44 die in U.S. rail crash

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 17

44 die in U.S. rail crash

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

CHICAGO, October 31.

At least 44 persons died and 321 were injured in Chicago in America’s worst rail disaster in 14 years—caused as one train packed with commuters rammed another backing into a station.

President Nixon sent a message of sympathy to the mayor of Chicago (Mr Richand Daley) and cancelled a campaign trip to the city today. A four-man team was set up to investigate the collision, which occurred three and a half miles from the heart of Chicago's business district during the morning rush hour yesterday.

Mr Daley watched rescue teams and passers-by work frantically for six hours to extricate victims and said: “Oh, God, help us. This is a tragedy for the city — the city’s people are dead.” Investigators said that the collision occurred when a sixcar, single-level train leaving the 27th Street station slammed into a four-car, doubledecker train which was backing into the same station. Authorities said the motorman of the double-decker train had apparently missed the stop and was retracing his route.

Mrs Margie Andrade, a passenger in the front of the single-level train, said: “The motorman ran out into the car and screamed, *We’re going to crash, we’re going to crash.’ “All of a sudden there was this huge crash and the wall in the front of the car just came down — people in the first couple of seats were just buried.” Mr Cliff Retis, who was riding on the upper level of the double-decker train, said: “I looked to my right and the other train was inside our car. When I looked down the floor was gone — it was just twisted steel with arms and legs sticking out.” Most of the victims were in the rear car of the doubledecker train and in the lead car of the single-level train. One witness likened the crash scene to a Vietnam battlefield.

“There were people lying all over — trapped,” said Xavier Rodriguez, a passenger in the third car of the single level train. “Girls were screaming hysterically.” Manfred Johnson, who was in the top level of the doubledecker, said: “I could see six or seven people trapped in the stairway leading down from the upper level. There was no way they could get down.”

Three giant cranes were used to pull apart twisted steel surrounding the last three survivors — two 17-year-old girls and the motorman of the single-level train.

The disaster was the worst rail accident in the United States since 48 people died in a crash at Elizabethport, New Jersey, in 1958.