The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-12-18
TIE RocE ISLAND sMAsE-UP.
n Marvellous Escape.

The Chicago Times contains full &C
count of the accident to the G. r. |. Il p,
train from the east on Thursday which
was six hours late on reaching Rock
Island. Following are the particulars rs
appears by telegram to the Chicago
Times:
MoKENA. Ill.,, Dec. Is Another OF
those marvellous rairoud accidents, the
result Of which is "a 3retty general wreck
out 30 loss Of life, occurred one mile west
Of this place, this afternoon, on the Chica
90 Rock Island 4 Pacific road. An axle
OF the tender broke while the train was
running at the rate of thirty five miles an
hour Two cars were thrown from The
track and deuoralized. and one other car
was badly smashed. The entire loss is es-
timatcd ty the officials oil the road at SIS,
COO Several passengers we're injured
but none of them seriously except one
woman. the extent of whose Injuries has
DOT set been fully determined. The
escape from q sudden and awful death of
the passengers is simply miraculous
Such escape could not again be possible
in thousand accidents 40 serious as this
The Denver express leaves Chicago at IL;
so o'clock. To-day the train was made
up OF an express car, a baggage car,
two sleepers. in the order named. 1t left
Englewood little behind time, aud was
eDdeavcring to make up the lest time
Although not running at an extraordinary
rate of speed. as will be observed, no stop
is made By this train between Englswood
and Joliet The train reached Mokena
about 2 o'clock. From this station west
for two miles and halt there is down
grade of twenty five feet to the mile. The
engineer shut off steam when he COM
menced to descend, and ran along as usual.
A mile out he heard.
THE LOUD sNAP OF THE AXLE
of the tender of his engine as it broke, but
did not at the time know what had
occurred. Realizing that something serious
he at once applied the full force of the
air-brakes. What followed transpired
within few seconds, and in about
the following order: The hind truck
Of the tender left the track, and the
wheels went humping along. over, and
smashing the ties for twenty or thirty
rods. One OF the wheels finally broke
square across. and the truck was torn
loose from the tender, AS it fell back
under the wheels of the express car the
latter jumped the track and pl0wed its
way diagonaily down into and through the
ditch. Instead of doubling up and wreck
ing the cars behind it. this car left its for
ward truck 10 the ditch and slid up the
embapkment on the opposite side. It
drew the baggage car off the rails, and
after running fully lorty feet away. very
strangely turned it's course and headed
again for the track. The result was that
the rear end of the baggage car, which
refused to separate from the cars behind
was pushed forward by these cars which
still kept the track, and the baggage car
was turned completely around /. was
carried forward after this a car length
and crowded between the express car and
the smoking car,
WHICH WAS MASHED IN PIECES
By this time the train had stopped, but
the smoking car was pushed half around
across the other track. The engine hav
ing broken away from the train. as already
described, ran on twenty rods further
with it's disabled tender, before it could be
stopped The ground 10 strewed with
broken wheels, twisted rods. and splinters.
The baggage car is a wreck. The express
car has lost its trucks, platforms, and part
of It's roof. as we'll as being pretty we'll
destroyed. It can probably be repaired.
The front platform of the smoking car is
torn off, and the rear truck of tie tender
is reduced to its elemeuts The track
rails are bent out of shape, and the ties
for long distance will have to be replao-
ed. The front cars took fire, but tho
flames were extinguished before they got
beyond control. As soon as the passen.
gers realized that their tram had been
wrecked there was great confusion, but
fear was soon supplanted by establishment
when it became known that no one had
been killed, nor even manned.
THE WOMAN INJURED
sas Mr.. Alexander Hutchiug who with
her husband and I've childreu were on
their way from Canada to Sslina. Kan
The family had second-class tickets, and
were consequently occupying seats 10 the
smoking car Mrs. Hutchinx was lying in
me of the seats when the crash came |
She was thrown violently forward against
the back of the seat 10 front Of her, and
received internal injuries which may prove
serious. She was dragged through the
window and carried back to one of the
'leepers. The woman happened to be in
delicate condition, which aggravates the
Ihock to her system. Most OF the passeD-
.ers o. this car escaped by the windows,
but some returned and put the fire out