Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-05-30

Messrs. John and L. E. Gray, who
were passengers OH the Inflated ex-
cursion train, returned from Kansas
to-day, and from John we gather
considerable information in regard
10 the disaster, not hitherto publish
ed. twill be remembered that the
train left here on the evening OF
Wednesday, the 10th inst, and passea
along without any occurrence OF
note until s o'clock Of Friday evening,
where they struck q comparatively
level country. The scene OF the &C
cident was close to the Arkansas rlv-
er. when fill of from five to eight
feet deep was made across depres-
sion, with no outlet for the water,
near a small village of 400 or 5oo
people, by the nari,e OF Ellinwood'
Kansas. The train was running
nearly due west at a rate OF from
twenty to thirty miles per hour, ana
rain was falling at the time. Ihe
country to the north seemed one vast
sea of water, which grew in voluL 70
until it overfowed the track, and
gradually washed away the embank-
ment, leaving the rails and ties in
their places, which deceived the en-
gineer until it was too late to avoid
the terrible catastrophe. The engine
and tender plunged into the abyss,
were thrown off to one side, the bag
gage car turning square across the
track, parallel with the current, the
smoking car following, plunged down
the embankment and under the bag
gage car, forming complete cross.
The smoking-car was total wreck,
smashed into kindling wood, so to
speak, and beneath the debris were
buried s. Fl. Bailey, Byron Clark, of
this city, gentleman by the name of
Miller, and one named Nelson, from
Fond du Lac, Wis, both of whom
were killed outright, Miller being
horribly mangled. With the excep-
ton ola soldier all the passengers
on that car have been named, and he,
poor fellow, was rescued with the
greatest difficulty by the Gray Bros,
and was probably MORALLY wounded.
The car in which the Gray Bros,
and Carnes were seated followed into
the ditch with one end in the water
and the other high up on the bank,
the passengers being thrown violent
ly forward into promiscuous heap.
Between twenty and twenty-five per-
sons were very severely injured, many
of whom had arms and legs broken,
and others received severe internal
injuries.
As soon as possible after the train
stopped, John, knowing where the
other Ottumwa men were, plunged
into the wreck and the first man he
found was Sherman laying on his
back with portion of the roof of the
car lying across his breast and other
wise held fast by the wreck with one
arm thrown back over his head hold
ing to something. John caught hold
of him under the arms around the
body and drew him out and
asked him if he was much
hurt. He replied without finch
ing: ~ am, Oh, John where is
poor Clark !" He was Immediately
taken to place Of safety and as soon
as possible was taken back to Film
wood where he received every atten-
ton that could be given him. His
splendid physical construction and
great vitality alone kept him alive 80
long, mangled and bruised as he was.
On the right side of his head piece
of the skull about the shape of cap
ital d and nearly two inches across
was broken out and through the ap-
erture two oak splinters the size of an
ordinary finger, were forced into the
brain nearly two inches; there was
also large fracture at the base of the |
scull and the scalp was also torn loose
from the right side of the head. One
of his arms was crushed almost to
jelly, and yet he recognized his
friends and occasionally spoke with
some conference, answering questions
in monosyllables and answering to
his name. In reply as to whether
he wished to send any word to
his friends, he would reply
"yes" and then would wander and
talk about the country the wreck, the
water, etc. From the time he was
hurt until he died, either John or l..
f. Gray, was with him constantly,
and after his death John informs us,
he visited Great Bend and obtained
the best coffin to be had in the coun-
try, had the body embalmed and put
I'm as presentable condition as posi-
BILE. 1t may be proper here to state
that the local physicians did all in
their power to alleviate his sutlerings
but felt unequal to the task OF re-
moving the splinters from the brain
of Mr.. Bailey, and that delicate task
was performed by DIR. Tremaine, of
the military post at Fort Dodge, and
DIR. s. III. Sidlinger, of Hutchinson.
After the operation had been per-
formed, Gray asked Sherman how he
felt. and he very cheerfully replied,
"Oh, am better!" He bore his suf-
ferings like hero and never utter
ed complaint.
1, Byron Clark is very seriously in
jured indeed, and the Geographic
} messages sent were dictated by him
with the understanding that nothing
should be sent to cause unnecessary
alarm to his wife. His face, hands
and arms are burned, and his legs
from his body down are very badly
burned, and his left knee is badly
bruised. His great danger now il
from erysipelas. However, his
wounds. are not necessarily danger.
, GUS, and he may be expected home
soon.-Daiiy 2Sth
From Eddyviiie-A Reforn,er Sud.
!. denly Coos West.