3 KILLED AS TRAIN PLUNGES IN RIVER

EASTBOUND WABASH LIMITED GOES THROUGH BRIDGE NEAR ATTICA, IND.

FORTY PERSONS ARE INJURED

Railroad Men Killed After Instructions to Cross Structure Weakened by a Former Accident – Scores Were Rescued.

Aticca, Ind., April 6. – Three persons were killed and about 40 others injured, some seriously, when the eastbound Wabash passenger train No. 4, known as the Continental Limited, was wrecked when the bridge over the Wabash river, just west of here, gave way. The engine, a baggage car and the day coach dropped into the water.

When the cars left the bridge the day coach, which was crowded, fell with the rear end out of the water and, though the majority of the injured were in this car, none of them was killed. The car partly had settled in the water before the work of rescuing the passengers was commenced and in a few minutes all had been taken out. They were taken to a hospital at Lafayette on a special train.

Dead and Injured.

The dead:

J.L. MILLER, Peru, Ind., fireman; scalded.
TIMOTHY P. HULL, Peru, Ind., engineer; crushed beneath engine.
HARRY THOMAS, Huntington, Ind., expressman; crushed by trunks.

A partial list of injured follows:

WILLIAM MOSS, St. Louis,

J.E. PRICE, St. Louis;

S. PALMER, St. Louis;

A.O. ADAMS, Lagro, Ind.;

S.H. WINTERS, Liberty Center, O.;

F. JOHNSON, Williamsport, Ind.;

CHARLES SCHISHER, Catlin, Ill.;

T.W. CUNINGHAM, Tulsa, Ok.;

CHARLES SIUSSON, Cataline, Ill.;

WALTER KRUSCH, Georgetown, Ill.;

FRANK KRAUSE, Wheeling, W. Va.;

CHARLES GRACE, Delphos, O.;

HERMAN BAUMGART, Danville, Ill,;

MRS. GEORGE TAYLOR, Clinton;

SAMUEL WHEELER, Indianapolis;

H.G. ENGLISH, Danville, Ill.;

MRS. FRED L. GEMMER, Indianapolis;

LORENZE GEMMER, Indianapolis;

MISS MARIE KRAMER, West Lafayette, Ind.;

WARREN C. SCOTT, Attica, Ind.;

REV. A. WOOD, Lafayette, Ind.;

W.E. SQUIER, Quincy, Ill.;

WALTER MATHIS, Williamsport, Ind.;

VANCE POLEN, Keewana, Ind.;

J.E. WEBB, Peru; J.W. SHAW, Lima, O.;

C.D. DUMOND, Maywood, Ill.;

FRANK WARTEN, Detroit, Mich.;

RAY WRITGHT, Lafayette, Ind.;

EARL LINCICUM, Homer, Ill,;

ED RIGGLE, Peru, Ind.;

FRANK BLISS, Detroit, Mich.;

LEONARD C. GORTON, Jerry City, Ill.;

H.O. BLACK, Danville;

J.W. BOSTON, Decatur, Ill.;

JACOB ANDERES, Farmingdale, Ind.,

EDWARD SUSANKA, Detroit;

JOHN YERION, ______;

EARL MAHAFF, Williamsport, Ind.;

GEORGE P. BLAIR, Peru, Ind.;

O.S. WEAVER, New London, Ind.;

LEIMOND GARDNER, Toledo, O.;

ALBERT SCHUSS, Attica, Ind.

Bridge Tested Before Wreck.

The railroad’s bridge over the Wabash river was weakened earlier in the day when a freight train was wrecked upon the structure, and the Continental Limited was stopped on the west side when it reached the place. A switch engine was sent across the bridge to determine whether the structure would hold the fast passenger train. Railroad officials believed it safe and the limited was ordered to proceed.

The train crept out on the bridge slowly and when about a hundred feet out upon the structure the bridge gave way beneath the weight of the train. The engineer was caught under his engine and crushed to death. The fireman, who jumped, was scalded to death.

Edwardsville Intelligencer, Edwardsville, IL 6 Apr 1914
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Transcribed by Loraine Jordan. Thank you, Loraine!