Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-02-15
SHOCKING RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

terrible Occurrence on tho Rock ford,
Rock Isla MI "ntl 1t. Louis lla ilronal-
Mem and Women Burned to Death.
From tho st. Louis Democrat Of Thursday.
The announcement { t one of the most
extensive, and in every respect most
horrible, of the fatnl accidents that
have occurred in the West, shocked the
community yesterday afternoon. It's
appalling details were slowly gathered,
and it was not until midnight that the
full nature of the occurrence became
apparent.
1t appears that AZ the night express
from Rockford to st. Louis, on the
Rockford, Rock Island IND St. Louis
railroad, WAS nearing Alton Junction,
ut a quarter past xix o'clock yesterday
morning, it collidcd with II freight
train bound north, running ut high
rate OF speed, and the eng inecrs were
unable to check either of them, al
tE"'C,h Tho tr..:... .v.. m.is.,.I down,
and the wheels were reversed. They
came together with IL terrific shock.
Both locomotives careened in the air,
and finally settled down completely
wrecked.
The passenger train consisted of two
car. By the force of the blow the bug
gage car was te'cscoped into the coach
next behind it, which was filed with
passengers. The scene that ensued is
represented Us being too terrible for
description.
The broken timbers, the shrieks of
frightened women, the groans of the
wounded and the dying, the impreca-
cations and beseeching calls of those
who wore confined in the wreak, sue
ceeded quickly to the noise made by
the engines that plunged into each
other.
To add to the horror, the GOALS from
the overturned stoves ignited the splin-
tered woodwork of the wrecked cars,
and in less time than it takes to write
the story the train was in flames, a
funeral pyre. Those who were only
slightly injured, but unable to free
themselves from the timbers that pin
Toned them, became raving maniacs at
the approach of the flames, and died
shrieking for aid that could not be Civ
en- them.
A gentleman who was passenger on
the train, says the scene was indis.
cribably horrible. Mr.. and Mrs. Reu.
ben Rains and their little child were
seated in the fore part of the Car when
the collision occurred, and were thrown
by the telescoping of tho cars to the
rear. The husband was extricated
without great difficulty. but it was
found impossible to remove the debris
from his wife. Her head and portion
of the body were exposed, and her
frantic cries for assistance for the child
were heartrending. The little thing
was finally gotten out, but the poor
woman was soon wrapped in flames, and
her screams and prayers grew weaker
and weaker until silenced in death.
Mr.. Rains injuries, it is feared, will
prove fatal, as he was still unconscious
when our informant left.
One man was caught by the foot
only, but all efforts to release him
proved futile. An axe was sent for, in
compliance with his request, that the
foot should be cut of, but before it
arrived the flames reached him, and
soon nothing but his charred remains
could be found.
-Four bodies were found, but it is be-
lieved by those who were on the train
that twice that number must have per-
ished. The list of wounded is very
large, and only partial list can be
made.
The trains came together in a deep
cut as they were rounding q slight
curve, which prevented their approach
from being known until they were we'll
upon each other. The engineers and
firemen escaped by jumping from their
engines.
No doubt exists as to the cause of
the accident. The conductor of the
freight train, who is now in this city,
states that he left the last station be-
fore the scene of the accident, behind
time, but with the belief that he could
reach the next station before the pas.
senger train. He missed his calcula-
ton by nineteen minutes, although
running with valves open and every
pound of steam on.