Hammond Circus Train Wreck

Hammond Circus Train Wreck

Infobox rail accident


title= PAGENAME
date= 4:00, June 22, 1918
location= Ivanhoe, Indiana
coordinates=
line = Michigan Central Railroad
cause= locomotive engineer falling asleep
trains= 2
pax=
deaths= 86
injuries= 127

The Hammond circus train wreck occurred on June 22, 1918, and was one of the worst circus train wrecks in U.S. history. 86 persons died and another 127 were injured when a locomotive engineer fell asleep and ran his train into the rear of another near Hammond, Indiana.

Circus train wreck

In the early morning hours of June 22, 1918, Alonzo Sargent was operating a Michigan Central Railroad troop train pulling 20 empty Pullman cars. He was aware that his train was closely following a slower circus train. Sargent, an experienced man at the throttle, had slept little if at all in the preceding twenty-four hours. The effects of a lack of sleep, several heavy meals, some kidney pills, and the gentle rolling of his locomotive apparently combined in some form and made him drowsy.

At approximately 4:00 am, he missed at least 2 automatic signals and warnings posted by a brakeman of the 26-car circus train which had made an emergency stop to check a hot box on one of the flatcars. The second train plowed into the caboose and four rear wooden sleeping cars of the circus train at a rail crossing known as Ivanhoe Interlocking (5½ miles east of Hammond, Indiana) at an estimated speed of 35 miles per hour.

The circus train held 400 performers and roustabouts of the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus. Most of the 86 who were killed in the train wreck perished in the first 35 seconds after the collision. Then, the wreckage caught on fire. Among the dead were Arthur Dierckx and Max Nietzborn of the "Great Dierckx Brothers", a strong man act and Jennie Ward Todd of "The Flying Wards". There were also 127 injuries.

howmen's Rest

Five days later, most of those killed, many of them burned beyond recognition, were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, at the intersection of Cermak Road and Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park, Illinois, in a section set aside as Showmen's Rest which had been purchased by the Showmen's League of America only a few months earlier. Few of those buried were formally identified, and so the graves of most of the casualties are marked "Unknown Male" or "Unknown Female." One grave is marked "Smiley," one "Baldy", and another "4 Horse Driver." The section is surrounded by statues of elephants in a symbolic mourning posture.

tudying the wreck

The wreck is described in great detail in the report of the joint Interstate Commerce Commission and Indiana Public Service Commission following an investigation.

Sargent, who was under arrest, refused to testify at any of the hearings on advice of his counsel. In his report of the accident to the officials of the railroad company, he made the following statement:

"I was called shortly after 8 p.m. June 21, for deadhead equipment west, engine 8485, for 10.15 p.m., and left Kalamazoo, Michigan at 10.35 p.m. Had been up since 5 a.m., June 21, dead heading from my home in Jackson on Train No. 41, and had had little or no sleep during the day. Had had a couple of heavy meals before going out, realizing that I would not get anything more to eat until some time the next morning. Leaving Kalamazoo, followed freight train to Michigan City yard and stopped at signal near Center Street. Got proceed signal from some one on ground, pulled up to Michigan City,, stopped at standpipe and took water. While following this freight train, we stopped first between Dowagiac and Pokagon on account signal at danger. Stopped again at Pokagon and Niles for same reason, this freight train being ahead.

