The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-08-20 00:00:00

RAILWAY DISASTER IN AMERICA&
TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.

A terrible railway disaster happened early on
Thursday morning in last week in Illinois, involving
the loss of more than one hundred lives. An excur-
sion train, consisting of 16 coaches drawn by two loco-
motives, and containing 600 passengers. left Bloom-
ington on the Wednesday night for Niagara Falls.
It proceeded through a prairie district which bad
been much burnt during the drought. After passing
on to the Toledo, Peoria, and Western Railroad, it
went through Chatsworth, Illinois, and about one
o'clock on Thursday morning, some two miles to the
east of the town, it ran off a small wooden bridge which
had been damaged by the fires. Both engines and ten of
the coaches were wrecked, the latter being "telescoped,"
and piled one above another, or on the engines, the
whole wreck taking fire. In one coach nobody
escaped, in another only one lady was uniejured.
The fire was extinguished about two hours later, after
which, rain began to fall. Over a hundred persons
were killed, rand seventy bodies had been taken from
the wreck on Thursday. One hundred and fifty more
are injured, many of them fatally. The sufferers have
been taken to Chatsworth, Piper City, and other
stations. The wreck is all piled within a space of
about two coach-lengths over the destroyed bridge,
it being simply a miracle any one escaped. Relief
trains, carrying physicians, have been sent to the scene
of the disaster from the neighbouring towns.
A later telegram from the scene of the terrible ac-
cident says that the disaster surpasses in its appalling
extent any railway accident recorded in the history
of the country. Two engines were attached to the
train, which consisted of six day and six sleeping car-
riages, together with three care for luggage. There
were 960 passengers, all excursionists, bound for the
Niagara Falls. They came from various places in
Central Illinois, but the majority were residents of
Peoria. The train left Bloomington early on Wed-
nesday night. The bridge through which the train
fell was an ordinary wooden trestle structure, erected
over a ditch 10ft, deep and 15ft. wide. On nearing
the bridge the engine-driver discovered that it was on
fire, but he was unable to stop the train. The first
engine missed over safely, and then the bridge fell.
The second engine and several of the carriages were
wrecked, some telescoping the others. The sleeping
carriages remained on the track, but were in great
danger owing to the wrecked portion of the train
having caught fire from the burning bridge. Fifty
men fought with the flames, and, no water beini,
available, tried to extinguish them with earth, in
many instances digging up the soil with their hands.
Ultimately they succeeded in this manner in smother-
* the flames, and no one was burned. Early in the
morning the country was roused, and numbers of
people, on hearing of the:accident, hurried to the
scene. A large staff of medical men, assisted by other
persons, laid out 118 dead bodies and attended to
the wounded. No complete list of the killed and
injured can be obtained yet, but according to pre-
sent estimates over one hundred ;persons were killed
outright, irrespective of those who afterwards died,
and four times that number were injured.
The village of Chatsworth and Piper City, which
are near the scene of the *disaster, were compared to
mortuaries by those who have visited the spot. The
railway stations, engine-houses, and public halls are
filled with the dead, and the private houses all con-
tained wounded persons. When the victims were re-
moved from the wreck they were first laid in the
adjacent corn-field. Many of the bodies were fear-
fully mangled, and in some cases quite unrecognisable.
The streets were filled with persons seeking for their
friends. Many pathetic incidents in connection with
the accident are recorded. It is narrated that one
poor man whose legs were broken insisted that his
wife and child should be removed from the debris
before any help was rendered to himself. It proved
that his child was dead, and his wife expired after
being placed in the cornfield. The unfortunate
husband was shortly afterwards laid beside her body,
and then drawing a revolver he committed suicide.
It was considered probable that the bridge was set on
fire by a spark from a passing engine early in the
night, the dryness of the season having made the
woodwork mere tinder.

A Central News telegram says: The work of rescue
proceeded all night, and there was no lack of volun-
teers. An ample force of physicians and surgeons
arrived at Piper City and Chatsworth, whither most
of the injured people were taken. The exploration of
the ruins of the wrecked train and bridge having been
almoat completed, it was ascertaiaed with something
like certainty that more than 100 persons were killed
outright, but at least 200 were injured, of who: 25
were at the point of death, and some 20 or 30 others
were so fearfully wounded that they cannot long sur-
vive. There could be little doubt, therefore, that the
number of victims will not fall short of 150.

