Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-05-16

1t appears that engine No. 3, pull
ing train No. 8, going west, Cowan
conductor, was coming down the
grade just beyond the bridge, at about
Is miles an hour, trying to gain speed
to make rise on this side of the bridge.
At the same time engine No. So, pull
ing train No. 10, Wilson conductor, :
went rushing oye the bridge, going
east, at about the same rate of speed,
in order that they might make hill on
the other side. Both came around a
short curve lust beyond the bridge;
two short slnicks for breaks were
heard, and then all WIGS smoke, steam
and splinters.
Engine No. 88, going east, was
blown to atoms, parts of it falling
several hundred yards from the
wreck, the smoke-stacS falling In q
tree some distance frOm5he scene.
Engine No. 3, going west, was lit
orally tclescoped, and smashed out of
all semblance of All engine.
Thirteen cars, some Of them heavily
loaded, were piled one on top of the
other sonIe OF them literally smashed
into kindling wood. Two cars we're
thrown into the air, coming down on
the telegraph wires, grounding them.
Several cars were loaded with live
stock, but happily they were not near
the forward part Of the train but
all kinds of merchandise was found
lying around loose. We noticed one
car load whisky, some of the casks of
which we're leaking badly. We no
ticed 10 bundles Of paper for the Full
ton Gazette in the wreck. In fact,
the scene beggarcd description.
The train. men all did some tall
jumping, as soon rs they SAW their
danger. The engineer of No. So
breaking his arm. y brakeman,
named Williams, on train No. O., is
the worst hurt; he stood 10y his brake
to the last. lie set two brakes aud
was winding the third when the crash
came, and it is II miracle he was not
crushed to pieces. He is one mass
Of flesh wounds from head to foot and
has one arm broken. lie states that
it was his duty TO stop by his breaks
and he did it. lie was on The third
car from the engine, and was found
in the wreck with his neck caught be-
tween two d~raw-hcnIs. lie was taken
out inscnsiblr.
A tramp named Kccgan was badly
demOralizcd ard had his arm broken.
He will, doubtless bring suis for S5O,-
900.
Since writing the above, we have
had an interview with Mcssrs. Cowan
and Wilson, conductors Of the wreck
ed trains. We had a long talk with
Tom. Cowan, to whom part of the
blame is attached. and we founG him
a most intelligent gentleman, WHO has
a record in the past as q very careful
man. This is the first accident he
has had i'll four years, aud he regrets
it very much. !
As our readers ali know, the run
ming of trains is governed by one
man called the train-dispatcher, whose
headquarters are ut Moberly; all the
trains are under his direction; the
conductors receiving orders at every
station from him. Tom. Cowan ran
into Montgomery just before the No.
4 passenger train reached there. He
received orders as follows: Meet
No. 10 at Mexico" 1t Is. customary
for all such orders to be repeated, so
as to have no mistakes. He read tins
order, signed it and committed it to
memory. The order was, sen back
to Moberly TO see if they had it right
the 30. X" came from headquarters
changed as follows: Meet Tx. No.
10 at Mexico" The sex" was
placed above the line 1--WE saw tue or
der) very indistinctly. Tom picked
up the o. X. order, anG did not notice
the "ex'.' which had been interlined,
which word was not in the original.
Cowan gave it TO the engineer, and
he did not see it. Cowan was used
to meeting No. 10 at Benton, and
would have done so this time if he
had not understood the order TO. tell
him to meet at Mexico lie not 10
ticing the word SEX" thought it was
regular No. 10 he. was to meet at
this place. A collision was the result
as stated. ..
A heavy No. 10. extra lay Oh the
siding in this city, waiting for Cowan,
! while No. 10 regular went on to meet
him at Benton, but met him lsaoner
than was expected. -
No blame can be attached to- Will
sor; he was ALTO. K. disorders
were to run to Benton. He has been
on the road 10 years, and hashaa TIVE
| or three wrecks in the same plaee, but
it was never his fault. sa .aa
Of course Cowan should have read
his o. K. and seeliihe word .se3tra,'
but the operator sfouldshav written
it plainly so Cowan andahis engineer
could have seem it and then, too. we
i think the word extra should have
been in the first order.as well as in
1.-THE O. *. repeat-
sw