"Leaving Michigan City, had clear track to East Gary and there caught block of train ahead, reduced speed, but did not have to stop, as block cleared before I reached it. Reduced speed going though Gary to comply with rules, and saw no more signals at caution or danger until approaching curve east of Ivanhoe, where I found second signal east of wreck at caution. Was going about 25 miles per hour at this point, but did not reduce speed, as I expected that the next signal would probably clear before I got to it, or that I would see it, if at danger, in time to stop. The wind was blowing very hard into cab on my side and I closed the window, which made the inside of cab more comfortable. Before reaching the next signal I dozed on account of heat in cab and missed it. Not realizing what had happened to me until within 75 to 90 feet, I awoke suddenly and saw the tail or marker lights showing red on a train directly ahead of me. Not realizing that the rear end of this train was so close. I started to make a service application, but before completing it placed brake-valve handle into emergency position. We struck almost instantly after making the brake application. Don't know whether I closed the throttle or not, but think I did. Looked to see where the fireman was and saw he was running toward the gangway. Did not see a fusee, hear a torpedo, or see any other warning signal up to the time I saw the red tail lights. Wreck happened at about 4.05 a.m., June 22, and I stayed there for an hour or more assisting in getting people one of the wreckage. I have been in the service of the Michigan Central Railroad Co. for approximately 28 or 29 years, the last 16 of which I have been continuously employed as an engineer. I am in perfect physical condition, as well as mental condition, and have had no illness within 25 or 30 years requiring the service of a doctor. There was nothing defective about the air brakes or other mechanism of the engine or train that I was operating, nor was there any defective condition of any of the signals or track upon which I was operating to the best of my knowledge. The accident was due solely to the fact that I accidentally fell asleep, and I had no intent to injure any person, nor was same done with malice, but solely through an accident, as aforesaid."

The ICC report concluded "This accident was caused by Engine-man Sargent being asleep, and from this cause, failing to observe the stop indication of automatic signal 2581, and the warnings of the flagman of the circus train, and to be governed by them."

The report was also critical of the older wooden-type circus train cars, whose oil lamps may have ignited the fire immediately after the collision.

Additional reading

*Holbrook, Stewart H. (1947) "The Story of American Railroads", published in New York City

External links

* [http://www.hammondindiana.com/history/circus.htm Hammond, Indiana history]
* [http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/gallery/ivanhoe_1918.html Danger Ahead! Railroad Disasters]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Circus train — A circus train is a modern method of conveyance for circus troupes. One of the larger users of circus trains is the Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus (RBBB), a famous American circus formed when the Ringling Brothers Circus purchased the… …   Wikipedia

  • Hammond, Indiana — Infobox Settlement official name = City of Hammond, Indiana settlement type = City nickname = established title = Incorporated established date = 1884 established title2 = established date2 = established title3 = established date3 = motto =… …   Wikipedia

  • Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus — The Hagenbeck Wallace Circus was a circus that traveled across America in the early part of the 20th century. At its peak, it was the second largest circus in America next to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was based in Peru,… …   Wikipedia

  • Alonzo Sargent — was an American locomotive engineer from Jackson, Michigan who was found to be responsible for one of the worst circus train wrecks in U.S. history, the Hammond circus train wreck near Hammond, Indiana on June 22, 1918, a tragedy which killed 86… …   Wikipedia

  • Showmen's Rest — in Forest Park, Illinois is a 750 plot section of Woodlawn Cemetery where a mass grave of 56 (or perhaps 61) employees of the Hagenbeck Wallace Circus were interred. They were killed in the Hammond circus train wreck on June 22, 1918 at Ivanhoe,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of rail accidents (pre-1950) — For a list of 1950 1999 rail accidents, see List of 1950 1999 rail accidents.For a list of post 2000 rail accidents, see List of rail accidents. notoc Pre 1830 1815 * 1815, exact date unclear ndash; Philadelphia, Co Durham, England: 16 people,… …   Wikipedia

  • 1918 in rail transport — EventsFebruary events* February 3 ndash; Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco, California, the longest (convert|11920|ft|lk=on|disp=slash) streetcar tunnel in the world, opens.cite web| url=http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hgtun.htm| title=San …   Wikipedia

  • June 22 — Events *217 BC Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. *168 BC Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat and capture Macedonian King Perseus, ending the Third Macedonian… …   Wikipedia

  • Crossroads (2002 film) — Crossroads Theatrical release poster Directed by Tamra Davis Produced by Dav …   Wikipedia

  • Ska — Origines stylistiques Jazz Mento Rhythm and blues Origines culturelles Fin des années 1950 en  Jamaique !Jamaïque …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”