I WANT to express my deepest sympathy and concern over the tragic accident in Chicago this morning which has cost so many lives and inflicted so much suffering. The heart of the Nation goes out to the victims of this tragedy and to the people of Chicago.
Note: The statement was read by Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler during his regular news briefing at the White House on October 30, 1972.
An Illinois Central commuter train traveling toward the downtown area crashed into the rear of another train at Chicago's 27th Street Station, killing at least 44 persons and injuring over 300.
Mr. Ziegler announced that the President, shortly after the accident, dispatched Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe to Chicago to survey the damage firsthand. In addition, Mr. Ziegler said that because of the tragedy, the President had canceled plans to visit Chicago on Tuesday, October 31. The visit was later rescheduled for Friday, November 3.
Richard Nixon, Statement About the Commuter Train Wreck in Chicago Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/255528