The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-08-22
DEATH ON THE RAIL.
Fearful Collision on the Chicago &
Alton Railroad.


last night near Lemont, on the Chi
cago & Alton Rrilroad, an incoming
freight train colliding with the sout b
bound passenger train, almost entire
ly wrecking the latter, killing six
persons and fearfully injuring thirty
seven Others, many of whom it is
said will die.
The trains didn't catch fire as was
reported this morning, and all the
passengers killed or injured were in
the second class car, which was also
used as smoking car and with the
exception of the firemen and engin-
GERS, and the train men the casuali-
ties were all caused by steam. None
OF the regular passenger coaches or
sieepers were thrown from the track
or in any wav injured, and no one
in any of them hurt.
The following account of the acci-
dent is from statements of the off
GERS of the road: The regular pas
senger train from St. Louis left here
at 9 P. NJ, and consisted of a bag
gage car, express car, three day
coaches, the head one a second class
or smoking car and two sleepers.
At 10:20P. NJ, when three miles north
of Lemont and about twenty two
miles south of this city, at a curve
in the road there suddenly appeared
coal train of thirty-five cars, run
ming at rate of about twenty miles
an hOu.. The passenger train was
running at rate probably of thirty
miles an hour, and neither engineer
saw the others engine till it was too
late TO reverse, a fact accounted for
by the curve in the road and partial
ly by dense fog. The two came
together with fearful force. Being
on the curve, however. each engine
left the track, and passed each other,
that attached to the coal train strik-
ing the baggage car few feet from
the end. showing it off the track,
breaking the cuppling between it
and the smoking car, which the en-
CINE struck square in the end, and
with such force as to throw the for
ward end in the air, so that the en-
gine.ran under it, tearing the floor
completely out, hurting the fifty or
sixty unfortunatas who were in the
car in struggling mass to the low
er end, whence there was no chance
for escape. and now occurred ascene
of horrors which can't be adequate
ly described. The smoke stack and
dome of the engine was knocked off
by the collision and the broken tim
bers Of the smoking car penetrated
the boiler, letting loose a dense vol
ume of hot steam, which poured in
the car, blending and scalding the
helpless inmates who with heart
rending shrieks struggled vainly to
extricate themselves. Meantime
Conductor Russell of the passenger
train, who was unhurt, and a mum
ber of passengers from the rear
coaches, came forward and endeay-
ored to assist the poor victims, but
there was little left to do beyond
taking from the wreck the dying and
the wounded, many of whom were
fearfully scalded. Seven died soon
after they were taken out, and four
have since died. The point where
the accident occurrid is near what is
known as the "Sag," low marshy
meadow half way between Lemont
and Willow Springs station and not
house in the neighborhood. The
unhurt passengers, however, took
bedding from the sleepers and min
istered as much as was possible un-
der the circumstances to the wound
ed, While conductor Russell hur-
ried back on foot to Lemont and tel
egraphed to Superintendent McMul-
len for surgeons and aid. Mr..
McMullen hastily got together half
a dozen PHYSICIANS and supplies of
such articles as were necessary, and
started about midnight with a spec
ial train for the scene of disaster,
arriving there about 80 this morn
ing. Everything possible was done
for the sufferers, and at six o'clock
this morning the train returned to
the city bringing the uninjured
coaches of the wrecked train and all
dead and wounded except the two
firemen, who were left at Lemont for
burial.
The cause of the accident was the
criminal recklessness of the conduc-
tor and engineer of the coal train,
whose duty it was to wait at Lemont
till the passenger train had passed
unless they had positive orders to
proceed. This the officers of the
road So was not the case, and that
the coaI train should have stayed at
Lemont. The conductor ofthe coal
train is named Bean, had been run
ming 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 be was
in the caboose of his train, which |
was uninjured.
Sandusky Co. s. 8. Union.