Chicago, IL Train Wreck, Jan 1912

20th Century In Crash.

Train Telescopes Three Cars In Chicago-Ten Hurt.
Special to The New York Times.

Chicago, Ill., Jan. 11.-The Twentieth Century Limited on the Lake Shore Railroad came in collision with a Chicago & Eastern Illinois train just outside the LaSalle Street Station at 11:23 o’clock today.

Ten persons were injured and 115 were imperiled. All the injured except one were on the Twentieth Century Limited, which telescoped three cars of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois train that had just discharged its passengers and was backing out of the depot.

The crash was attributed to the failure of the empty train to observe signals. The engine of the flier hit the rear coach with terrific force, sending it half way through the coach ahead and piling the two rear coaches on top of the car ahead of them. The two coaches were torn to pieces by the impact.

The limited was nearly three hours late. The only person seriously injured was ARTHUR EATON, 20 years old, a porter on the Chicago & Eastern Illinois train, who sustained internal injuries.

Most of the passengers on the Twentieth Century Limited were thrown from their seats to the floor of the cars. Among them was Miss HARRIET QUIMBY of New York, the first woman to obtain an aviator’s license in America.

“I’ve never been in a real train wreck and I’ve never had a serious accident in my monoplane, but if it were compulsory for me to participate in one or the other, I think I’d rather take a chance in my airship.” said Miss QUIMBY at the LaSalle Street Station. “I must say the passengers of our train behaved quite sanely. There wasn’t any panic, or anything like that, but there might have been. We were progressing smoothly enough, and were just getting ready to step off into Chicago, when there came the most fearful jar. I flew out of my seat like a shot and fell across the aisle into another seat, and when I looked up I saw people picking themselves up al down the car. Some of them were in the most ridiculous positions, but none of them seemed to be hurt.

The New York Times, New York, NY 12 Jan 1912
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!