1930 — Feb 23, train hits car, derails into path of approaching train near Kenosha, WI– 14
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 1-30-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–14 US Interstate Commerce Commission, File No. 1622, “Report…Accident…Kenosha, WI.”
Narrative Information
Interstate Commerce Commission: “On February 23, 1930, a passenger train struck an automobile at a grade crossing[1] near Kenosha, Wis., on the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, resulting in the derailment of the passenger train as well as a freight train approaching in the opposite direction and causing the death of 2 occupants of the automobile and 9 passengers, and the injury of 125 passengers, 4 employees on duty, 1 employee off duty, and 1 other person, all of the passenger train; 3 of the injured passengers subsequently died….
“The weather was clear at the time of the accident, which occurred at 10:45 p.m.
“The automobile involved was a Buick five-passenger touring car, occupied by two men, and was moving westward on the highway over the crossing at a speed variously estimated to have been between 25 and 45 miles per hour when it was struck by southbound passenger train No. 436.
“Southbound passenger train No. 436 consisted of five motor cars of steel construction, and was in charge of Conductor Durr and Motorman Hall. This train departed from Milwaukee, Wis., at 10 p.m., on time, passed Racine, Wis., at 10.36 p.m., one minute late, and was derailed when it struck an automobile at a grade crossing while traveling at a speed variously estimated by the members of its crew to have been between 35 and 60 miles per hour the derailed equipment then sideswiped northbound extra 456, which was passing at the time.
“Northbound freight train extra 456 consisted of 1 empty car, 12 loaded cars, and a caboose, hauled by electric motor 456, and was in charge of Conductor Harris and Motorman Norris. This train passed Kenosha Tower at 10.40 p.m., according to the train sheet, and was derailed while proceeding over the Burlington Road crossing at an estimated speed of 15 miles per hour.
“The automobile was thrown into the air and the engine block fell out under the first motor car of train No. 436, derailing this train to the left or east, sideswiping the first car in extra 456 on the northbound track. Train No. 436 was then diverted to the west and came to rest in a wide ditch on the west side of the southbound track with the first car at a point 546 feet from the crossing, leaning against the bank of the ditch. The second oar came to rest parallel with the first car, the next two cars were diagonally across the ditch, and the last car was parallel with the track. None of these cars was entirely overturned. The track was torn up for a distance of 273 feet and the rail from the southbound track curved around under the freight train on the northbound track, causing the derailment of the first seven cars of this train; these cars remained upright. The automobile was demolished.
“Conductor Durr, of train No. 436, was riding in the rear of the first car and knew nothing of what occurred except that he knew they hit something, saw a flash, and then they were off the track. He estimated the speed of their train at the time of the accident to have been 55 or 60 miles per hour and was unable to say whether or not the motorman sounded a road crossing whistle signal. Collectors Wade, Hickey and Kindel, who were riding in the second, third and fourth cars, respectively, stated they felt the air brakes applied in emergency just before the accident occurred and they estimated the speed to have been between 35 and 45 miles per hour at the time of the accident…the motorman of train No. 436 was too seriously injured to be interviewed.
“Motorman Norris, of extra 456, stated that he had sounded the whistle for the crossing and when his train was about 500 feet from the crossing he noticed that the wigwag was in operation. There was an automobile standing on the east side of the crossing and another automobile approaching from the east, which passed around the standing automobile and proceeded over the crossing at a speed of about 45 miles per hour. Motorman Norris said that when he saw this automobile was not going to stop for the crossing, he immediately applied the air brakes in emergency. His train had been traveling at a speed between 30 and 35 miles per hour, and this speed had been reduced to about 15 miles per hour when he reached the crossing; he thought his train was about 400 feet from the crossing when he applied the air brakes. The headlight own his own train, as well as the headlight of train No. 436, was burning brightly. The statements of Head Brakeman Grooms and Brakeman Anderson, who were riding on the motor of extra 456 practically corroborated those of Motorman Norris, except that Head Brakeman Grooms said the automobile was moving at a speed of 20 or 25 miles per hour and seemed to change its speed as it approached the crossing, while Brakeman Anderson said it was moving at a speed of 35 or 40 miles per hour.
“Algot Lindquist, an eyewitness to the occurrence of the accident, stated that he was driving a Ford sedan on the Burlington Road and as he approached the crossing from the east he saw the wigwag in operation and heard the bell ringing. He looked to his left and saw a freight train approaching and it was about 500 feet from the crossing when he first saw it. Mr. Lindquist continued until he reached a point about 30 feet from the crossing, where he stopped his car. Miss Irene Sand, who was riding with him, then called his attention to a train coming from the north, which was approaching at a much higher rate of speed than the freight train. Mr. Lindquist said his car was the only one around the crossing, but when he had been there about one-half minute another automobile drove up, passed around him at a speed of about 25 miles per hour, and proceeded on the crossing directly in front of the passenger train. Mr. Lindquist said that the head-lights on both trains were burning brightly and he had heard a train whistle before he saw the wigwag signal, and this whistle was sounded continuously until the time of the collision, but he did not know from which train it was sounded. Miss Sand stated that just as they passed the building located about 150 feet east of the tracks, she saw the passenger train approaching from the north and it was then less than one-half mile distant, but was approaching at about twice the speed of the freight train. While they were waiting there an automobile drove by them at a fast rate of speed and on the crossing in front of the passenger train, and the freight train reached the crossing just after the automobile had been struck.
“Conclusions:
“This accident was caused by an automobile being driven upon a crossing at grade directly in front of a passenger train which was approaching at high speed.