The New York correspondent of the Central News
sends the following account of the disaster, obtained
from a passenger, Mr. H. W. White, a printer, who
escaped with cemparatively slight injuries: At mid-
night the engineer saw a fire ahead. He at first
thought that it was the prairie burning, but he dis-
covered when it was too late that a bridge spanning the
Vermillion River, which he had to cross, was on fire.
It was in vain that the air-brakes were applied—the
train must inevitably pass over the bridge or perish in
the attempt. There were two engines to the train,
which was a heavily freighted one. The first engine
crossed in safety, but the second one, too heavy for the
fire-eaten woodwork of the bridge, crashed through,
carrying with it eleven cars, which became piled up on
the top of it in telescope fashion. The engineer was
killed instantly, as were many of the occupants of the
cars. To make matters worse, the lamps of the cars set
fire to the splintered compartments. Some of the pas-
sengers escaped with minor injuries, and these gallantly
set to work with axes by the light of lanterns,
to extricate the dead and wounded. It seemed as
though most of the victims had been caught by
the feet, their legs being broken. While the work
of rescue was proceeding shrieks mingled with
Prayers for help rended the air, some unfortunate
beings even offering money for speedy relief. One
man particularly presented a shocking appearance.
He had been terribly injured, and, his clamours for
water being unheeded, he drew his revolver in sheer
desperation and shot himself in the head. A son of
the Rev. Mr. Snedecker, of Abington, 12 years of age,
was found clinging to the dead body of his mother
with one of his legs and an arm broken and suffering
from the loss of an eye, and asking in vain. for . water.
The searchers came across several headless bodies and
bodiless heads. It is painful to relate that some of
the residents of the vicinity plundered the corpses
with wolfish avidity. The school-house, the church,
and some -of the private dwellings of the tom of
Chatsworth were used as hospitals, and everything
which surgical skill and nursing could do was dene.
The list, of killed and injured includes resident,; of
some 20 towns in the States of Illinois, lowa, and
Indiana. Some of the bodies are mangled beyond
recognition, and in not a few cases several members
of ODO gamily have perished. There has been a pro-
longed drought in the prairie, and consequently water
was unobtainable; but the uninjured survivors ex-
tinguished with dust the flames that enveloped the
ruined train."
A Philadelphia telegram of Saturday night said:
Horrible details of the Chatsworth railway disaster
fill the newspapers. The number of dead now ascer-
tained is 158. The Illinois Railway Commission has
gone to Chatsworth in order to hold an investigation.
The claims for deaths occasioned, with those for
damages on account of injuries sustained, already
threatened against the Toledo Peoria, and Western
Railway amount to nearly 1,00400 dole. The com-
pany has just emerged from bankruptcy.
The physicians say that lack of care for the
wounded led to an increase in the number of deaths.
[he railway officials endeavour to show that the
trestle bridge was fired by miscreants who desired to
rob the train, but the testimony received indicates
that the structure was ignited by a prairie or some
other accidental fire' which, owing to lack of super-
vision, the officials failed to discover. The bridge
was inspected on the Wednesday afternoon, but there
was no inspection between five o'clock and midnight,
when the disaster occurred.

AND do you love me so devotedly, dear, he said
that you will give lin home and friends, and all that
makes your young life bright and happy, to become
my wife, and go with me to the uttermost end of the
world if necessary ?—Yes, George, she whispered
softly; when I am your wife your thoughts shall be
my thoughts, your hopes my hopes, your religion my
religion; and if you should want me to go to the utter-
most end of the world with you I will go, ah, so gladly,
'George. Ido so love to travel!

With respect to Admiral Fremantle and Captain
Long, the report says: "There is no doubt that in
actual war Rear-Admiral Fremantle could have
destroyed Captain Long's flotilla, though at probably
some loss to himself. It was essenthil that he
should do.this in order that his look-out ship should
be free to remain off the North Foreland to report
the approach of the Vice-Admiral. It would seem
probable that this would have delayed him two
hours. If the flotilla had withdrawn to the shoals of
Margate, its destruction would have been difficult and
would have taken longer. As the Rear-Admiral did
not wait he cannot be said to have destroyed the
flotilla, but only to have partially damaged it."
With regard to the defending force: "At 11.40
the enemy was sighted at anchor at the Nore, and at
noon the squadron passed the North Shingle buoy.
The position was now as follows: Rear-Admiral
Fremantle was standing to the northward to pass out
into the North Sea along the Sevin. All his ships
were with him except the Curlew, which had broken
down, but owing to the inferior steaming power of the
Black Prince and Iron Duke, he could not have main-
tained more than nine or ten knots. Sir W. Hewett
was steering to meet him with the Minotaur, Sultan,
Monarch, Inflexible, about five miles astern besides
the Mercury, Rattlesnake, Glatton, Prince Albert, six
gunboats, and six torpedo boats. Collingwood
was coming LID 36 miles astern. Setting on
one side the Downs' gunboat flotilla, which
owing to its inferior speed was for the purpose of
attack of comparatively little value except among the
shoals at the entrance to the Thames, the speed of Sir
W. Hewett's squadron was superior to that of Rear-
Admiral Fremantle's ships, so that the former had the
power of giving or refusing action. It is impossible to
say what would have happened in actual war beyond
this, that Rear-Admiral Fremantle could not have
remained at the Nore in the presence of an enemy
who was already more powerful than he, and whose
reinforcements were coming up, and he could not have
gone up the Thames without sacrificing his squadron.
The most probable event would seem to have been an
engagement in the North Sea.
"To sum up, the attacking squadron was completely
successful in the attack on Falmouth, while at the
Nora the defending force had the best of It.
"As soon as the defending squadron under Sir W.
Hewett passed the North Foreland, which occurred
at 10.15 a.m., an action could only have been
avoided by Rear-Admiral Fremantle rnanceuvring
among the shoals, because the entrance to the East
Swin is nearer to the North Foreland than to the
Nore. To make sure of avoiding an action Rear-Ad-
miral Fremantle should be weighed before 10.15
a.m., when he would have led at the outside three
hours in which to do material damage, to Sheerness
and the neighbourhood. Admiral Fremantle had in-
tended to leave the Curlew to act as look-out ship at
the North Foreland in order to insure that he should
be warned in time to effect his escape without fight-
ing an action, in accordance with the rules, but the
accident on board that ship prevented this being done,
and the Archer was not sent back soon enough. It
has been stated more than once in the press that
Rear-Admiral Fremantle was unable to effect his
escape to the North Sea through not having been sup-
plied with the necessary charts. This statement is
inaccurate, as he was supplied with the necessary
charts to enable him to have escaped into the North
Sea."

