Two Families Wiped out when Ford Automobile is hit by Pennsylvania Flyer June 19, 1922.

Five persons met instant death yesterday afternoon at 12:10 o’clock in Royal Center, when the Pennsylvania Flyer in the charge of Engineer Charles Helvie and Conductor M. Radlee of this city, hit a Ford automobile.  Every occupant of the car was killed, four were dead when members of the train crew reached them. The fifth died on the way to the morgue.
The dead are : Edward Carson,68, retired farmer. Onward In
Mrs.Delilah Carson, 72, wife of Edward. Onward
Jesse Carson, 33, son, basket maker, Peru.
Mrs. Nora Carson 38, wife of Jesse Carson. Peru
Harry Dempsey, 14, adopted son of the younger Carson's, Peru.
Jesse Carson and family, left Peru early yesterday morning, drove to Onward where they were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Carson, Jesse’s father and mother. And together the party went to Royal Center where they spent the morning visiting in the home of Artie Day.  They had just left the Day home when the tragedy occurred. L. R. Day who was near the crossing when the accident occurred told the engineer Helvie that Mr. Jesse Carson was driving and had stopped the automobile just before the crossing. Mr. Day stated that the alarm was ringing and he could hear the roar of the flyer. For some reason Jesse started back up and was in the center of the crossing when the flyer struck the automobile.   Four of the occupants were buried in the right of way and elder Mr. Carson was caught in the automobile in between it and the train. And carried for nearly a half mile before the train was brought to a stop.  The train had to back up before the mangled body of Edward could be taken from the mangle.
What possessed young Carson to cross the tracks will never be known. It is one assumption that he did not know the train was so near. The view of the tracks was obscured by the depot and he may have thought the train had stopped.
The train is a Limited and does not stop at Royal Center. It was going about 60 mph.
The remains of the victims were taken to the Douglas morgue in Royal Center, where they were prepared for burial.
Edward Carson was the most terribly mangled, death was due to fracture of the skull.
Mrs. Edward Carson died of abdominal injuries.
Jesse Carson a Fractured skull.
Mrs. Jesse Carson a broken neck
Harry Dempsey a broken neck.
The impact of the collision was heard for blocks.
Coroner M.B. Stewart was notified of the catastrophe by members of the train crew.He went to Royal center when he interviewed witnesses to the crash, including L.R. Day, Roe Day, Anderson Million, David Besity, and Giranna Sisler.  All gave about the same story relative to the fatality.
The aged couple victims of the rail tragedy are survived by two daughters, Mrs. A. F. Clancy and Mrs. R. C. Uskefer and  sons, Charles Carson all of Logansport.  David Carson of Onward, Arthur Carson of South Bend, Jefferson Carson an officer in the United States Army stationed in the Hawaiian Islands
The remains of the five victims were brought to the undertaking establishment of Kroeger & Phofl this city , today.
The funeral for the five victims will be held tomorrow at 3o’clock, at the undertaking establishment on Broadway. It will be conducted by Rev. E. Richard Edwards of the Ninth street Christian Church. Interment will be in Hope Cemetery.

One of the more sobering and gruesome entries in the book.. Most copied word for ward from the Logansport Morning Press.
There were some things in there that I just could not put in .. way to vivid and personal. I can’t believe they published such information.  No HIPPA at that time. It also mentions that over 1800 people viewed the bodies at the Morgue and all 5 will be buried in the same lot.
(Mrs. Jesse Carson was a Dempsey thus a relative of mine.)
This entry caught my eye just for the immense sadness of it.