“The investigation indicated that the automobile approached the crossing at too high a rate of speed, passed around another automobile standing just east of the crossing, and then started over the tracks. In all probability, the driver of this car saw the freight train approaching from the south and thought he could clear the crossing before the freight train reached it, and apparently did not look toward the north to see if there was a train approaching from that direction. While there are buildings located to the right of the highway, they are about 150 feet east of the tracks, and the view is unobstructed between these buildings and the tracks, with the result that a train can be seen approaching from the north for a distance of at least one-half mile. The evidence also indicated that the wigwag signal was in operation and that at least one of the trains was whistling as it approached the crossing. The automobile standing at the crossing no doubt obstructed the view of the driver of the approaching car toward the north to some slight extent, but there is no reason why he could not have prevented the accident had he exercised any of the care required to be exercised when approaching a railroad crossing at grade.” (ICC File No. 1622, “Report…Accident… Kenosha, WI.”)
Newspaper
Feb 24, Racine Journal News, WI: “Eleven passengers on the southbound Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee electric train wrecked at Kenosha at 10:50 o’clock last night died as a result if injuries so far and it is believed that several others will succumb, their condition being critical….The death list grew as the men searching the ruins and cutting away obstructions with acetylene torches made progress and one body after another was sent to the morgue, swelling the original list of eight to 11. Listed as dead are:
Evelyn Metzer…Chicago
James B. Poteous, Racine
- F. Reater…Milwaukee
George Brofka…Chicago
James Fitzgerald, Manistique, Mich.
- B. Coggins…Chicago
Norman E. Shinners…Chicago
Frank Buday…Milwaukee
Miss Betty Schema…Chicago
Unidentified white woman.
Unidentified black woman
“….It has not been ascertained whether Frank Buday or Norman E. Shinners was driving the automobile into which the southbound flyer crashed at the Highway 43 crossing near the north limits of Kenosha. Both were killed instantly. The car was listed as belonging to Buday who is believed to have been driving Shinners back to Chicago.
“The scene of the wreck is but a short distance from St. Catherine’s hospital and the injured were hurried there in police and fire department vehicles….
“Three of the cars of the passenger train were piled one on top of the other. The other two cars were to the north, also in the ditch, were crosswise.
“The version which is believed to be the correct one is to the effect that the southbound train, carrying about 200 passengers, struck the automobile and threw it into the path of a freight train of the same road which was coming from the south. The crash with the automobile caused the southbound to leave the rails and sideswipe the freight, derailing several cars of the latter and throwing the passenger train back to the west and piling it up in the ditch….” (Racine Journal News, WI. “Kenosha Tragedy Claims Total of Eleven Victims.” 2-24-1930, p. 1.)
Feb 26, Racine Journal News, WI: “Milwaukee, Feb. 26. – A movement to make arterial stops of all grade crossings in Wisconsin was launched n Tuesday as a result of the fatal Sunday night crash on the North Shore line that brought death to 11 persons. Railroad rate commission engineers and members of the legislature’s interim traffic committee, it was revealed, have under consideration the feasibility and advisability of legislation requiring all vehicles to stop before crossing railroad tracks. They do not believe that such laws would prevent all grade crossing smashes, it was said, but they are of the opinion that such measures would reduce accidents.
“It was pointed out that busses are now compelled to made stops with passengers; that oil and gasoline trucks stop at all grade crossings and that, if it is a good safety principle to enforce bus stops, autoists might do likewise….” (Racine Journal News, WI. “Crossing Stops in State Urged. Movement to Force Autos to Halt Follows North Shore Catastrophe.” 2-26-1930, p. 5.)
Feb 28, AP/Capital Times, Madison, WI: “Kenosha, Wis. – (AP) – The twelfth death resulting from the wreck of a North Shore line passenger train here Sunday night occurred today when Harold Carey of Milwaukee died of his injuries. The death followed the return of two coroner’s verdicts which fixed no blame for the crash….
“The inquest brought out that Norman Shinners, driver of the automobile that caused the wreck was careless; that he disregarded the warning signals; that he tried to beat the trains to the crossing and that he could have seen both the passenger and the freight train if he had taken the time to look. Testimony also revealed that Shinners was sober.” (Associated Press. “12th Victim of Train Wreck Dies.” Capital Times, Madison, WI. 2-28-1930, Section II, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “12th Victim of Train Wreck Dies.” Capital Times, Madison, WI. 2-28-1930, Section II, p. 1. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-capital-times-feb-28-1930-p-13/
Racine Journal News, WI. “Crossing Stops in State Urged. Movement to Force Autos to Halt Follows North Shore Catastrophe.” 2-26-1930, p. 5. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/racine-journal-news-feb-26-1930-p-5/
Racine Journal News, WI. “Kenosha Tragedy Claims Total of Eleven Victims.” 2-24-1930, p. 1. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/racine-journal-news-feb-24-1930-p-2/
United States Interstate Commerce Commission, File No. 1622, “Report of the Director of the Bureau of Safety in RE Investigation of an Accident Which Occurred on the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad near Kenosha, Wis., on February 23, 1930.” Washington, DC: ICC, March 20, 1930. Reproduced by DOT Library, Special Collections, I.C.C. Historical Railroad Investigation Reports (1911-1994). Accessed at: http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net/
Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. “Where Train Derailment Cost 11 Lives.” 2-25-1930, p. 1. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wisconsin-rapids-daily-tribune-feb-25-1930-p-1/
[1] Newspaper article of Feb 25 notes the “motorist endeavored to beat the train…” (Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. “Where Train Derailment Cost 11 Lives.” 2-25-1930, p. 1.)