Kingsbury, Indiana Train Wreck
September 23, 1893
MANY PERSONS KILLED
A Train on the Wabash Road Crashes Into an Open
Switch.
IT COLLIDES WITH A FREIGHT TRAIN
Kingsbury, Ind., the Scene of a Horrible
Railroad Accident Early This Morning -- The Two
Day Coaches, One Baggage Car, One Sleeper and
Both Engines a Mass of Ruins -- The Number of
Killed and a List of Names Not Yet Obtained.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. --- At Kingsburry [sic],
Ind., a station on the Wabash road, sixty-five
miles East of Chicago, the second section of the
westbound passenger train No. 53, from Detroit
to Chicago, ran into the eastbound freight train
No. 92, standing on a siding at 5:20 o'clock
this morning, wrecking both engines, coaches and
sleeper of the passenger train. Relief trains
started immediately to the scene of the wreck,
taking physicians. It is reported that ten
persons have been taken out dead, Engineer GREEN
and Conductor COULTER of the passenger train
being among the killed. The engineer of the
freight train is reported injured.
Everything is being done to make the injured
comfortable at the neighboring farm houses. The
accident was caused by the brakeman of the
freight train turning the switch to let the
freight train out of the siding after the first
section of the passenger had passed and just
before the arrival of the second section.
Besides the fearful loss of life and the
number injured, both engines are wrecked and two
coaches, one baggage car and one sleeper are
smashed and splintered. Most of the passengers
hurt were in the day cars. One sleeper alone was
not derailed. Fifteen doctors were soon at the
scene of the wreck which was horrible in the
extreme.
Superintendent GOULD of the Wabash also
arrived shortly after the wreck. Among the first
names of victims learned were those of Engineer
GREEN of Peru, Ind., and Conductor COULTER. They
were reported in a dying condition.
Before the freight had gotten under motion
the second section of the passenger came
thundering along at a rate of forty-five miles
an hour to make up lost time. Before the switch
could be closed the passenger train ran in on
the side track and crashed into the freight. The
engines Jammed into each other clear up to the
cylinders. The smoker and one day coach
telescoped, crashing the sleeping passengers in
the latter in a heart sickening manner. The
second day coach was thrown across the tracks on
top of the debris of the forward coaches. There
were two sleepers and the head one crashed into
the forward coach and for the length of three
berths was torn to atoms, the passengers, six in
number being badly injured, but none killed
outright.
The killed are: JOSH McKENNA, Hyde Park,
Mass.; HENRY FRENCH, London, Eng.; CHARLES
BURLIA, San Francisco; MISS ALICE H. REED, East
Boston, Mass. MISS NELLIE N. TUCKER, Newton,
Mass.; J. E. COULTER, conductor of passenger
train, Detroit; JOHN GREEN, engineer passenger
train; J. W. GRIDER, Phoenix, Ariz., baggageman;
H. C. ____, Germany; and an unknown man.
The injured are: E. P. DOW, Brooklyn, N. Y.,
face and head cut; MISS KELLY, Brooklyn, Mass.,
head cut and wrist broken; OTTO HENCK, Hamburg,
Germany, back hurt; J. H. VALKINNEY, Ashley,
Ind., fireman of the passenger train, injured
internally; H. W. RIDER, Phoenix, Ariz., face
cut; MRS. H. W. RIDER, leg broken; MISS. E. W.
BURBANK, New Orleans, leg and arm broken; SIMEON
CANFIELD, Ironwood, Mich., leg cut; FRANK DAMRIN,
Chicago, forearm broken; HATTIE HUTCHINS,
Phoenix, Ariz., injured internally; WILLIAM
HOPKINS, London, Eng., both legs broken,
injuries will be fatal; JAMES B. WOOLSEY,
London, Eng., internal injuries and scalp wound.
Numerous others sustained slight injuries.
The only damage the freight sustained in
addition to the those mentioned, is a car of
meal which was destroyed.
Aspen Weekly Times Colorado 1893-09-23
Submitted & transcribed by Stu
Beitler Thank you,
Stu!
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