1924 — June 1, passenger train derails into parked freight train, Williamsport, IN   —     13

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-26-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–14  AP. “Wreck Blamed on Brakeman.” Logansport Morning Press, IN. 6-21-1924, p. 1.[1]

–13  ICC.  Summary of Accident Investigation Reports No. 20, April-June 1924, p. 18.

            –6  Passengers

            –7  Employees

Narrative Information

Interstate Commerce Commission: “Derailment of a passenger train at Williamsport, Ind., on June 1, 1924, the derailed train colliding with a freight train standing on a passing track, and resulting in the death of 6 passengers and 7 em­ployees, and the injury of 44 passengers and 4 employees.

“This accident was caused by the passing-track switch-lever coming out of its notch and allowing the switch points to open as the pas­senger train was passing over the switch.

 

“This accident occurred on a single-track line over which trains are operated by time-table, train orders and an automatic block-signal system. The point of accident was at the west passing-track switch at Williamsport; approaching this point from the west there is a tangent of about 4,000 feet, followed by a curve to the left of 1° about 2,500 feet in length, and a tangent extending some distance beyond the switch, which is 218 feet beyond the end of the curve. The grade is 0.819 per cent descending for some distance, followed by about 2,050 feet of 0.257 per cent descending grade to the point of accident. The weather was slightly foggy at the time of the accident, which occurred at about 11.44 p. m.

 

“Eastbound passenger train No. 2 consisted of one mail car, one express car, one combination car, one coach, one chair car, three sleeping cars, and one business car, hauled by engine 672. It left Danville, Ill., 21.9 miles from Williamsport, at 11.11 p. m., one min­ute late, and was derailed at Williamsport while traveling at a speed estimated to have been about 50 miles an hour.

 

“Westbound freight train second No. 91, consisting of engine 2210. 59 cars, and a caboose, was standing on the passing track at Wil­liamsport when it was struck by the derailed equipment of train No. 2.

 

“The engine and first three cars of train No. 2 came to rest at a point about 3,000 feet beyond the switch upright on the rails; the next two cars, a coach and chair car, came to rest in an upright po­sition 1,075 feet beyond the switch, the rear truck of the coach was derailed at the switch, swerved to the left and struck the side of engine 2210; the three sleeping cars and the business car were de­railed but remained upright, the third sleeping car coming to rest with its left side against engine 2210. Most of the fatalities occurred in the third sleeping car, and were due to the steam entering the car as a result of the check valve and other parts having been torn from the side of engine 2210. Engine 2210 was considerably dam­aged. The engineman of train second No. 91 was killed.

 

“The passing-track switch was badly damaged. The left switch point and the adjoining rail were overturned, and the right switch point and some of the tie bars were bent. The switch was found unlocked, the lock lying on the ground near the head block tie about 2 or 3 feet from the base of the stand; the switch lever was out its notch and part way around the quadrant.

 

“The tie on which the switch stand was located was not well bedded in the ballast, and the end under the stand rested on the ground. The switch stand was found to be so sensitive to vibration that when closed, with the lever down in the notch but without the lock in place, it was only necessary to shake the stand a few times by hand to cause the lever to work out and permit the switch points partly to open, while the tension was sufficient to throw the lever half way around after it came out of the notch. The sides of the notch were somewhat worn, which undoubtedly contributed to the tendency for the lever to fly out.

 

“The investigation disclosed this switch was last used by the head brakeman of train second No. 91 who stated that he closed and locked the switch. It is apparent the switch points were closed until the arrival of train No. 2, as the fireman of each train saw the clear indication displayed by the switch lamp and the automatic signals also were displaying clear indications, but the switch was not locked, or the points could not have opened under the train. It is believed, therefore, that the head brakeman merely closed the switch, and did not lock it as required by the rules, and the vibration of the engine and first few cars of train No. 2 passing over the switch points at a high rate of speed caused the lever to fly out of its notch, per­mitting the switch to open and resulting in the derailment of the train.” (ICC. Sum. Of Accident Invest. Rpts. 20, April-June 1924, pp. 18-19.)

