INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENTS. ACCIDENT AT LOGAN. Gen. F. M. Drake, Governor of Iowa: July 23, 1896. DEAR SIR-In compliance with section 2042 of the Code of Iowa, the board of railroad commissioners have the honor to report that a serious accident occurred on the main line of the Chicago & North-Western railway at Logan, Iowa, at about 6:44 P. M on Saturday, July 11, 1896, resulting in the death of twentyseven people and thirty-two injured, three or four probably fatally. From the investigation made by the commissioners at the scene of the wreck it appears that an excursion train composed of sixteen coaches and one baggage car and engine had brought about twelve hundred excursionists from Omaha, Neb., to Logan, Iowa, comprising the Society of Union Pacific Pioneers, with the families of the members. This train had been made up on the side track at Logan, and the excursionists had taken their places ready for the return home. Every coach was packed full of people and quite a number had gone into the baggage car for lack of room elsewhere. The agent at Logan states that he had received from the train dispatcher the order for this train to "run special Logan to Council Bluffs, and can have until 7:10 to go to Loveland against No. 14," and had given duplicate copies of the order to the conductor of the excursion train. Train No. 2 is a limited passenger train going east, and does not stop at Logan, but passed, as noted by the station agent, at 6:24 P. M., with signal that another train was following it. Train No. 38 is scheduled as a freight train, follows No. 2, and is due to pass Logan at 6:43 P. M. without stopping. This train carries the equipment of the fast mail limited running back to Boone, and usually some cars of time freight, but no passengers are carried. On this evening this train was composed of four freight cars, two mail cars, one passenger coach and an engine-the four freight cars being next the engine, the fast mail train passenger equipment following. After train No. 2 had passed, and without orders other than the one noted, the excursion train pulled out on the main line and had attained a speed esti mated at three to six miles an hour, and when about a quarter of a mile west of the switch at Logan, was met at the point of a curve by train No. 38, running at a speed estimated at from thirty to thirty-five miles an hour, with results as stated. The engineer and conductor of the excursion train seem to have forgotten entirely about train No. 38. We find no mismanagement or neglect on the part of the Chicago & NorthWestern Railway company as a corporation, except such as may be legally inferred from the above and foregoing facts. |