The 1902 Train Accident

On July 12, 1902, a work train approached Washington from East Peoria on the TP & W track. It picked up stone and riprap in East Peoria and Farmdale before heading towards Washington to dump the load in spots along the way. At about 12:15 p.m., it made a stop just west of George Birkett’s pasture, which would be on the track south of Cummings Lane in the present day.

At the same time, a westbound train sat in Washington, waiting for orders to proceed toward East Peoria on the same track.  At 12:19 p.m., the order to proceed was given, with directions to protect themselves against the work train.

You can probably guess what happened.  After the dropoff near the Birkett pasture, the work train continued east at around 20 miles per hour, oblivious to any other traffic on the track.  As they approached the curve near the Goat Springs area where the tracks cross Farm Creek, they collided with the westward train, traveling at a plodding speed, so slow that the crew could step off the train and get back on freely.

The collision sent the more fortunate members of the work train crew careening in all different directions.  Most of them escaped with only bumps and bruises.  However, Peter Icenogle of Washington, Ambrose Taylor of El Paso, and Henry Norbits of Secor all suffered fatal injuries, mostly by being trapped between the cars in the collision.  Norbits initially survived the crash, but his injuries were grave, with severe trauma to the brain and skull.  He died five days after the accident.

One thing to remember is that even though this area is currently south of Hillcrest Drive, in 1902, it was almost two miles outside of town. At about 2:00 p.m., a Chicago & Alton passenger train went out and brought the dead and injured into town. Washington townsfolk, especially the town doctors, all spent the rest of the day catering to the fifteen injured rail workers.

Most of the rail cars were returned to Farmdale or Washington, but the most heavily damaged cars in the collision were thrown into the ditch on the side of the track.

In the end, dispatcher E. A. Parker was censured for allowing the westward train to proceed with the work train on the track.

Non-fatal injuries in the collision:

• Joseph Morgan, Eureka, five ribs broken, collarbone fractured, bruises

• George Murray, Eureka, hurt on knee and elbow

• Alfred Norman, Secor, rib broken

• William Carroll, El Paso, rib broken, three cuts on head, bruised

• John McGiven, El Paso, head cut

• Paul Dubois, El Paso, head and hip bruised

• Lawrence McGiven, El Paso, bruised

• Joseph Bushaven, El Paso, slight right arm fracture, left arm hurt

• Joseph Fifer, Eureka, face scratched

• John Rupp, Washington, collar bone broken

• George Branz, Washington, bruise on right hip

• Edward Marshall, Washington, scalp cut

• John Springer, Washington, arm bruised

• Stewart Meyers, Louisville, bruised about back

• John LePage. St. Louis, collar bone broken, scalp wound, bruised