Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-12-04
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
a Freight Train BACKS Down
she Ulu0- Several Cars
im Ruins.

The 6:l5 freight tran, David II. Burnett,
conductor, and c. II. Hay, engineer, run
ming from this city to Kellogg, met with
q unfortunate accident just below the
city early this morning. They started
with "a oars and caboose, with The on
gine samson 10 help them Up the bluff.
The train VAS divided at the usual place
and the two engines took part of it up the
bluff. When they arrived at the switch.
tle Samson cut of 10 let the engineer take
the train past, and then return for the 9th
Or cars but this had.no sooner been done.
than the whole train commenced to move
backward. The brakes were applied and
full head of seam let on, but without any |
perceptible effect, the engine slipped sew
eral 70 10, and the backward movement was |
ra2.dly increased. The engineer saw that
. collision was Inevitable !; aud, that the |
het Of the shock might b, lessencd, At
tempted to uncouple the engine reversing
the motion, but the train had acquired such
fearful velocity that it was impossible to
accomplish it. The engineer, firemsn, and
the two brakemen, one Of whom figured in
the smash up at Wilton, then prepared to
meet the shock. The brakes were again
applied and each man took position for "a
leap for life" The conductor and one
brakeman had BY this time nearly stopped
the motion Of the last half Of the train
which had acquired considerable velocity
on the down grade below Lttig's Brewery.
and had taken themselves out Of tho way
The shock came, and very fortunately no
one WAS injured other than by the jar in
jumping to the frozen ground. One ofthe
braksmen injured his knee little and the
engineer received . slight injury about
the shoulders. The engine received
no particular injury. the tender was racksd
considerably and will have to be repaired
throu ghout, the couplings to al Of the back
ward moving cars we're driven in, and many
of the trucks loossned. The end Of the
bind car WAS somewhat dsmeralizsd, but
strange TO say, considering the fearful ve-
losity and the short curve they had to turn,
none Of the backward moving cars left the
track. Not " tho advance cars Of The 9TH
ss part Of the train ; ruin marked the spot
The FIRST car took the place Of the second.
BY beng driven completely into il, and
both now lie in the ditch literally wreck
ed, their contents Of dry goods. groceries
aud mixed freight mingled with the ruins Of
the cars. The next car Was also completely
ruined and its contents broken and scatter
ed. Two others were broken from the
trucks and left bottom up across the track,
and two others thrown from the track. Su-
perintenient kimball was promptly on the
ground, and soon had the track cleared. and
the cars that remained on the track showed
back to the station. We have NO estimate
Of the amount Of loss, but it must be con-
siderable. This is the second accident ci
. the kind that has happened within . year
at this place; and elfinterest, "a we'll as
safety to employ ees and the travelling pub
: lie, should induce the railroad company to
make the ascent of the bluff less dangerous.
! From the above facts no blame can be a.
tached to those running the train. TIE
heavily loaded cars, slippery rails, and steep
bluff are1the causes Of the disaster. The
western espress was delayed only abou,
! an hour.