 

Newspaper

 

June 2, UP: “By United Press. Attica, Ind., Une 2. – Death toll of the wreck of the St. Louis-New York flyer of the Wabash railroad which sideswiped a freight train four miles west of here last night, mounted to ten today as three persons succumbed to injuries. George Korsmo, St. Louis, civil engineer on the Wabash, died at Williamsport and Harry Eisamen, St. Louis, died at Danville, Ill. Carl Dungan, Wabash claim agent, Huntington, Ind., died at Lafayette, Ind., of injuries and scalds. He was son of L. T. Dungan, clerk of Indiana Supreme Court. One unidentified body is held at an undertaking establishment here. Nearly forty persons were injured.

 

“The accident occurred when three Pullman and the private car of J. W. Newell, vice president of the rails as the flyer, the fastest train on the Wabash road, was passing over a siding switch just west of Williamsport. A west-bound meat train had just pulled into the siding.

 

“The engine, baggage car and smok43r of the flyer had passed over the switch safely. The firs Pullman was derailed and crashed into the engine of the freight. Two of the Pullmans turned over and were practically demolished.

 

“The engine of the freight was also practically demolished and scalding steam from the locomotive burned the wreck victims pinned under the wreckage of the Pullmans. The identified dead:

 

  1. M. Bouchard, Peru, Ind., engineer of freight.

Rabbi Goldberg, New York City.

  1. H. Mitchell, St. Louis, Mo.

Mrs. Addie Holloway, Toledo, O.

Mrs. W. B. Holley, Decatur, Ill.

  1. Phillips, Detroit, Mich.

George Korsmo, St. Louis, Mo.

Harry Eisamen, St. Louis, Mo.

Carl Dungan, Huntington, Ind.

….”

(United Press. “Ten Die As Freight On Siding Is Sideswiped By Crack Wabash Limited.” The Indianapolis Times, IN. 6-2-1924, pp. 1 & 2.)

 

June 3, AP: “(By Associated Press). Lafayette, Ind., June 2. – The death list in the appalling wreck of Wabash passenger train Number 2 at Williamsport…mounted to eleven this evening, when J. Charles Wilmouth, 5630 Pershing Avenue, St. Louis, expired at a local hospital….

 

“Nineteen injured remain at a local hospital, and it is expected that several of these will die, while fifteen are in a Danville hospital, all more or less seriously injured.

 

“Responsibility for the catastrophe was placed on David E. Torrence a brakeman, of Peru, Ind., by W. H. Eckhard, superintendent of the road. According to Eckhard, Torrence’s failure to lock the switch into which the passenger train caused the derailment of the six cars….” (Associated Press. “Train Death Toll Mounts to 11.” The Logansport Morning Press, IN. 6-3-1924, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Train Death Toll Mounts to 11.” The Logansport Morning Press, IN. 6-3-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-26-2025 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/logansport-morning-press-jun-03-1924-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Wreck Blamed on Brakeman.” Logansport Morning Press, IN. 6-21-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/logansport-morning-press-jun-21-1924-p-1/

 

United Press. “Ten Die As Freight On Siding Is Sideswiped By Crack Wabash Limited.” The Indianapolis Times, IN. 6-2-1924, pp. 1 & 2. Accessed 3-26-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/indianapolis-times-jun-02-1924-p-1/

 

United States Interstate Commerce Commission. Summary of Accident Investigation Reports No. 20, April, May, and June 1924.  Washington, DC: GPO, 1924.  Digitized by Google. Accessed 3-26-2025 at:  http://books.google.com/books?id=c3zNAAAAMAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0

[1] We have not been able to substantiate 144 deaths in newspapers at the time – have found names of 11 victims. Choose to accept Interstate Commerce Commission report of 13 deaths.