The general idea of the operations carried out by B
squadron off the coast of Ireland was that British
cruisers had lost touch of an enemy's fleet which had
put to sea with a view of inflicting damage to the
ports on the west coast of England and Wales and the
east coast of Ireland, including Qneenstown, avoiding
if possible action with the British fleet. The attack-
ing squadron, under Commodore Fitzroy, consisted of
five ironolads : Edinburgh (flag), Neptune, Ruppert,
Efhannon, Devastation, and two fast cruisers, Amphion
and. Mohawk. Vice-Admiral Baird commanded the
defending force of five ironelads Hercules (flag),
Hotspur, Invincible, Belleisle, Ajax, two fast cruisers,
Mersr? and Fearless, and two torpedo boats. Squad-
rons ist Milford, Holyhead, and Belfast were also under
the Orders of the Vice-Admiral. The squadron at Mil-
fo7ii to guard the trade and ports in the Bristol Channel,
eensisted of two turret-ships, Cyclops and Hecate,seven
/unboats, and eight torpedo boats; that at Holy-
Lead for the protection of the approach to Liverpool
consisted of one turret-ship. Hydra, six gunboats, and
eight torpedo boats; while at Belfast were one turret.
ship, Gorgon, and eight torpedo boats. Look-out
stations were organised by the defending force, and
telegraphic communication established between Lundy
Island, Hartland Point, nachos Point, Queenstown,
St. Anne's Head, and Dunmore. With regard to the
engagement which took place, the report says:
"About five p.m. after passing the Tinker, the Vice-
Admiral's leading ships were about five miles from
the enemy, but his rear ship being two or three miles
astern he did not consider it prudent to separate
further from them and eased to allow them to come
up. This enabled the enemy to increase his distance.
The Vice-Admiral was now much afraid that the
enemy would escape him during_the night, the re-
lative speeds of the two fleets forbidding an action
before dark. Much depended upon the Mersey and
Fearless, who had gone upon his quarters and reported
his every movement and and all signals made.. This
brings us to the Commodore's only cruisers, the
Amphion, who most unfortunately at 3.35 had re
ported that her starboard engine was temporarily
broken down, and could not be repaired until 10 a.m.
on the following day. This reduced her speed to
ten knots. About 5 p.m. the Mersey was about five
miles on the starboard bow of his own squadron,
when the Commodore, thinking her exposed, ordered
Amphion to slowly drop from her position at the head
of the line to the rear, and close her, so as either to
put her out of action or force her back. About 6 p.m.
the Amphion opened fire unexpectedly on the Mersey,
who returned the fire, but was ordered to fall back.
Later on the Amphion opened fire on the Fearless.
With reference to this incident it is to be remarked
that the Mersey is decidedly the more powerfully
armed ship, and that the Hercules also fired on the
Amphion. In actual war the Mersey would have
suffered some damage, but whether sufficient
to have disabled her as a steamer is an
open question. It has been held that in such
a position cruisers, being the "eyes of the
fleet,' are too valuable to sacrifice in this manner;
but, under the exceptional circumstances of this case,
the action taken was, it is considered, advisable. The
two squadrons were now steering the same course,
Vice-Admiral Baird's being in single column in line
ahead on the port quarter of his antagonist, about
five or six miles from him, the former being much
delayed by the Belleisle, and the latter by the
Shannon and the Rupert, which, if not carefully
watched, might have been captured. At 8 p.m. the
Commodore detached the Devastation to harass the
enemy during the night, and, if possible, to sink
Mersey and Fearless, whose incessant watchfulness was
most galling, and at nine she opened fire on Mersey.
Deiastation was then at a distance of say 3000 yards
from Mersey, and the effect of her fire at night
must be considered very doubtful. She herself was
within range of Hercules, who now opened fire,
and, with the Ajax, went up on her beam, and
about 9.80 p.m. were near enough to attack her at
less than 2000 yards. The search lights had the
effect of showing her up well. Being then two to
three miles from her own fleet it must be admitted
that she would have b n very severely handled ii