The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-09-21
The Recent Railroad Accident near
East st. Louis, Ill.

East ST. LOUIS, llls
THE Missouri Republican Of the 18th
gives the following particulars of the acct
dent near East st. Louis on the 10th,
which resulted in the immediate killing of
three men and the injurying of nine or
ten persons, some of them very seriously
The party which were the victims of the
catastrophe was composed of num-
Der Of persons who had been inyit.
ed to go on a picnic by one or two of the
employees of R. 6 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
II 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 all about 16, 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 SOD Thos. NJ =han, 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 -nac,.s and other edibles had
been provided and a key Of beer had been
obtained To make the trip more enjoyable.
The younger members of the party were
in high GEE at the prospective pleasure,
and all started with feelings Of the utmost
satisfaction at the arrangements which
had been made, little thinking that it
would be to some of them he last journey
which they would make in this world, and
to others a 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 little before s o'clock,
and after making few calls, and delaying
{. short time, tie persons proceeded on
their way, taking the Collinsville plank
road. They reached the point where this
is crossed by the track Of the Ohio q Mis-.
sissippi Railway about 35 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 lad descended the embankment on the
north side of the track. To fully under
stand the position Of the wagon and
the cars at the tine Of the castropbe, it is
Necessary to give more particular descrip-
ton q the locality. The Collinsvile
plank. road crosses both the tracks of the
ST. Louis, yandalia & Terre Haute and
the Ohio = Mi. sissippi at a place known
as Albright's Crossing. Here the tracks of
the two roads ave 10 feet apart, that of
H. N.--:c-;,D,i tairr 81 nut five
feet higher ttan the road bed of the Van
dslia. The plank-road crosses at a con-
siderable ANGLE, so that on the line of that
road the distance bet Teen the two tracks
is about 80 feet. The p!ank-road here is
fenced in, and where the railroads cross
there are stock breaks on either side of
both the railroad tfac The plank road
is down grade going from toward East St.
Louis to the track Of the Nandalia Rail
road.
The excursion train to Highland, con-
sisting of an engine, two passenger cars,
and Gre baggage car, was due at the cross
ing thirty eight minutes after eli ght o'clock,
and the Lebanon train had already passed,
on the Ohio q Mississippi road. The
wagon had waited for it to pass, and was
now approaching the track OF the Wanda
LA. When the team had crossed and the
wagon was about halfway over, the latter
was struck by the engine Of the Highland
excursion train.
The train was going at the rate Of about
twenty miles an hour, and the wagon was
struck ;ust forward Of the nlndmost
wheels, and ir an instant the work OF de
struCiion was completed.
The wagon vas torn into fragments; the
wheels even were broken. One horse
was killed and the engine was covered
with the debris. i basket of provisions
and keg of beer were left on the loco
motive. Three men lay dead upon the
ground, and mangled women and children
were thrown about One of the women,
it is stated, was wounded beyond the hope
Of recovery.
The following is the list of the killed
and wounded as correctly as could be as
certained:
KIiled-Chss Sanders, 20, single; Thoa.
Mehan, married, leaves wife and four
children; John B1enner, 90 single.
Wounded-Wi.lism G. Imore, married;
cut on the bacl. Of the head, injured On
the right side, right elbow, and large toe
cru ned. Mrs William Gilmore, thrae
fingers injured. Cora Gilmore, fur Y ars
old, badly cut On temple, neck, and ear.
John Gilmore, q child not a year and
BAT old, bruised about the face and
breast.
Edward Flood, %; married; back
broken; recovery doubtful.
Mrs. philomera Flood. wife of Robert
Flood; skull badly fractured on the left
side of the head, and supposed to be in
jureG internally; not expected to recover
Mary Flood, II, daughter Of the above
back badly injured
Catharine Flood, IS; slightly bruised.
Emma Kenner, IS; daughter of Mrs
kenner, boarding house keeper, No. SO
Green street; cut on the head; left shout
der badly bruised or dislocated, and sup