Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-09-22
The Recent Railroad Accident near
East st. Louis, Ill.

THE Missouri Republican of the nth
gives the following particulars of the acci
dent near East st. Louis on the 10th,
which resulted in the immediate killing of
three men and the iniurying of nine or
ten persons, some of them very seriously
The party which were the victims of the
catastrophe was composed of a num-
ber of persons who had been inYit.
ed to 90 on a picnic by one or two of the
employees of Il. 81 w. Mitchell, furniture
dealers of this city. Edward Flood, who
had interested himself in getting up the
party, had been employed by that firm for
IL years as an upholsterer ThOs Mehan,
another of the party, was the driver at
that establishment and had obtained the
long furniture wagon of the firm to use for
that day.
The party numbered in al about 49, Of
whom only the names of the following
were obtainable: Edward Flood, wife,
and three daughters, Mary, Catharine, and
Gertrude; William Gilmore, wife, daugh-
ter, and son Thos Mehan, John Brennan,
Henry Murphy, and Emma Kenner.
The destination of the party was Long
Lake, about four miles north of East St
Louis, where the party anticipated spend
ing very pleasant day. An abundant sup
ply of nick-nacks and other edibles had
been provided, and a keg of beer had been
| obtained to make the trip more enjoyable.
The younger members of the party were
in high glee at the prospective pleasure,
and all started with {. elings of the utmost
satisfaction at the arrangements which
had been made, little thinking that it
would be to some of them the last journey
which they would make in this world, and
to others day which they would have
| cause to remember all the days of their
lives.
| The party crossed over by the ferry-boat
TO East st. Louis a little before 8 o'clock,
and after making few calls, and delaying
a short time, the persons proceeded on
| their way, taking the Collinsville plank
road. They reached the point where this
is crossed by the track of the Ohio Il Mis-
sissippi Railway about 30 minutes past 8
o'clock. The Lebanon accommodation
train was then approaching. The wagon
was stopped to wait until that train had
passed. AS soon as the cars were out of
the way the horses were whipped up until
they had crossed the track of that road
and had descended the embankment on the
north side of the track. To fully under
stand the position of the wagon aud
the cars at the me of the csstr0phe, it is
necessary to give more particular descrip-
ton of the locality. The Collinsville
plank. road cros ses both the tracks of the
st. Louis, Vandalia & Tefre Haute and
the Ohio & Mi sissippi, at a place known
az Albrighps Crossing. Here the tracks OF
the two roads are 175 feet apart, that OF
he Ohio & Mississippi being about five
feet higher than the road bed of the Van
dslia The plank-rosd crosses at a con
siderable angle, so that on the line of that
road the distance between the two track:
is about 800 feet The piank-road here il
f need in, and where the Iailroa1s cros;
there are stock breaks on either side o.
both the railroad tracks. The plank-rOaC
"a down-gr de gong from toward East s.
Louis t. the track Of the Vandalia Rail
rOsd.
The excursion train to Highland, con
J sisting of an engine, two passenger cars
and one baggage car, was due at the cross
ing thirty eight minutes after eight O'Clock
and the Lebanon train had already passed
on the Ohio & Mississippi road. Th,
J wagon had waited for it to pass, and wa
, now approaching the track of the Wanda
liza. When the team had crossed and tn
wagon was about halfway over, the latte
was struck by the engine of the Highland
excursion train.
} The train was going at the rate of abou
twenty miles an hour, and the wagon wa
, struck just forward Of the hindmOs
wheels, and in an instant the work OF de
struction was completed.
The wagon was torn into fragments; tn
wheels even were broken. One hors
was killed, and the engine was covere
: with the debris. A basket of provision
and keg Of beer were left on the loco
motive. Three men lay dead upon tn
| Nule leH n
were throwu about. One of the womeI
) it is stated, was wounded beyond the hop
of recovery.
The following is the list of the kille
, and wounded as correctly as could be as
certained:
Kllled-Chss Sanders, 20, single; Tho
Mehan, married, leaves a wife and fou
children; John Brenner, %, single.
T. Wounded Gilmore, married
!. cut ON the back Of the head, injured 0
= the right side, right lbow, and large tG
: crushed. Mrs. William Gilmore, thre
. fingers injured Cora Gilmore, four Ygal
. old, badly cut On temple, neck, snd es
= John Gi more, child not a year and
: half old, brdised about the face an
- breast.
. Edward Flood, 48; married; bac
. broken; r. c)very doubtful
Mrs. Philomena Flood, wife of Robe
. Flood skull badly fractured on the le
!. side Of the head, and supposed to be i
y jursd internally; not expected to recove
Mary Flood, II, daughter Of the abov
4 back badly injured.
: Catharine Flood, 10; slightly bruised.
= Emma KeRner, IS; daughter of MI
= Kenner, boarding house keeper, No. 81
J Green street; cut on the head; left shot
- der badly bruised or dislocated, and su
y, posed to be internally injured.