Hammond Railway Accident
The Hammond Railroad Accident was a rear-end collision on June 22, 1918 near Hammond , Indiana , caused by a sleepless train driver . 86 dead and 127 injured were the result.
Starting position
The train of the Circus Hagenbeck-Wallace was on the way in the early morning on a route of the Michigan Central Railroad with 26 carriages and about 400 employees of the circus . At the end of the train, sleeping cars and finally an escort car ran . The train was traveling at a relatively low speed, but had to stop anyway, as there was suspicion of a hot runner on one axis . This happened at an intersection called Ivanhoe Interlocking , about 9 km east of Hammond.
The circus train was followed by an empty train with which 20 Pullman cars were transported. The engine driver had already been on duty for about 23 hours, hardly slept, but ate well. The train driver knew that the relatively slow circus train was traveling on the line in front of him .
the accident
At about 4 a.m. the engine driver fell asleep on the moving steam locomotive . He then ran over an automatic signal and the auxiliary warning signal that a brakeman on the circus train had set.
The empty train drove unrestrained into the stationary circus train at around 55 km / h. The locomotive smashed the escort car and four sleeping cars with wooden bodies . The wreckage of the vehicles ignited and the fire was additionally fueled by the oil from the oil lamps in the sleeping cars. The fire was so severe that most of the bodies could no longer be identified.
consequences
Among the 86 dead passengers were well-known artists . Most of the victims were burned beyond recognition. They were buried in Forrest Park , Cook County, in a portion of the cemetery recently acquired by the Showmen's League of America and now known as Showmen's Rest . Since many of the victims could not be identified, many grave sites are anonymous.
The Interstate Commerce Commission and the Indiana Public Service Commission investigated the accident .
See also
literature
- Stewart H. Holbrook: The Story of American Railroads . New York City 1947.
- Richard M. Lytle: The Great Circus Train Wreck of 1918 . Charleston, NC, 2010.
- Warren A. Reeder: No Performances Today; June 22, 1918 . 1972.
- Robert B. Shaw: A History of Railroad Accidents, Safety Precautions and Operating Practices . 1978, p. 244f.
Web links
Coordinates: 41 ° 35 ′ 54 " N , 87 ° 25 ′ 17.5" W.