The Wilmington morning star., 1946-04-26
MORE ABOUT
WRECK
FROM PAGE ONE

vance Flyer one block from the
Naperville station, in view OF
scores OF persons.
The two west bound trains left
Chicago at 1:35 p. m. E.ST.)
Fold Like Cardboard
The impact sent the diesel engine
half length through the interior
of the Advance Flyers rear coach,
throwing the bodies of some vic.
TINS from the windows of the pas
senger car. The sides of the metal
coach we're rent asunder and turn
ed back like cardboard, witnesses
said.
Relief workers quickly removed
the bodies of dead and injured
from the cal, piling them along
the right of way between the coach
and a fence paralelling the line.
All available doctors, nurses and
ambulances were summoned.
The Red Cross, sent IL ambul-
ances, first aid crews and relief
equipment.
Warning To Stop
The accident took toll of dead
and injured of between one third
and one half of the number of pas
sengers on both trains. The Bur.
lington estimated the Advance Fly
err carried between ITS and 200 pas
sengers in its nine cars and the
Exposition Flyer from $50 to 200.
Edward Flynn, executive vice
president of the railroad, said a
check of the signal system show
ed it was in perfect operation for
normal safe operations of trains
and that the engineer of the second
train had warning to stop for
two miles in advance of the point
of collision.
The trains left union station
Chicago, at 1:55 p. m. (E.S.T.)
Flynn said, and at Downers Grove,
six miles east of the collision, they
were travelling three minutes apart
This distance, the official said, is
safe separation on an automatic
block signal trunk.
Clear Track Section
Flynn said the collision occur.
red on clear section of track ap.
proximately LOO feet west of a
wide vision curve. At the curve,
he said, was a red block signal
warning oncoming trains to stop
Another 1884 feet east of the red
signal was yellow caution board.
The engineer of an oncoming
train, Flynn stated, would have a
clear vision of the caution board
three quarters of mile away
from it.
E. H. Crayton, Galesburg, ILL.,,
fireman on the Exposition FLYER
was killed.
The fate of the engineer, w. w.
Blaine OF Galesburg was not learn.
ed Immediately.
Four Sailors Killed
Four sailors were among the
passengers killed. Their identified
ton tags were missing and their
names were not learned immedi.
ately.
The front trucks of the Exposi.
ton Flyers diesel locomotive were
sheared off when the engine tele.
scoped into the Advance FLYER.
The rear coach of the Advance Fly-
er telescoped nearly half the length
of its adjoining dining car. The
third coach from the end of the
Advance Flyer was turned over
and the fourth and fifth coaches
were derailed,
Rescue workers said nearly all
of those killed were in the last two
coaches of the Advance FLYER
Five coaches Of the Exposition
Flyer were derailed and two Of
them were slightly telescoped
None, however, turned over.
Both trains were of all steel CON-
struction, but the rear coach of
the Advance Flyer was of non.
streamline design. The Advance
Flyer was made up Of nine cars
and the Exposition Flyer of n
Eyewitnesses said the cars
seemed to "go up in tt1e air" when
the trains collided and that victims
were shot through the windows of
the telescoped cars onto the rail
road right of way.
Rescue workers, including fire
had to cut their way into the
coaches to remove all the victims
Wesley Overman, Caldwell, Ida
a passenger in the middle coach
OF the Advance Flyer, was read
ing a newspaper when the crasb
came. ash
- saw baby thrown from its
arms when the coach