Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-22
ANOTHER RAILROAD HORROR.
Frightfu1 Collision and loss OF Life
ON the Chicago q Alton Railroad.

on the Chicago q Alton RAILROAD
The daily papers in the first par
OF this week, were burdened will
the terrible details Of another fear
full railroad slaughter, which occur
red on the Chicago, Alton, & St
Louis road last Saturday night
The regular passenger train lef
Chicago for st. Louis, at 9 o'clocl
p. NJ, and at 1890, in the midst O
a dense fog, about % miles south O.
Chicago, near Lemont station, COLI
ded with coal train running in thu
opposite direction, and off its time
The force of the collision was sc
great as to throw the passenger To-
connective clear from the track, into
the ditch, the engine CT the coal
train with its fearful momentum
tossing the express and baggage cal
aside, and rushing under the smo.
king car, which was filled with gen.
tlemen awaiting the preparation OF
their berths in the sleeping car.
These, to the number of fifty, were
precipitated by the shock, to the
rear end of the car, and there in that
confined place, unable to escape,
they were exposed to the scalding
steam escaping from both wrecked
locomotives, aud a dozen or more of
them literally boiled to death. The
remainder of the occupants of the
car, with the exception Of two who
were thrown out upon the ground,
were badly scalded, in number of
cases the flesh hanging in shreds
from their limbs, though yet alive.
The other cars of the train were un-
injured, though the occupants were
thrown from their seats and berths
by the jar. The uninjured passen-
gers began Immediately to care for
the wounded. Medical aid was
summoned from Lemont and Chica-
go, and the sleeping cars were clear
ed for the occupancy of the wound
ed. Among the dead and those
who have since died, are the engin-
Ger and fireman of the passenger
train, the fireman Of the freight,
Capt. J. w. Smith warden of the H.
linois penitentiary; Joshua Flcury
purchasing agent of the same insti-
tuition; Capt. VIM. Little, of Spring
field, ILL.,; Roger J. Brass, promi-
nent citizen OF Chicago, and others.
Edward Beane, conductor of the
freight train, upon whom rests the
principal responsibility for this
frightful sacrifice of life, fled imme-
diately, and warrants are out for his
arrest. The engineer, J. Puffen-
berger, is under arrest and will he
prosecuted for manslaughter.
From the mass of details publish
ed in the Chicago papers, we take
the following statement by A. S.
Burgess, conductor OF the Pullman
palace cars:
have been through five collisions
but never did l see such a sight as
this. In the meadows on each side
of the track were lying human be-
ings, yelling in agony,-their flesh
boiled off them. The freight engine
had run clear underneath the smo-
king car, and there exploded, shat
tering the car into little pieces, and
blowing the occupants high into the
air, and over the fences into the
fields. The other engine burst ut
the same time. A mani don't
know who it was-ran up to me
shrieking in agony. l tried to hold
him, but his clothes tore off him,
and the flesh came off with them
leaving the round, slippery bones
exposed to view. There were at
least dozen or more, stripped stark
naked, running up and down, crazy
with pain,-tearing their bodies
tearing off great handfuls of boiled
flesh. The passengers behaved ad-
mirably. They took up the victims
and carried them into the coaches,
l told them to bring them into the
sleeping car, and they did. First
thing knew, the ladies, God bless
them! were tearing up their under
clothing, to bind the sufferers.
Why, SIR, in half a minute they had
scarcely anything left on them.
There was round one mans hand
lace handkerchief that must have
cost small fortune. l could not
stand that any longer. l did not
care what the company said, so l
just gave orders to open the lockers
and tear up anything that came han
dy. And they did. There were
two or three ladies tearing sheets
into lengths to bind up wounds,
while half a dozen others were bind
ing them around the bloody arms
and bodies Of the wounded men.
There was one little lady who was
an angel; she worked-how she
worked! There's her card, God
bless her." and be handed the re-
porter a card marked Mrs. Robert
McGrath, No. 2l2 South Central St.
Bloomington l said would get
her name into the papers, though
she begged me not to. But there it
is. She was everywhere at once,
closing the eyes of the dying, care
fully covering the dead, and sooth-
ing the pains ofthe sufferers. Miss
Tracy, of Houston, Texas, was also
an "angel of mercy and worked
well. Seeing that bandages were
needed to tie up the flesh that was
hanging like ribbons from the bones
of the scalded, she tore her skirts
from her person and made it into
strips.
heard somebody calling "Bur-