The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-08-21
RAILWAY HOR RON,


rying two coaches, Pullman sleeper,
aud smoking car, all pretty well
filled with passengers. At Willow
Springs the incoming express train
was met, and Pullman sleeper trans
ferred to No. 4, to accommodate large
number Of passengers who could not
ab,sin berths Ia the other car. A
thick fog hung over the ground for =
tong distance, and % the Sag swamf's
were reached 1t deepened, I'LL, rs is
said, an object at eight feet distance
could not be discerned. AZ the train
turned short curve, where the direc-
4 ton of the road changes, about two
miles north Of Lemont, O'Neii, the
i driver, saw the fash OF headlight.
For moment, 60 bewildering was the
| fog, he thought 1t was the reflection OF
his own but he saw his mistake, his
heart throbbed with instructive Draw
cry, he reversed his engine. opened
the valves, and leaped for his life.
| Bnt lie was caught in the wreck and
badly scalded his fireman, and Metz
Ter, his friend, were killed in the
crash. er*A
The opposing force proved to be q
heavily loaded coal train, under the
charge Of conductor named Beam,
who was travelling carelessiy two
hours off his time. SO much heavier
was the locomotive Of the freight train
that the passenger engine, already
leaning over the curve, was thrown
into the ditch, and the monster went
on. tossing the express car to the top
Of the baggage car with Its pilot. like
a leaf, throwing them both aside, and
driving under the smoking car. which
had been raised by the collision. till
It's horrid force was spent. When the
smoking car was struck, the passen
gers, most OF them, were thrown head
long to the rear end of the car, but
some who became entangled In the
seats were hurled with fearful force
into the air. falling bruised aud scaid.
ed in the side swainps. The smoke
stack Of tile locomotive was broken al
the first collision, and the rear end OF
the smoking car was pushed over the
boiler and rested on the tops Of both
engines, while the escaping steam was
roasting the poor sufferers who were
penned above.
The scene Of the wreck was shroud-
ed In heavy cloak Of fog and dark
ness. Its horrors could not be seen.
but the cries Of anguish could be heard
and the hearts Of those whom fate had
spared we're torn with terror and the
sympathy that could scarcely find
means of action. Mr.. B. r. HawIey,
gentleman whose business interests
are 10 the city, and whose home is in
the central part Of the State. was the
first to reach the wreck. He was sit
ting in the third car, and when the
crash came was thrown over the back
of the seat in front Of him In an inst
he ragained his presence Of mind
called loudly to all to keep their seats
and rushed himself TO the door. The
steam was blowing furiously, he says.
and he had 10 close the door an instant
10 keep 1t from the car; but he soon
made his way out. followed by . gen
Ileman from Texas and others, and
reached the wreck. One engine. he
Aays, was lying In the ditch, the other
was near 1t on the track. and the
smoking car lay across them both.
The cries of the scaIded were chilling
the bodies of men were protruding
from windows, and across the top Of
the wreck lay the headless btdy Of
Metzler, the Ohio and Mobile en-
gineer. A lantern was soon obtained
The second car Of the freight train
was loaded with heavy bars OF rail-
way iron, and SO severe was the
shock that they were lifted into the
air and tossed forward ever a box car.
over the tender, aud fell with crushing
weight upon the bruised aud wound
ed in the wreck. Mr.. Hawley and
his Texas friend. Mr.. Aaron Blum, .
Galveston, climbed the pile Of debris
and lifted the sufferers out. one by one
handing them down to the other pas
rengers, who by this time had become
throughly aroused BY the necessities
of the 10, ment and were doing all in
their power to aid the wounded.
The only man killed instantly was
Me,zlsr, whose head was ntirely Sc.
vered FROM his body. The fireman o
the freight train was wedged in be
tween the tender and the engine, anc
over him had been thrown pile o
coal that almost covered his body
Mr.. Walton aud Mr.. Hawley dug hin
out with their hands aud lifted him
still alive, to the ground, but he die,
soon after. and this bruised body lie.
At LemOn.. The wounded were car
ried to the sleeping cars, the berth
were e,npiied, and every comfort tina
circumstances allowed was immedia
tely provided. Several instances o
remarkable presence Of mind are men
toned. A Mrs. McGrath, OF Bloom
ington, as gentleman who wa
among the uninjured remarks. was
l n,ralf ,F
She was every where III once h.
says, closing his eye3 Of the dying
carefully covering the dead. and SCOT h
ing the pain Of the sufferers. Mis-,
Tracey, Of Houston. Texas, was alse
IAN angel Of mercy" aud worke,
we'll Seeing that bandages were need
ed to tie up the flesh that was hang
ing like ribbons from the bones of the
scalded, she tore her skirt from he
person and made it into strips in
moment. Others are mentioned In
the highest praise. After all tn,
wounded bal been taken into the car
there was a long, tedious time of wait
ing for relief during which several
persons died. 1t was two hours be
fore help came. Mr.. Lindsay, a con.
iuctor on the road, who had left hi:
train at Willow Springs and was goinl
to his home At BLOOMINGTON to spen,
the sabbath, had his wits about hin
and ran on to flag the train that wa,