The 1902 Train Accident

On July 12, 1902, a work train made its way towards Washington from East Peoria on the T P & W track, picking up stone and riprap in East Peoria and Farmdale before heading towards Washington to dump the load off in spots along the way. At about 12:15 p.m they 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 towards 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 travelling at a very slow 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 collision 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 pm a Chicago & Alton passenger train went out and brought the dead and injured into town. Washington townsfolk and especially the town doctors all spent the rest of the day catering to the fifteen injured rail workers.

Most of the rail cars were taken back to either Farmdale or Washington, but the most heavily damaged cars in the collision were simply 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