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

that he had heard questions concern
ing the wreck.
Pitner Tells story.
Chicago. February 2s.-L. z. Pitner.
purchasing agent for the H. and NJ.
BODY Co; of Racine, Wis, a passenger
his efforts to learn the cause Of the
wreck. IT started to investigate the af-
fair" he said and found this:
AS the Michigan Central train APP
F. Long, Jackson Mich, leaned over
to his fireman and asked II the block
T was all right It's Just coming up" the
block was Just being set against the
Michigan Central train.
Either the engineer did not hear
him. or he misunderstood him. for he
engine went right ahead. but the block
set against him in time to set the derail:
The train bumped along the ties. until
yond tse and NeW York;
coach"
''I couldn't move. My tongue stuck
aP IN the roof Of my mouth tried
shout the people inside. My hand refus...
over thirty seconds between the time j
/
"The headlight OF the. approaching
train made everything as bright as day
soar to se kd 'h9ash stood %as s eoaS
See into the day coach. On the side the
New or Central train was approaching.
i could see that other passengers had
from her seat. She held little gia to
her breast. Men jumped up-one start
ed for the door; where was standing.
led in. MY last conscious impression
Iof me.
| remember seeing the nose Of the
engine reme snSSrrt the lights In the
hearing a scream that I'll never forget,
and then came darkness.
Thrown From Platform Nearly Fifty
T was thrown from that platform
nearly fifty feet; I lit on the ground
sat, up the whole middle of our train
few minutes. / wish could accur--
ately describe the sensations of that
moment that waited for death.
can't understand, even now. how I'm
staid there and gave up a prayer. And
Fri hi never forget the expression on
died. The staring eyes Of one man
| looked directly into mine-that face is
going to come to me for the rest of my
stood was smashed into fragments.''
| Describes Terrible Crash.
Mrs. L.. e. Pitner Of Racine. Wis.
wife of the purchasing agent for the
who arrived here late last night She
sustained a slightly sprained knee. The
Pitners We're passengers on the New
Tor tbe pa4ar Ptner ssd
| travelling at fifty miles an hour, when.
without warning, there was a terrific
aSe and out over y lane
The injuries would have been more had
the impact brought the train to a stand
still. But after the crash. we rode
through for fully 400 feet before we
when we were sufficiently. collected
to survey the scene, We saw that every
the exception Of the one we We're in. in.
Hurrying to the track intersection. I
Witnessed the most horrible sight have
sh of he coaches Of s
Michigan Central train. i talked with a
man, who, just before the crash had left
that coach; He said every seat was oe.
sixty persons in that one car. which was
81 dragged three mangled victims
from the wreckage. and helped to place
Three Bodies Taken From Debris.
! At eight O'Clock this morning parts OF
were Were taken from De the hear Of the pile
| of debris. gathered in a basket and
taken to the Chesterton morgue. Rail-
road officials and coroners at that time
\ ing half a dozen OF the bodies and had
sewn them up in shrouds, to await the
services Of undertakers. Entrance to
4 Al ha0 Of tI,n nd taly ~ G
chapel was barred to all except a few
who were able to show they could help
in Identification. ...
The derailer on the Michigan Central
tracks threw that train off the rails,
| 600 feet from the intersection, although
the ties over the intersection and the
wheels of the Michigan Central engine
went back on the rails: when they struck
the New York Central cross-over. After
stating that Engineer Long Of the Mich
igan Central train had left for his home
in Jackson, Mich. members Of the
wrecking crew and Michigan Central
| gone there but they refused to disclose
| his whereabouts.
Death List Remains Incomplete.
| The death list in last nights dia-
mond crossing wreck remained in
complete this afternoon with indica
lions that forty three might be the
limit. At noon there were forty bodies
in morgues and wreckers said there
were remains resembling three more
under the New York Central engine.
BY nine o'clock one track of the New
York Central was cleared of wreckage
but the Michigan Central was still
blocked. The New York Central train
struck, the Michigan Central day
coaches at such sharp angle, ap-
proximately forty five degrees, that
\ tho hraadth IF two coaches was ON :
braced in its path. There were
sheared almost from end to end Rail
road officials were at loss to explain
the phenomenon of the decapftation oil
so many of the victims. as the
splinters of the day coaches were
hurled far and wide. Half the dead
were apparently instantly killed.