the in
.ersec;ion of the tracks of the two
railroads The tracks cross each
other at a sharp angle after running
almoes parallel.
Many of the dead and injured pas
sergcrs were the occupants of a
wooden combination baggage and
passenger coach, which was demol-
ishcd.
According to railway officials, the
disaster was caused by the failure of
he engineer of the Michigan Cen
ira train to heed a blcck signal at
the crossovcr.
The block signal automatically set
! dcrailing switch. When the Mich
isan Ccrtra! train failed to heed the
signal againstcit it struck the drrall-
ing switch and pl1ghcd along the
lies for 200 feet before It stopped.
with the wooden coach directly or
the track in front of the oncom!ng
New York Central train, which hit
il squarely and then p!oughcd its
way through the 'wrcckagc before il
could be stopped.
The telephone operator at the To-
cal exchange sent out an emergency
call and farmers for miles around
gathered at the" scene TO aid in the
work Of rescue. -
Both trains were largely made up
of steel Pullman cars, but these were
smashed and imprisoned many of the
passengers.
Bo1h engines and all the coaches
including the diners, in which many
people were sitting down for dinner
were thrown from the tracks. Train
men quickly scored axes from the
"ars and with the help Of the unin-
iurcd passengers began the work OF
releasing the trapped one and rescu-
ing the bodies Of the dead.
Among the dead are the two en-.
ginemen of the New York Central
train. The engineer of the other
train is missing and it is thought
he jumped from his cab and FLED
when he saw the oncoming New
York Central train.
The scene of the wreck is the ex,
act spot where the Hagcnbach-W Wal
lace circus train was demolished anc
practically so persons killed severa
wears ago. The circus train wa:
running on the New York Contra
track; and Michigan Central trair
crashed into it.
The few people living at the juno
ton point were attracted by th'
| rash Of the collision and immediate
" joined in, the rescue work. Relic
trains arrived from Chicago. so mile:
away, and Michigan City in about al
hour, The bodies were carried t
nearby points in automobiles.
There were TO physicians here am
! first aid was given the injured onl.
| 0y passengers.
John II. Gelhart. of Oak Park, Ill
one Of the New York Central pas
sengc:s, gave a graphic description
of the wreck, as follows:
The first intimation we had of tn
disaster came when our train begal
to jerk when the emergency brake
kwere suddenly applied
The next moment the window
were shattered by bits :of.wreckage
and there was terrific grinding a
we plouehed through the other trai
Women began to scream, and foun
myself lying alongside the. track. =
! eve crowded out of the .rreekag
las best we could. On ali ssdes wer
people Iy!riz ..n=, ihe ground. som