Chicago, Illinois
Train
& Depot Wreck
January 2, 1895
CHICAGO, Jan. 2.--Just at midnight, ast he
[as the] "Owl" suburban on the
Northwestern, reached the Deering depot, it ran through an open
switch into a freight standing on a side track. The tender of the
passenger engine crashed into the first coach, badly injuring five
passengers. The collision knock the freight from the track, and half
a dozen cars fell into the depot, partly wrecking it.
The injured are:
JACOB COHN, body bruised, cut by
glass; wounds dressed, taken home.
MRS. WM. PRESTON, Ravenswood, leg broken, badly bruised
and hurt internally; taken to St. Joseph's hospital; may die.
WILLIAM PRESTON, Ravenswood, crushed and bruised, taken
to St. Joseph hospital.
ARTHUR PITTS, of Evanston, bruised and cut by glass;
taken to St. Joseph hospital.
CARRY WASHINGTON, bruised and cut with glass; went home
when the wounds were dressed.
The train had 300 passengers, residents of Gross Park,
Ravenswood, Summerdale, Rose Hill, Highridge, Rogers Park, Evanston,
Wilametta, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park and Lake Forest, who had
been spending New Years with town friends.
The first car was well filled, and only for the slackening of
speed because of the approach to the depot the cusualities [sic]
would have been much greater. That the accident is the direct result
of negligence is certain. The switch which was turned to admit the
freight was left open. Many of the passengers were dozing when the
collision occurred. The crashing of timber and the appearance of the
tender in the front of the first passenger coach started a lively
panic. Mr. and Mrs. Preston were
together in the third seat from the front. They were caught and
pinned between the tender and the floor, and
Mr. Pitts, who sat across the aisle from them, was
injured in the same way. The other passengers in that coach rushed
for the rear door, and a number were slightly bruised and injured,
some by broken glass, while escaping. The impact roused the
passengers in the three other coaches, and they made hasty exits
into banks of snow three feet deep.
Engineer Robinson and Fireman
Cook had miraculous escapes. Each jumped and landed in
snow.
It was a difficult task to extricate the injured, but as soon as
they were released the East Chicago avenue police ambulance was
called and they were taken to the hospital.
Half an hour after the accident a new engine was procured and the
train, except the telescoped coach, was taken on to its destination
with a thoroughly scared crowd of passengers. The wreck of the depot
was complete.
Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, IN 2 Jan 1895
Transcribed by Connie.
Thank you, Connie!

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