South Chicago, IL Train Wreck, Apr 1889

A DEFECTIVE SWITCH

Result of the Partial Derailment of a Baltimore & Ohio Train.

One Man Killed Outright and a Number More or Less Seriously Injured -- List of the Victims and Incidents of the Wreck.

CHICAGO, April 8. --- A defective switch derailed the four rear coaches of an inward-bound Baltimore & Ohio passenger train between Colehour and South Chicago about eight o'clock yesterday morning. The coaches were thrown with terrific violence against several coal oil tank-cars standing on the side-tracks and broken to pieces. One man was killed and a dozen others injured, two or three of them very severely. The train was a mixed passenger train, composed of ten cars --- three express cars, three emigrant coaches, one combination smoker, a passenger coach, a Pullman sleeper and an ordinary passenger car. The train was an hour and three-quarters late, and was running fast in order to make up time.

Just north of One Hundreth[sic] street, near the great tanks of the Standard Oil Company, as the train went flying over the many switches, the seventh coach was suddenly wrenched loose from its couplings and shot diagonally across the track to the left. The ordinary day coach, following just after, was thrown from the track and with awful force against the oil-tank cars to the right. The entire side of the car was ripped and torn and smashed into a pile of twisted iron, splintered wood and broken seats. The car was full of men, women and children, who shrieked in terror as they were thrashed about, mangled and bruised under the wreckage. The forward end of the Pullman sleeper was stove in while the rear car was derailed and its passengers no more than shaken up. The automatic air brakes had meanwhile stopped the forward section of the train. The uninjured passengers and the trainmen gathered around the wreck, and a hundred strong arms lent willing service to pull out the wounded and to assist the uninjured to free themselves from the wreckage. The killed and injured are as follows:

JAMES HANNA, of Smith's Basin, N. Y., was found with an iron rod thrust through his head, buried under a pile of timbers. He died shortly afterward.
HENRY HOOK, forty-four years old, a farmer of Adamsville, Ia.; left leg broken twice below the knee and other injuries.
FRANK SHELTON, thirty-nine years old, horse-dealer of Smith's Basin, N. Y.; leg broken, right hand injured and general bruises.
JOHN H. McDONALD, twenty-five years old, a farmer, of Antigonish, N. S.; flesh scraped from left leg.
B. O. RAMBO, twenty-six years old, a farmer, of Shelby, O.; contusions on back of head and temple.
H. STALEY, twenty-five years old, machinist, of Cleveland, O.; slightly hurt about lower right leg.
JOHN E. WOOD, forty-seven years old, of Cuba, N. Y.; severely bruised about the ribs and hurt internally.
ALEXANDER WOOD, twelve years old, of Cuba, N. Y.; abrasion of lower limbs and several cuts.
MRS. JOHN E. WOOD, of Cuba, N. Y.; prostration, but only trivial injuries.
A. BERSCHIG, twenty-five years old, machinist, of Cleveland, O.; shaken up and generally bruised.

Several other men received serious cuts about the head, but they went away without consulting the officials of the road, who sent all the others to St. Luke's Hospital, where their wounds were dressed. Those who were able were then sent to the Commercial Hotel.

Rolla New Era Missouri 1889-04-20
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!