New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-19
Terrible Collision on the Chicago and
Alton Railroad.

We condense the following statement
from the press dispatches Of yesterday
morning:
An accident occurred last night near
Lemont, on the Chicago and Alton railroad,
the incoming freight train colliding with the
south bound express passenger train, almost
entirely wrecking the latter, killing six per-
sons outright and fearfuliy injuring thirty.
seven others, many of whom will die.
There were no Southerners in the list.
The fatalities were confined to the smoking
and second class cars. Regular passenger
coaches and sleepers escaped.
The following account OF the accident is
from officers of the road:
The regular passenger train for st. Louis
left Chicago at 2. NJ, and consisted OF one
baggage car. express. three day coaches,
the head one second class or smoking car,
and two sleepers.
At lO:.0 z. NJ. when three miles north of
LemOnt and about twenty-five miles south
ot Chicago. at a curve in the road, suddenly
appeared a coal train OF thirty.tive cars,
running at the rate of about twenty miles
ar hour. The passenger train was running
a, the rate OF probably thirty miles an hour.
ana neither eng ineer saw The others engine
till il Was too late to reversal TACT ac-
counted for By curve ID the .oad and
partly by dense Jog.
The two trains came together with full
force. being on curve. However. eaca
engine left the track, and they passed each
other. that attached to the coal train str.k-
ing the baggage car few feet from the end,
breaking the coupling between it and the
smoking car. which the engine struck
square ir the end, and with such force as to
throw the forward end in the air, SO that
the engine ran under it, tearing the floor
completely out. and hurting the fifty or
sixty unfOrtunates who were in the car into
a struggling mass to the lower end,
whence there was no chance tor escape.
And now ensued scene OF horrors which
can not adequately be described. The
smokestack and dome of the engine were
knocked off by the collision. and broken
tmbers of the smoking car penetrated the
boiler. letting loose dense volume OF hot
steam, which poured in the car. binding
and scalding the helpless inmates. who,
with heart-rending shrieks, struggled vainly
to extricate themselves. In the meantime
Conductor Russell, Of the passenger train,
who was unhurt, and a number OF passen-
gers from the rear coaches, came forward
and endeavOred to assist the poor victims,
but there was little left to do beyond taking
from the wreck the dying and wounded.
many of whom were fearfully scalded.
Seven died soon after they were taken
ont and four have since died. The point
where the accident occurred Is near what
- known as the Sag, low. marshy mea-
dow. about half way between Lemont and
Willow Springs station, and there is not a
house in the neighborhood. Cnhurt passen-
gers, however, took bedding from the
sleepers, and m;nistered as much as was
possible under the circumstances to those
wounded. while Conductor Russell hurried
back on foot TO Lemont, and telegraphed
Superintendent McMul!er, Chicago, for sur
gems and aid.
Mr.. McMullen hastily got together a half
dozen physicians. and supplies of such ar
ticles as We're necessary, and started about
midnight with special train for the scene
OF the disaster. arriving there about l:30 A.
N. Everything possible was done for the
sufferers. and at 6 A. NJ. the train returned
to the city. bringing the uninjured coaches
of the wrecked tram, and all the dead and
wounded. except two firemen, who were
left at Lemont for burial. On arrival at
Chicago. those Of the wounded who resided
there were taken to their homes, and the
others were taken to the hospital, with the
exception OF two. who were taken to the
west side to the Briggs House.
The cause OF the accident was the cIimi-
nal recklessness of the conductor and en-
gineer Of the coal train, whose duty it was
to remain at Lemont until the passenger
train had passed, unless they had received
positive orders to proceed. This, the Off
GERS OF the road say. was not the case, and
that the coal train should have stayed at
Lemont. The conductor of the coal train
is named Bean, and had been running the
train for year. and was considered a first
class man. He has not been seen since the
disaster, and is thought to have escaped and
fed. as the last seen of him he was in the
caboose of his train, which was uninjured.
M hlo mo ia attached fO the officers of tho
passenger train, which is said to have been
on time and had the right of track.
The roadway has been cleared Of the
wreck, and trains will run ont from here
tonight as usual.