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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