The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-19
EMBELLISHMENTS OF RAILROAD EN-.
PI,OvEES
The Last Railroad Horror.
New YoRK, Aug. IL.

New YoRK, Aug. H.
Additional accounts of the railroad mas
sacre on the Chicago and Alton railroad
show it to have been horrible butchery,
wholly due to the rccklcssness of the rail-
road officials in bringing on the collision.
Everything is being done for the wounded
of whom several will die. There was not the
slightest warning of the collision The
cars were will filed, particularly the smok
ing car. The train started from Willow
station, according to the best evidence ten
was accelerated. The conductor and engi-
necr knew they were to pass the coal train
at Lemont. seven miles distant, but that
train did not wait as 1t should have done,
but came on toward the passenger
train, expecting to make Willow
station. 1t was race for life. A
curve in the road hid the trains
from each other, and the engineer could do
nothing to stop their engines. There were
three conclusions; First, when the engines
met and were destroyed second, when
the baggage car struck and smashed into
fragments. and the third when the smok-
ing car collided and leapcd in the air,
alighting on the fractured boiler of the
freight engine The remains of the passen-
ger train were thrown from the track to-
ward the east end and SO were the ruins
of the baggage car. Then came the smok-
ing car on top of the boiler. The forepart
of the car was burst openly the force with
which it struck, the hind wheels remaining
on the track, and there it stood at an angle
of thirty degrees, the passengers imprison-
ed in the broken iron and wood, while the
deadly steam came up with terrific force
from the boiler below, scaldng those it
touched, instantly pealing off the skin and
causing the most cXcrucating agony. One
moment was almost sufficient to cause
death. The work of rescue was superin-
tended by II. Hawlcy of Norwal, who was
the first to mount the smoking car and be-
gan the rescue. With him was Texan
named Magee, who did nobly They lifted
out the sufferers in the rear of the car first
and then placed plank on which those in
the elevated end were slid down. All
were handled as gently as possible and
laid tenderly on the grass. While this was
being done others lighted fire taking for
fuel the broken tender, and the light shonc
brightly upon the sufferers. The help that
had been sent for Immediately after the
disaster did not arrive for some time, and
the scalded sufferers were enduring unut-
tcrablc torture. The physicians who after
ward arrived from Lcmont did the best
they could with the mcagrc appliances at
hand They called for bandagcs, and one
noble woman Mrs. McCord of Blooming
ton-tore her underskirt into strips until it
was exhausted. Then sheets were torn
and opiates and aesthetics adj
ministercd to give temporary relief. As
soon as the train from Lcmont returned
the wounded were made more comfortable,
and about o'clock in the morning another
train from Chicago with officers of the
road and another force of doctors reached
the scene. There was but little murmuring
among the passengers. A few broke out
in indignation against the officers of the
road for what they conceived to be an I'M
reasonable delay in the arrival of assistance.
The conductor of the freight train in lcav-
ing Lcmont, knew that ii was mere
chance if he could reach a switch in time;
that it was his duty to remain there until
the passenger train, which had the right of
had no right to run any risk or take any
chances. Mr. Huston, station agent at Le-
mont cntreated him not to leave the sta
ton, and so uneasy was Huston when he
did leave that he listened until he heard the
conclusion, and then he went to work to
secure the necessary aid.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
iNDIGNArIoN OF FRIENDS.
SPRINGFIELD, Ills. Aug. 49,
A great deal of indignation is expressed
here concerning the action of the Chicago
and Alton railroad officers. The collision
occurred at twenty minutes past ten
o'clock, and the fact was telegraphed to
the superintendent of the road within one
hour, but not word was sent to the
friends of the wounded and the news of
the accident was studiously kept from the
press until it could no longer be received.
The passengers who were on the train who
came down last night from Chicago state
that until the arrival of the relief train
in charge of Superintendent McMullen
everything that was done to release the
unfortunates from the wreck and alleviate
the sufferings of the scalded had to be
done by uninjurcd passengers. The con-
ductor, they say, left the wreck before "A
single person was eXtricated, and went to
Lemont to telegraph to the Superintendent,
while the passengers carried the wounded
and dying from the wreck, and with such
appliances as they had, ministered to their
wants, tearing up pillow cases from the
sleeping cars for bandagcs, and improvis-
ing beds for them.
Two physicians came from Lemont soon
after the collision occurred but it is said
brought nothing in the way of medicines or
instruments with them, and were therefore
of little use. When the relief train from
Chicago arrived, it brought everything ne
cessary for the comfort of the victims,
several of whom, however, had died. Some
of the passengers state that ii was 2.3O a.
m. before the relief train arrived.