The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1869-07-29
others kept telling stories to pass por-

ton of the night away. The stay at
Turner's station for supper was no long
er than usual. The switch between the
the tracks at Miltown, 4 place of unhap-
by reputation, was passed by in safety.
The conductor went up and down few
times, to see that all was right, from the
smoking car to the rear end sleeping
coach. The train was speeding on its
course at the rate of from twenty to
twenty-five miles an hour. With a
double track, wide, strong cars, new
cummings. a powerful locomotive, run
ming at a steady, splendid pace, tn" pas
sengers felt that there was nothing to
apprehend but broken rail. Little re.
Election, however, was given to that
matter The sleepers in the rear coaches
turned around for q moment and fell
away to slumber again. Every berth
was occupied. Governor Walker, of
Virginia, and his wife had a stateroom,
both bound for BingiiAmton. While all
were wrapped in sleeper light, uneasy
siumher. nn hoard the train, the emf
grants in the smoking car even ctnsed
to talk. and the oors opening only at
long intervals for the conductor or some
restless member of the baggage corps TO
pass through, and while the train was
dashing along with that speed Of motion
which leaves the sensation on the ear of
the passenger that the wheels dance
with deliriOus revolution on the rail,
the tlckering light at the depot of Mast
Hope hove in sight around Il long and
easy curve Oh a heavy grade. The ell
gineer had his practiced eye on the alert
at this particular point of the road, not
that it is anywi~e as dangerous as other
PORTIONS, but with an instructive dread
of that horrible apparfticn-a freight
train-he felt more apprehension on the
curve than if he had to cross shaky
trestle bridge "A hundred feet high. The
second look he cast through the bulls
eye window, an instant or two after he
entered on the curve, revealed the ter
riblc fact to him that something huge,
black and ungainly was almost in his
immediate front, and that his train was
running with lightning pace upon it
Another moment and the headlight OF
his locomotive Illuminated the rear of
the train ahead, while his ear caught
the sound of the rattle and jolt of II long,
loose freight train. Coolly he whistled
down the brakes, while at the same in
stant a piercing scream went up from
those who knew too well what that APP
palling token meant The precauti"n
was in vain. The great, heavy, painting
locomotive of the passenger train, tear
IlH ioi W diu III It's ttuIsC ~ NhC SlSSo vi
over twenty mites an hour. struck the
front of the freight train as it shuffled
lazily off on an oblique switch towards
the depot, and, literally rearing up in
air like a mighty lion in his rage.
crushed through the foremost iron wall
of opposition and then careened over on
the track as though bereft Of further
strength. The tender jumped upon the
PROSTATE engine, the mail express struck
against the wreck Of iron, the baggage
car against the express. the smoking car
ran pell- nell into the fearful ruin, and
in less time than it takes to say it the
entire mass was in a blaze OF fire. The
shock was terrific. 1t reached to the
tensity, shaking the sleepers to their
feet and appalling the stoutcs.-hearted
men thot heard II. Mol hope at this aw-
ful moment for the poor people in the
smoking car. Trunks were knocked
from under baggage and express ears,
| and stood locked in comiat, as 1t were,
upon the track. The body of the bag
gage car lay at one side, the express ut
the other, passenger coach on top,
while thrown in confusion between
them all, tossed, torn and blazing from
floor to roof, was the baggage car, with
its living freight caught in the stern
and fiery jaws of death. Jets of fearful
flame sprang upwards from the wreck,
or rushed Kissing like steam from an
escape pipe along the track and through
the passenger coaches. 1t was "A heart
rending and awfully impressive specta-
Gle to see the big column of red and
roaring flame tearing through the wood
work and melting away a dozen human
forms without a soul under heaven be-
ing capable of stretching forth an arm
to the rescue. Death however, did its
chief share of havoc before applying the
torch to finish its ghastly work; but
horror of horrors! what fate was that
reserved for poor DR.. Hallock. Not a
scratch marked him when the collision
occurred. He was in the foremost
sleeping coach, and was violently pitch
ed forward into the tangled mass OF
broken woodwork, but received no inju-
ry. Worse than injury, however, he
found himself, in all his strength and
sensbility, locked up in the heavy
beams that make the floor frames of the
dismantle,l cars. The dreadful fire from
beneath flared up suddenly around him:
Men with blanched and bewildered
faces stood upon the track or rushed
frantica.ly to and fro, crying, is there
no help for DR.. Hallock ?' The fire
shot out with the intensity OF a furnace,
and triumphantly detied any man to
approach and rescue the victims with n
its grasp. Above the cracking roar the
firm and intrepid voice Of the doctor. in
the midst Of his remarkable agony, was
heard to exciaim to the men aenund the
scenes, ~ am no: injured; but / cannot
escape.'
All that could he done 10y the people
Of Mast Hope VIII" tlocked to the depot
to give assistance, failed to save the ILL
} fated doctor; but it is at least consollng
to know he went down to his appalling
doom with all the lofty fortltAde and
resignation of christian. A man
named Daniel Baur was jammed and
burned to death in similar manner,
!, and Erastus Wheaton was injured III
one of his feet.
At nine O'Clock in the morning, after
, great exertions, six burned bodies were
rescued from the ruins of the smoking
car, and ut noon OF yesterday paSsen
ger by the midday train reported thir
teen charred bodies lying along thu
. tract. There were comparatively few
, wounded Flying splinters were rare
3 and the terrible force and suddenness o
tho shocl. loft nothinr to accent but in