28-488: The Hammond circus train wreck occurred on June 22, 1918, and was one of the worst train wrecks in U.S. history. Eighty-six people were reported to have died and another 127 were injured when a locomotive engineer fell asleep and ran his troop train into the rear of a circus train near Hammond , Indiana . The circus train held 400 performers and roustabouts of the Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus . The train used by
56-573: A boiler explosion occurs. Train accidents have often been widely covered in popular media and in folklore . A head-on collision between two trains is colloquially called a " cornfield meet " in the United States. Train accidents can occur due to a range of factors, including one or more of the following: This rail-transport related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Public Service Commission (Indiana) The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission ( IURC )
84-505: A section set aside as Showmen's Rest , which had been purchased by the Showmen's League of America only a few months earlier. The section is surrounded by statues of elephants in a symbolic mourning posture. Only five of those buried had been formally identified, 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 more recent graves at
112-650: A trial the jury found itself deadlocked, and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors declined to re-try the case, and charges were dismissed on June 9, 1920. The train wreck occurred on a Saturday, and its effects caused the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus's show in Hammond and another in Monroe , Wisconsin , on June 24 to be canceled. However, the circus performed on June 25 in Beloit, Wisconsin , with other circuses providing some of
140-559: Is the public utilities commission of the state of Indiana , led by five commissioners appointed by the governor. The commission regulates electric, natural gas , telecommunications , steam, water and sewer utilities. The commission was established by the Indiana General Assembly as the Railroad Commission in the late 1800s to regulate the railroads in the state. On March 4, 1913, Governor Samuel M. Ralston signed
168-491: The flatcars . Sargent's train plowed into the caboose and four rear wooden sleeping cars of the circus train at a rail crossing known as Ivanhoe Interlocking (5 miles (8.0 km) east of downtown Hammond and the Indiana- Illinois border) at an estimated speed of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). According to a contemporary newspaper report, “The engine and tender of the moving train passed completely over and through
196-480: The main line track . In the early morning hours of June 22, 1918, engineer Alonzo Sargent was at the throttle of a Michigan Central (then a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad ) troop train pulled by MC/NYC class K80r 4-6-2 "Pacific" number 8485, pulling twenty empty Pullman cars . Sargent, who was aware that his train was closely following a slower circus train, had slept little if at all in
224-648: The 555 water utilities and 45 of the 547 wastewater utilities in Indiana. Although the IURC regulates only a fraction of the water utilities, these entities serve approximately 45% of Indiana's water consumers. Approximately 85% of Indiana customers, however, are served by non-jurisdictional wastewater utilities. The Consumer Affairs Division resolves customer complaints by ensuring utility compliance with Commission rules and regulations by investigating consumer allegations and issuing timely determinations. The types of issues handled by
252-646: The 72 municipally-owned utilities operating in Indiana remain under the Commission's jurisdiction for rate regulation: Richmond Municipal, Anderson Municipal, Crawfordsville Municipal, Auburn Municipal, Frankfort Municipal, Lebanon Municipal, Tipton Municipal, Knightstown Municipal, Kingsford Heights Municipal, and Greenfield Mills, Inc. Power & Light. The Natural Gas division regulates the rates, charges, and terms of service for intrastate gas pipelines and LDCs. It inspects federal all intrastate natural gas facilities in accord with federal safety regulations. Additionally,
280-700: The African-American porters on the train, until further investigations revealed that they had been severely burned. Among the dead were Arthur Dierckx and Max Nietzborn of the Great Dierckx Brothers, a strongman act, and Jennie Ward Todd of The Flying Wards. There were also 127 injuries. Five days later, fifty-three of those killed were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, at the intersection of Cermak Road and Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park, Illinois , in
308-561: The Consumer Affairs Division include: deposits, billing, termination of service, customer rights, and utility responsibilities. The IURC Legal Division aids in the development of the commissions “Rules and Regulations Concerning Practice and Procedure” as well as “Rules and Regulations and Standards of Service” to govern each type of utility through Title 170 of the Indiana Administrative Code. These changes follow
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#1733085615200336-473: The Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus used old wooden cars that were lit with oil lamps . The circus train had two train segments; the segment that was loaded with animals had been dispatched earlier, leaving the train with all the performers and workers on the tracks. The cars were being moved to a spot near Hammond , Indiana , so a mechanical problem could be addressed, and some of the cars had been left on
364-513: The Natural Gas division reviews gas cost adjustments (GCAs), financial arrangements, service territory requests, and assists in investigatory proceedings when these docketed proceedings are filed with the Commission. It also analyzes various forms of alternative regulatory proposals, such as rate decoupling, rate adjustment mechanisms, and customer choice initiatives. The Communications Division monitors regulatory proceedings and policy initiatives at
392-640: The Shively-Spencer Utility Act giving it the additional authority to regulate electric, natural gas, water, private sewer, and telephone utilities along with common carriers (trucking) and renaming it as the Public Service Commission . The act replaced legislation from 1891 in which the state had given cities and towns the ability to contract with utilities for service and to set rates by local ordinance. Utilities with existing municipal franchises could surrender them and place themselves under
420-417: The acts. 41°35′54″N 87°25′17″W / 41.59833°N 87.42139°W / 41.59833; -87.42139 Train wreck A train accident or train wreck is a type of disaster involving two or more trains . Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication , as when a moving train meets another train on the same track, when the wheels of train come off the track or when
448-463: The commission's regulation by accepting an "indeterminate permit". In 1987, the commission was given its current name of Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The Electric Division of the IURC regulates five major investor owned electric utilities: Duke Energy Indiana, Indiana-Michigan Power , Indianapolis Power and Light Company , Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) , and Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana. In addition, nine of
476-624: The federal, state, and local levels to determine the impact of those policies. The division implements universal service programs and provides recommendations on applications for certificates of territorial authority for communications service providers and state franchises for video service providers. The Communications Division also resolves carrier-to-carrier disputes, manages policies regarding telephone numbering resources (pursuant to federal and state law), protects consumers from unauthorized changes to their service, and implements universal service programs. The Water and Sewer Division regulates 89 of
504-491: The fire chief, and then phoned all the medical personnel he could. Triage for the victims was performed at the Michigan Central station in Hammond; then they were sent to St. Margaret's Hospital. Most of the eighty-six who were killed in the train wreck perished in the first thirty-five seconds after the collision. Then, the wreckage caught on fire. The fire was so intense that many of the victims were assumed to be some of
532-414: The location belong to people who traveled with the circus and wanted to be buried there after they died. The wreck is described in great detail in the report of the joint Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) 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
560-898: 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 through 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
588-406: 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
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#1733085615200616-569: 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
644-409: 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 are thought to have caused him to fall asleep at the controls. At approximately 4 a.m., Sargent missed at least two 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
672-496: 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
700-408: 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
728-451: The wreck. The engine left the rails but did not overturn.” Upon impact, the circus train's lamps ignited the wooden cars and the fire quickly spread. Two men were stationed at the Ivanhoe signal tower , about 100 feet (30 m) from the accident, and phoned multiple people in an attempt to raise help for the victims. The first on the scene was the mayor of nearby Gary, Indiana , who brought
756-654: 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 out 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
784-503: 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 cars, whose oil lamps ignited the fire immediately after the collision. Although Sargent and his fireman , Gustave Klauss, were criminally charged in Lake County, Indiana , following
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