Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-09-05
ApnITloNAL nop,rs rrcoyrRrp.

DEs MONIES, Aug. -. - News
comes from the wreck near Altoona,
at 3 80 p. IN, as follows: The body
last taken out was that of Mrs. Crow,
wife of a workman in the pork house
in East Des Moines. Her head was
caught and mashed between two
cars. The top car is now pulled off
and il is thought there arc only one
or two more bodies in the wreck.
LATER. Three moro bodies have
been taken out-all men; one sup
posed by papers on him to be Cohen,
q commercial traveller from Peoria,
Ills. The other two bodies are not
identified. The body of lady is
now tight in the wreck making the
eighteenth person known to be kill.
ed.
l'he three cars are so firmly tele-
scoped together that it is impossible
so far to pry them apart, even with
block and tackle. The name of the
last man taken cut was Thomas Dun
away, OF East Des Moines, VINO re-
Gently ran away from the Insane
Asylum.
AT 6. O'Clock seventeen bodies lad
been taken from the wreck fourteen
men, two women and n child. Among
the wounded, F.. =. Baker, of Bar
nnm's, has since died, making the
known dead eighteen in all.
CORRECTED LIST OF DEAD.
The full list of dead is as follows;
Mrs, Emma Babcock, Andalusia, Ill.
John IL. Bolt, and daughter aged
eight, Boonesboro, Ia; Mrs. VIM
Grow, Des Moinos; Mrs. Donaway
Des Moines: VIM. Rakestram, engin-
eer of the train, Stuart, La. !; M. Co
hen, commercial traveller, Peoria, Ill.
Jabez Il. Prince and ID. A. Bronson
Cincinnati, o.; VIM. Gannin, news
boy, Des Moines. and the following
in Barnum,s car: Green Berry, Geo
Rockwell, John Purcell, John Bruce,
Charles Thompson, A. Mack. Two
more bodies are known to be in the
wreck-one Of Barnum's men and a
little girl, daughter Of Mrs. Grow.
1t is thought by many that there
are still others either in the bottom
Of the wreck or tloated down stream,
but the best posted foot up the total
death-roll at twenty.
DESCRIBING THE ACCIDENT.
The bridge was over what is known
as Little -Four Mile creek, nine milet
east of Des Moines. 1t is little
stream, generally quiet and never be.
fore known to be as high as it wal
made by the
UNPRECEDENTED RAIN-FALL
of yesterday morning and the night
before. The bridge rested on stone
arch twelve feet in the clear, sup
ported by walls five feet thick. The
bridge is approached from the cast
around curve and down a grade.
1t is thought the rails were left stand
ing alone as the train approached, and
the engineer, who had slackcned his
speed until he came in sight of the
bridge, supposing that all was right,
dashed upon it. The channel of the
stream was forty or fifty feet wide
and banks about twenty feet high.
The locomotive in its wild dash land
ed at the foot of the western side
| and
HALF BURIED ITSELF
in the earth. Barnum's car was next
the engine. ltdropped into the chan.
mel. The baggage and mail car fol.
lowed. passed directly over it. mash.
ing it to pieces. The men in that car
escaped alive. The first passenger
car pitched head down into the chan.
mel where the water was at least fif.
teen feet deep. The next car was
plunged under this, telescoping with
lit, and the next tclescoped hall
through both Of the two preceding
it. The sleeping car did not 60 into
the wreck simply because there
WAS NOT ROOM FOR IT.
| Most of the killed were in the car in
front of the sleeper. The scene al the
time of the accident is described as
having been terrific. Rain was fall
ing in torrents, accompanied by wind
lightning and violent thunder. The
crash put out the lights and the scene
of terror ensuing may well be imag.
incd. Men who were not injured and
could get out went to work at once
to rescue the living and the wounded.
They had to go mile to farm house
for axes to chop them out. There
were many pitiful scenes and tender
incidents. One mother was killed
sitting between two children
WHO ESCAPED UNHUHT.
One little girl who had lain in the
water for four hours with heavy
man lying dead beneath her body,
was discovered to be breathing and
was rescued and restored, and now
shows no signs of injury. The dead
were brought here on the train, reach
ing here at Ii o'clock. Some twenty
five of the wounded came with them.
Officers of the road were at the wreck
all day caring for the dead and