The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-08-19
The Chicago and Alton Railroad
Disaster.
ACCOUNT OF THE WRECK.
Criminal Conduct of a Conductor.

New YORK, Aug. 1S.-Additional accounts
VI railroad massacre on the Chicago and Alton
road show it to have been a horrible butchery.
wholly due to the reckless and criminal careless
ness ness OF the railroad officials in bringing on the
collision. Everything is being done for the
wounded of whom several will die. There was
not the slightest warning of the collision.
81 special despatch says the cars were we'll
nlled, particularly the smoking car The train
started from the Will station according to the
pest evidence ten minutes behind time and as
y y! Is customary on this road to make up lost
tlme undoubtedly the rate of speed was some
what accelerated. The conductor and engineer
Knew they were to pass the coal train at Lemont,
seven miles, but unhappily that train did not
wait as 1t should have done but came on toward
s sne passenger train expecting to make Willow
stason. 1t was a race for life The conductor
ana engineer of the coal train knew that the
passenger train fladen with precious lives was
In 'front.' and if they did not reach the switch by
certain time the collision was inevitable Both
trains rushed rapidly toward their destruction.
curve in the road hid the trains from each
otner and the engineers could do nothing to
stop their engines There were three concus-
sions, first, when the engines met and were
destroyed; second, when the baggage cars struck
ana were smashed into fragments; third, when
tne smoking car collided and leaped in the air,
a!ighting on the fractured boiler of the fire en-
gine The remains of the passenger train en-
glne were thrown from the track toward the
ia 9ast and so were the ruins of the baggage car.
tnen came the smoking car on the top of the
poller. The fore part of this car was first opened
ny the force with which it struck the hind
Wheel remaing on the track. On these it stood
az an angle of 80 degrees, the passengers i'm
prisoned in the broken iron and wood while the
aeadly steam came up with terrific force from
tne boiler below, scaldng those whom it
touched, instantly peeling off the skin and caus-
ing the most excruciating agony. One moment
was almost sufficient to cause death.
The work of rescue was superintendent by B.
r. Hawley of Normal who was theffirst to
mount the smoking car and begin the rescue
With him was Texan named MCGEE, who
worked nobly. They lifted out the sufferers in
the rear OF the car first, and then placed plank
on which those in the elevated end were slid
down. All were handled as gently as possible
and laid upon the grass. While this was being
done, others lighted a fire. taking for fuel the
broken tender. and the light shone luridly on
the sufferers who were moaning in agony The
help which had been sent for Immediately after
the disaster did not come and the scalded suf-
ferers were lndurlng unutterable torture for
some time. The physicians who afterward ar
rived from Lemont did what they could with
meagre appliances at hand. They called
for bandages and one noble woman, Mrs.
McCord OF Bloomington, tore her under
skirt into strips until it was exhausted Their
sheets were opiates and anasthetics admin
istered to give temporary relief
AS soon as the supply train from Lemont a
rived the wounded were made comfortable and
at about three O'Clock in the morning another
train from Chicago with officers of the road and
reinforcement of doctors reached the scene.
There was but little murmuring among the
passengers. A few broke out in words of indie.
nation against the officers of the road for what
they conceived to be unreasonable delay in the
arrival of asSls ance, but generally those who
escaped iwere too much concerned about the
wounded and too busy in attending to their
wants to think of anything else
The conductor of the freight train on leaving
Lemont said it was mere chance if he could
reach a switch in time that il was his duty
to remain there until the passenger train which
had the right OF way was safely by and that
anyway he had no right to run the risk or take
the chances. Mr.. Huston the station agent at
Lemont entreated him not to leave the station
and so uneasy was Huston when he did leave
that he listened un Ill he heard the conclusion
and then he went to work to secure the neces-
sary aid
Indignation mt Railroad Officials.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, Aug. 1S.-A great deal of
indignation is expressed here concerning the
action of the Chicago & Alton Railroad officers
The collision occurred at 20 minutes past 10
O'Clock, and the fact was telegraphed to the SUI
perintendent within one hour, but not word
was sent to the friends of the wounded and the
news of the accident was studiously kept from
the press until it could no longer be reserved
Passengers who were on the Inflated train and
state that until the arrival of the relief train in
charge of Superintendent McMulen, every
thing that was done to release unfortunate from
the wreck and alleviate the sutferngs of the
scalded victims had to be done by the uninjured
passengers. The conductor they say, left the
wreck before single person was extrcated,
and went to Lemont to telegraph to the super
intendent while the passengers carried the
wounded and dying from the wreck, and with
such appliances as they had they minstered to
ing cars for bandages and Improvising beds
6 ter TsT5s dapshtsF Of The editor
father ON the train, is spoken of in terms of
highest praise for her noble attentions to the
wounded. When the relief train from Chicago
arrived, it brought everything necessary for
the comfort of the poor victims, several of
whom however, had by this time found relief
in death. Some of the passengers state it was
2.3O a. M, before the relief train arrived and
one gentleman asserted it was 3 a. m. Maj
g: W. Smith and j. w. Fleury of Springfield
Ill.,. victims of the Chicago & Alton disaster
died to-day,