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Investigation Started Into Wreck That Caused Death of Four Trainmen; Two From Logansport; Coal Buries Men on Overturned Engine. Investigation of the wreck of a switch engine and ‘three loaded coal cars three miles north of Crawfordsville at 4:45 yesterday afternoon, in which four trainmen were killed, is being made by the officials of the South Bend division of the Pennsylvania railroad today. Those losing their lives were: J. C. DERBY, 47, engineer;230 West Miami avenue, this city; Wv. ARNOLD LENON, 19, fireman,son of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Lenon, 71, Broadway, this city. HARRY TRACY, 82, conductor, Crawfordsville, who formerly resided at 515 Washington street, this city. . J. COURTNEY, 37, brakeman, Crawfordsville. By leaping from the car on which he was riding J. T. York, Crawfordsville, rear brakeman, the fifth member of the crew, escaped injury. ontiead by Goal The cause of the wreck is unde termined but it is believed by some that spreading rails threw the en gine down the ten foot embank ment, dragging three loaded coal cars after it. The engine turned completely around during its fall and the coal cars dumped many tons of coal on it and the mem bers of the crew. Farmers in the vicinity rushed to the scene and started rescue work as best they could without tools... Officials of the road were notified and two wreck trains rush ed- to-the- scene; one from the Clover Leaf road at Frankfort and the other from the St. Louis divi sion at Terre Haute. A blaze broke out at once and the Craw fordsville fire department was summoned. It was first hoped that possibly the three men in the cab might not be crushed. There was no water near the scene and the breaking of the steam pipes on the engine soon convinced the workers that there was no chance for the victims to have escaped. One Found Today The body of Derby was found soon, after the farmers started their rescue work. Those of Lenon and Tracy were found within a short time but it was not until 7:20 this morning that the body of Courtney was recovered from be neath the wreckage. Indications are that the members of the crew that were on the en gine jumped as the locomotive was thrown from the track but that they were caught beneath the tons of coal and crushed. In that the body of Courtney was not found with the other three, it was first believed that it had been pinned beneath the huge engine. How ever, it was found about ten feet from the locomotive. Porter Allen, superintendent; W. H. Henderson, trainmaster and other officers of the division went immediately to the scene of the wreck. Upon recovery of the bodies they were taken to the Utterman undertaking establishment. The bodies of Derby and Lenon were brought to this city at 9:45 today and removed to the residences of the two families. The bodies of the other two men were taken to (Continued on Page 1)
Newspaper Details
Logansport Pharos Tribune
Logansport, Indiana, US
Fri, Jul 20, 1923
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Deborah W.
USA 10 Sep 2026
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