Contributed by Loren H
Description: 42 Killed In Crash
Date: September 22 1910Source: my granary
Bluffton:
42 persons were killed in an interurban trolley wreck betgween Bluffton and Fort Wayne at noon today. Just what error caused the wreck no one seems to know. At 11;16 a regular train of one car left Bluffton for Fort Wayne. At practically the same hour a single car left Fort Wayne for Bluffton,empty to pick up a load of pasengers to bring back to Fort Wayne for the county fair. Near Kingsland,18 miles south of Fort Wayne, the cars met.
Those who were in the accident can tell little of what occurred. In the extra car were no passengers. In the regular local probably fifty five or sixty people . Of these few ecaped death or injury.
The Dead
W E Bowman,Bluffton
A F Hyde, Pennville
S E Stuckey,Vera Cruz
Williams S Beers, Bluffton
Lloyd Brown,bluffton
L C Justus, Bluffton,general manager Bluffton,Geneva and Celina Traction Company
S H Robinson
N D Cook
Earnest Crost
Ralph Watson
W D Budgan
Oscar Zimmer
Miss Pearl Saylor
John W Tribolet
Harold Nebon,son of Lloyd Brown about 18 years old
Mrs Hiram Ford
Mary Daugherty
J E Swartz
Joseph Sawyer, all of Bluffton
Silas Thomas
F B Tamm
Frank King
Mrs Frank King;all of Warren Indiana
Mrs Garrett Maxwell, Garrett Indiana
R F Folk, Uniondale
Blanche Archbold,Ossian
Charles Reber, Uniondale
John Johnson,Markle
Jesse Hoffman,Marion
Dr S E Thompson,Ann Arbor Michigan
Mrs Myrtle Harley,daughter of Mrs Folk,Bluffton
Daniel Debach,Petroleum Indiana
John Smith,Montpelier
Mrs John Smith,Montpelier
John Reed, Battery E Fifth artillery,New York
Joe Edens,Hartford City,Indiana
George Semthurst,Frankfort,Maryland
Warren Cramer,Frankford Indiana
]
Ben Cramer,Frankford Indiana
The collision is presumed to have been caused by misunderstanding of orders in regard to the south bound extra car taking a switch near Kingsland so the north bound car could pass it.
The motormen of the two cars had no time to set the brakes when they sighted each other. The heavily loaded north bound car was crushed and the bodies of the dead and injured were strewn on either side of the track amid the wreckage.
The screamsof the injured men and women following the crash of the crs brought the neighboring farmers to the scene. The north bound car was in charge of Motorman C Vandine and conductor E A Spiller, the south bound car in charge of Benjamin Corkwell and Conductor Daniel Wilson.
The spot where the cars came together was in the midst of a field. On each side farmers were plowing. The accident occurred on a curve screened by dense woods. Like a giant missle the south bound car plowed in the traffic packed norhtbound coach.
It cut off seats an inch above the floor and packed in one mass the whole interior of the car, seats, overhead baskets, lighting fixtures, luggage and the bodies of two score passengers.In the north bound car there were few capable of giving aid to the dying. From the fields came farmers who had witnessed the accident or had been summoned by neighbors. Word was flashed by telephone to Bluffton and a special car was loaded with all the physicians available and rushed to the scene.
At nightfall all the dead and injured had been removed and the wrecked cars were lying beside the right of way, a bonfire to illuminate the spot of one of the worst electric traction wrecks in the history of the country.
One heroic act that will stand out in the annals of the wreck is that performed by Conductor Spiller of the north bound car. Though injured severely he staggered down the track and flagged a limited train only a short distance away.
Ther was not a doctor in Kingsland and the people of the village seemed paralyzed.
It was a long hard task to remove the bodies. The dead and wounded were laid in rows at the side of the tracks. Farmers wives brought sheets to cover the dead and then made bandages for the wounded. The bodies were all horribly mangled. heads were cut from bodies, strips were torn from the flesh of the victims and legs and arms were badly mangled. Many bodies were entangled with the timbers of the crushed cars.
Flies settled on the long rows of dead and injured in great swarms. The physicians had little assistance from the towns p[eople and farmers and the injured suffered for two hours before they were relieved. In the meantime they writhed and screamed whle the crowd stood awe stricken
and helpless.
A A Shane of the Indiana railroad commission arrived here tonight and will make an investigation of cause of the collision.
The motorman and conductor of the northbound car are said to have believed that they had a clear right of way to Fort Wayne. The crew of the southbound car were ordered it is understood to clear for all regulars and to meet the other car at the Kingsland switch. The southbound car hurried to Bluffton to load with passengers to carry to the fair at Fort Wayne passed stop number 106 and it is supposed the motorman thought he could reach stop number 107. Before he reached it the crash came.

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