Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-30
Terrible Railroad Accident.

20, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad over the
four mile creek, about seven miles from Des
Moincs, Iowa, yesterday, threw an entire train,
except The sleeping car, into the stream, which
was twenty feet deep. Barnum' show car was
involved in the wreck, and all Of its eleven &C.
cupants except one were killed Twelve bodies
were soou recovered and four others could be
sees, one that of lady, but could not bo ex
treated for some time. How many other vic
Tins are hidden beneath tho wreck Or have
been carried down the creek time alone will
tell. The three cars in the stream are SO tele-
scoped together that it is impossible to get
them apart. They doubtless Contain large
humber of person who were SO Injured as to
render escape impracticable One of the bodies
recovered was Thomas Ddnaway, OF Dos
Moiues, who recently ran away from the in
sane asylum.
Dies MONIES, Iowa, Aug. 30.-Up to six
@ clock last evening seventeen dead bodies had
been taken frotn the wreck Of the Chicago,
Rock Island ard Pacific Railroad traio, fourteen
men, two womeu and one child. Among those
reported as wounded is L. B. Baker. Onc Of
Barnum's Company has slDcs died, making Is
dead as far as known. The following is full!
list OF the dead as lar as ascerlalned: Mrs.
Emily Babe ok, CT Audalusia, Illinois; John X.
Bolt acd daughter, Of Boouboro, Iowa; Mrs
VIM. Grow, # Des Moioes; Wm. Rakestraw,
engineer of the train; - Stuart, Ct Iowa. NJ.
Cohen, commercial traveller OF Peoria. ILL.,;
Jabez e. Prince, and d. A. Bronson, ct Clio
cnuati; VIM. Cunning, newsboy Of Des Moines.
The following were in Barnum's car: Green
Berry, Geo. Rockwell, John Purcell, John
Bruce, Charles Thompson AID a. Mack.
N l., no int be
one OF Bavnum men and little girl. daugh
is thought by many that there are still other
bodies 10 tho bottom Of the wreck or floated
down the stream, but tho total Of The death roll
is twenty. The bridge was over what IS knowa
as Little Four mile Creek, uioe miles east Of
Des Mones. 1t is little stream, generally
quiet, and never before kuowp 10 be az high a.
it was made by the unprecedented raia fall u
yesterday moroiug ADD the night before. The
bridge rested on stone arch twelve feet
10 the clear, with walls Eve feet thick.
The bridge is approached FROM tuc east
round a curve aud down grade. As
the train approached the engineer slack
ed his speed till be came in sight of the bridge,
and supposiug that ali was right dashed upon
it. The chanDe of the stream WAS forty or
fifty feet wide, and the banks about lweuty feet
high. The locomotive llndel at the foot Of
the western side. and half buried itself 10 the
earth. Darnum's car was next to TIC cugoc,
and it dropped into the chaunel. The mail car
followed, passing directly oGCr It and MASKING
it TO pieces, bu: going to The bottom bar of
iron running clear through it. The men in that
car escaped alive. Even the lamps were not
put out. The first passenger car pitched GoHn
into the channel where the water YES at least
fifteen feet deep. The next car plunged under
this, telescoping with it, erd The next te!e-
scoped half through both Of the TWO preceding
it. The sleeping car did not 90 iGto The creek.
Its occupants were AIRED, but none Of them
seriously hurt Tie most Of the killed were 10
the car in froot Of the sleeper. The scene at
the time OF the accident is thus described
a terrific rain was falling IN torrents
accompanied by Winds, lighting aud violent
thunder. The crash put out the lights, ana
the scene Of terror which ensued may be i'm
could get out went to work at once to rescue
the living aud wounded. They had to 60 q
mile to farm house to get axes to chop them
out, but they worked heroicay, aad by daylight
had most of the wounded rescued. There we're
many pitiful scenes and tender incidents. Oac
mother was killed while sitting between two
children who bad escaped unhurt. Oae little
girl who had lain in the water Tor four hours
with heavy man lying dead beuasth her body
was discovered to be breathing and was rescued
and restored, and now shows 20 signs OF injury.
The dead were brought hero on train, react
log hero at eleven o'clock. Some twenty five
Of the wounded came with them. The off.
GERS Of the road we're at the wreck all day
caring for the dead aod wounded. The
wounded are Il. Jennings. Of Rochester,
one Of Baruum's men; 4. J. Partridge, coa
ductor of Des Moines; Be0j. II. Trucks, fire.
man; Col. G. W. Lowrie, OF Boonesboro, Ia.
Mrs. Lowrie, vile OF the preceding; Mrs. Bolt,
wife OF j. X. Bolt. (rhc husband and daugh-
ter of Mrs Bolt are dcsd) Edward Daao. Of
Rochester,; James Baker Of New York city;
VIM. S. Clayton, of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dunn, Baker and Clayton arc Of Barnun's
company j. l.. Graham, Of Bloomfield town
ship, Polk county, La; }. S. Ferguson. of 40
dausia, Ills; Mrs. d. A. Stebbns, of Panther
Greek, Dallas county, Iowa; W: T.. Caldwell,
of Alvin, Ills; Theo. Kraft, Of Kankakec llli
nois; Elmer Gunhendell, of Canton, Ills. Al
bert L. West. of Sanbank, Oswego county, N.
Y; ". Hume, Of Des Moines; L., Is. Spencer,
of Lathrop, Iowa; David Morgan, of New.
sharon, Iowa; jacob Spring, of Athens, Ohio;
Dsnpis Shannon, Of Ohio; Morris Harrington,
VI u1uSCatluC, IOHd, 43ulo A1ai Scohi Eou
of the above; Charles Browning, of St. Louis;
Miss Mary Huff, Of Norwalk, Iowa; Duncan
Campbell, of Tiskiwa, l!Is,;. Mrs Duncan
Campbell, Nora Campbell, daughter of the
above; G. G. CoIvin, Rosewayne county, n. Y;
Dr.. N. s. Guibersoo, of Philadelphia, nervous
shock; s. Ho'z, of Iowa City, L.; Mrs. D. D.
Osborn, of Avoca, Iowa. Mrs. j. S. Jones, of
Prophetstown, Ills; Mrs. G. Toilet, of Moline.
Ills; Mrs. j. L. Graham, of Bloomfield; E. H.
H. Jones, of Des Moines; George W. Srurlock,
Of COMPETING, Wappelo county, Ia; .. Z.
Coviu, OF Roscwayne county, N. J..
PLEASANT ScENE.-A number ofpoople from
Richmond and vicinity made pleasure c1cur-
sion 20 Washington city on Monday. They
very industrioualy canvassod the Federal city,
improving their time to the best advantage.
Quite large party sought the Presidents house
Getting the W. ong, route they found themselves
in the private garden to the mansion, from which
they promptly withdrew when informed of the
fact. They failed not, however to reach the
marked kindness and courtesy by President