Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-28

A horrible accident occurred on the CHICAGO.
Alton & ST. Louis Railroad, few miles from
Chicago, on the night of the 10TH 1t seems
the st. Louis fast express train, which left
chicago at nine O'Clock in the evening, was
met by coal train about two and a half miles
north of Lemont, both trains running at full
speed, when fearful collision occurred Both
engines were completely wrecked, and the
smoking-car of the express train was thrown
atop of the engine of the coal train, and the
steam passed in upon the passengers through
seam that was made in the bottom of the
car. Eleven persons, all of whom were in the
smoking-car, were killed, and forty others Sc
verely injured, many of them fatally The
Chicago Tribune of the 18th gives the fol-
lowing statement concerning the accident:
The train consisted of locomotive bag
gage-car, smoking car, two coaches, and two
sieeping-cars. The cars were well filled, par
ucuiarly the smoking car. The train was due
at Willow Station at 955, and was on time 1t
Is not usual for this train to stop at that
station, but on this occasion it was necessary,
IN order to take on sleeping car which was
brought from st. Louis by the train which
left that city in the morning.
The train started from Willow Station, ac-
cordlng to the best evidence, ten minutes be-
make up lost time, undoubtedly the rate of
speed was somewhat accelerated. The con-
ductor and engineer knew they were to pass a
coal tram at LemOnt, seven miles distant but
nuhappily that train did not wait, as it should
have done, but came on toward the passenger
train, expecting to make Willow Station 1t was
race for life. The conductor and engineer
of the coal train knew that the passen-
ger train, laden with precious lives, was
IN front, and If they did not reach a switch
by certain time a collision was inevitable.
Both trains were rushing toward destruction
On they flew over the iron way through the
darkness, the speed increasing at every rtyolu-
ton of the wheels. The passengers in the
sleeping cars were preparing to retire, or had
already done so. Those in the coaches were
looking forward to reaching their destinations
where eXpectant families awaited their coming
The suspicion of danger never crossed the
minds of any, when suddenly, without a mo-
ments warning, not even a whistle, the
two trains were locked in an embrace of DEATH
and III one terrible moment wives were made
widows, children became fatherless, mourning
was sent to the threshold of many happy
homes, and sorrow that can never be eradi-
Gated pierced many hearts There were three
concussions-irst, when the engines met and
were destroyed; second, when the baggage
car struck and was smashed into fragments;
and third, when the smoking-car col
lided and leaped in the air, alighting
on the fractured boiler of the freight
engine. The remains of the passenger
train engine were thrown from the track, to-
ward the east, and so were the ruins of the
baggage car. Then came the smoking car on
top of the boiler. The fore part of this car
was burst open by 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 imprisoned in the brok-
en- iron and wood, While the deadly steam came
up with terrific force from the boiler below,
scalding those whom it touched, instantly peel
ing off the skin, and causing the most excru-
ciating agony. One moment was sufficient to
cause death, but many were there several min
utes before being eXtricated. They breathed
the burning atmosphere One breath was
fatal, the inner surface of the chest and
lungs being fearfully scorched
As soon as they recovered from the first
shock, the passengers in the two coaches and
III the sleeping cars, who were unnjured, did
all they could to rescue the sufferers.
The cause of the accident was the inexcusa-
BILE foOlhardinesS of the conductor of the
freight train in leaving Lemont when he knew
that it was matter of life and death, that it
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 way, was safely by, and that, any way, he
had no right to run any risk or take
any chances. Mr.. Huston, station-agent
at LciloHt, tHItdttu MIN not 10 leave
the station, and so uneasy was Mr.. Huston
when he did leave, that he listened until he
heard the conclusion, land then he went to
work TO secure the necessary aid.
The night was dark, the sky cloudy. the
waning moon shed no light, the stars were
visible overhead, but a thick fog covered the
surface of the earth, and lights could not be
seen for any great distance. That made no
difference, however With the same reckless
management of the freight train the accident
might have occurred in the full blaze of
MONDAY. There would be nothing to pre-
vent it. A curve in the road hid the trains
from each other, and the engineers could do
nothing to stop their engines. In this case
nothing seems to have been attempted. There
was no Rafferty, there, by a deed of heroism
to Tighten this gloomy tale.
Mrs. Ellen Mckinney, Of Chicago, wanted
to hurry up the fire, and poured kerosene oil
from can into the stove. Both herself and
her little girl, aged four years, were fearfully,
and probably fatally, burned.
The number of killed and wounded by the
recent railroad accident near Chicago, as re-
ported on the 10Th, was tifty-one The dead
up to that date were:
Capt. John W. Smith Warden of the Illinois
State Penitentiary; J. W. Fleury. Purchasing
Agent of the Illinois State Pententiary; Captain
William Lettle Springfield, H.; Roger J. Brass,
1hould7 morton. george 1rendel, George Reuter-
and Conrad Weber, Chicago: James O'NeiIl,
Joliet; Theodore Steng Texas; Jacob Cundct
Oshkosh, Wis; n. Diyelbliss, Springfield ILL., ia
cob Lauser, Joliet. Ill. William Davis fireman of
coal train; Joseph b. Niche. Jackson. Tenn John
Metzler, Joliet, brakeman of coal train: and man
supposed by papers found on him, to be Thomas
l.. Pollard.
Of the wounded alive on the 10Th, it was
thought all but A. c. Hickman, of Chicago,
and Frank Bridges, fireman of the passenger
engine, would recover.
Leading physicians have recently informed
the JON nat that, with the exception of dis
trict of a few blocks in the extreme soutb
western portion of the city, there was no chol-
era in Chicago, and that the cases that had oc
Cured in the district referred to were not Ash
attic cholera, but of a sporadic character. It is
futher asserted that the general health of the
city shows better average than the cores
ponding seasons of the past few years
A Washington dispatch OF the 10Th saws a
number of letters had been received from
Quaker and Other friends of the Indian peace
policy throughout the country, asking elem
ency in behalf of the Modoc Indians lately on
trial for the murder of General CANDY. MANY
of these letters raise the question that the trial
of the offenders was illegal under the decision
of the Supreme Court IN the Milligan case:
that civil courts being in existence, a military
tribunal had no jurisdiction. Another ques-
ton raised is that General Candy was killed
while in action as a Peace Commissioner, and
not as an officer in the army in war These