The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-10-11

Terrible Disasters.

a. e..
deaths, while as many more are danger
ously hurt whom the physicians say can-
not recover. In addition to these there
are large number who are but slightly
Injured, The accident occurred as follows:
The first section of Walls accommoda ton
going east, lett the union depot at ] 81 p.
M, having a large crowd of passengers
who bad been to the city to participate 10
the closing exercises of the exposition and
to witness the Democrat demonstration,
Ihe platform was so crowded that the
headlight on the second section following
could not be seen, The frat section stop
ped at the regular station Twenty eighth
street, where they were delayed on account
of another itrain which was in the next
| block. Second section came along at a
good speed, hut owing to- the crowds on
| the back platform of the first section. the
signal lights were hidden frcm view and
consequently the engineer of the second
section did not see the train ahead of him
until he was so near it that his train could
| not be checked in time tn avoid collision
and the engine went crashing into tie rear
coach OF the first section packed as it was
| with human beings. Among these unfor-
tunates the engine buried itself to the very
cab windows, in among the screaming men
| woman and children, mangling all who
were IN its course. The boiler head of
| the colliding engine was bursted off by
the shock and scalding water and steam
pouring over the occupants of the car as
| if bent on completing the horrible work
that had gone before 1t is impossible
to describe the fearful scene that followed
The means of the dying and wounded,
and the shrieks of those who had lost their
friends, were irightfui. Word was i'm
mediately telephoned to the Mayors office
for assistance. aud twenty-five policemen.
with full corps of physicians and wagons
were despatched to the scene of the dis
aster. where they were soon busily EN-
ployed il Rlleviating the sufferings of
victims and clearing the wreck The
wounded who were unable to care for
themselves were carried to the Soldiers
| Hospital. located but short distance from
the accident, The name Of the engineer
of the second locomotive is julius Huey,
and that Of the fireman Rambo Both
residents of Pittsburg. and escaped injury
Notwithstanding they stuck to the engine
when it plowed Through the rear car of
the sother strain. Up to the present
time. 9. A, NJ, q deaths have occurred.
| Robt Pitcairn. Superintendent of tho
road, one OF he best in the country, said
it the rules had not been disobeyed the
accident would not occurred. The train
had not ye. gone into the block operated
| by the signal system,a and the hagman was
under imperative orders to go back half a
mile TO flag the following train. and
must not wait to be ordered back by
conductor but go on his own accord-this
| applies whether the train is in block or still
10 the yard limits as 10 this case, The
fagman and all employees of the train are
@fA -, l.
cannot condemn until an investigation is
had, but the matter will be sifted and the
responsibility placed where it belongs The
| passengers state that the fagmau Penrod
did not go back; he will be examined to-
morrow. The orders for the movement of
! the train were the same as have been in
vogue for thirty years, and the officials
| insist that the train men and not the supe
rior ofGcsTs violated the rules. Public
opinion seems to place the responsibility
on fagmaD Penrod OF the first section
MIR. Pitcairn says The loss By the wreck
will not be a Thousand dollars; that the
run in was no extraordinary accident and
| that the escaping steam was the cause OF
the fatality. The run might occur again
without the loss of single life.
Several prominent business men called
to see Messrs. Pitcairn and Pugh. of the
I L 6U15sIV2Dld Ecau tIiIS GfBu1GR, EDu StGtCI
| that they considered that by the gross
carelesness of some persons murder had
been committed. and asked that the in
vcstigation be thorough. The officials
promised that everything that possibly
| could, would be done to tasten the guilt
upon the proper parties. Corcnor Hope
was also called upon and he stated that
al! those foGna TO be implicated would be
placed under arrest.
| u oCLoCK-Three more deaths have
just occurred, swelling the list to twenty
| four
| ST, LOUIS. Oct I0-The west bound
| passenger train on the Indianapolis & st.
| Louis railroad, ran through an open switch
at Nokomis, Ills, 81 miles east OF here. at
six o'clock this morniDg and .colided With
the rear of the freight train on the side
track, Next to The caboose. which was
demolished, was an oil car; this was
oursted and the contents taking fire il and
the wrecked cahoose and the eltiIe
passenger train consisting of baggage,
express, mail car. two coaches and one
sleeper. Conductor Browning and the
engineer of the passenger train were scme
| what Injured. bat noue Of the passengers
were hurt After the collision the freight
train except the Gil car and caboose.
| pulled ont and escaped further damage.
Loss probably 500, 900 to $4,000,
SECOND DIspATcH.-Th oil car was
not burst, but turned upside down, and
the oil escaped from the man hole in q
| in stream about a foot in diameter.
This soon reached the fire in the engine of
the passenger train. aud in a moment
| there was sheet OF dame one hundred
feet long aud six vide. which i'm mediateiy
took hold OF the front car, ana in ten miD
utes the entire train was burning. As
soon as Conductor Browning took 10 the
situation be aroused the passengers in
the coaches and all got out safely.
| General superintendent Mcclure was
10 the sleeper. but was soon out directing
the train crews. They tried to uncouple
the sleeper, the Wagner cosch Glencoe,
but the train being on curve they could
not do il, and il was burned with the rest
CT ihe tain. Ghe toan of n4akomls eseep
ed destruction only because the wiud was
in favorable direction Nearly all of the
train crew and expressmen were injured,
none seriously,