Bloomington, Illinois, Feb 23
The pilot of engine No. 600 on the Alton, pulling the Hummer, when it arrived in this city at 10 o’clock last night was bespattered with blood and torn bits of clothing. These were ghastly reminders of a tragedy at Braceville, where this engine-one of the new giants-struck a buggy containing five men, all miners, killing three of them instantly, and so badly wounding another that he die.
All the victims are Polaks with unpronounceable names. It seems they were driving in a buggy and attempted to cross the track right ahead of the Hummer. The engine struck the front end of the vehicle, snaping[sic] it loose from the horses, the animals being uninjured. After running three-quarters of a mile beyond Braceville, Engineer Davis noticed some object on the pilot ahead.
Stopping his engine, he found three men on the pilot, jammed against the boiler head. One was dead and another fatally injured, dying a little while later. The third was also badly hurt. The train was backed to the crossing, where two other men and the demolished vehicle were found. One of these men was dead, the other badly hurt. The bodies of the dead were taken to Braceville for burial, while the doctors who were on the train attended to the injured. Captain Vowell of this city was on the train and helped to carry the bodies to a place of safety. The train was in charge of Conductor Humphrey. So far as known no blame attaches to the railroad men for the accident, as the victims were apparently intoxicated.
Source: Decatur [IL] Review February 23, 1903
Contributor: Deb Haines
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