Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1880-10-18
A BURNING TRAIN,

fhsscnSers Compelled TO Flee for Their
Lives and Leave Their valunbles lie.
| hind.
A st. Louis special of October 10th
says: News of an extraordinary railroad
accident on the indianapolis & st. Louis
reached the city tonight. The scene
was near Nokomis, eigety-two miles east
of st. Louis. The losses. il is estimated
will aggregate 100000. Express train
No. 6, in charge of Conductor j, W.
browning, and composed of engine No.
81, one baggage and express cars. two
passenger coaches, and q Wagner sleeper
left indianapolis Saturday night forty
minutes late, and was due here at Sam.
to-day. It was running at the rate Of
forty miles an hour until it ncared Noko-
mis-, about e o'clock this morning. when
speed was slackencd to about twenty
miles and the train was going at this rate
when misplaced switch threw Il nnon
siding. and it ran into the rear Of n
freight. The caboose telescoped with.
the engine, which ran forward into n tank.
car of the Union tank line. The tank
was full of oil, which immediately took
hre from the Goals of the engine,
brisk wind carried the flames tho
entire length of the passenger train.
and in fifteen minutes nothing was T LETT
but the iron work 1t seems that when
the freight took the side-track il was
with the intention of backing out on the
main track for water before the passen-
ger arrived. With this idea the switch
was left open and the passenger came
up before it could be closed. Ordinar;lv
the passenger does not stop at Nokom;s
but this morning it was stacking to let
on New York passenger who had come
irresDyterlan minister, at Nokomis. But
have collided with the freight at fuli
speed, and the loss of life must have been
great. Conductor Browning leaped from
his train and ran forward as soon az the
crash occurred. He found the oil from
the tank running along ditch the full
length Of his train. The stream was foot
deep. Comprehending the danger he
shouted to the engineer, "For Gods % sake t
don't let any fire get into that oil.''
The engineer Immediately began IT. to
throw water into the fire box, but was
not quick enough. Some Goals strmck
the oil and sheet of flame enveloped
the engine. The engineer and firemen
jumped for their lives, the latter escap.
ing unhurt, but the former dislocated a
shoulder. The conductor ran to the bag
gage car and gave the baggageman warn
ing in time to pitch off five trunks. when
ne, too, was driven out by the flames.
The passengers, eighty in number, were
hustled out as the flames swept along
the train. In the sleeper, some OF the
passengers were aroused and got out
while the forward end was burning. At
tempts were made to detach the sleeper
and one of the coaches and push them
back, but the flames did the work too
rapidly. The rolling stock was valued
at 1000, and the baggage and express
matter destroyed will amount to $780,
00O. Even the five trunks pitched out
by the baggageman caught fire and were
destroyed. Among the losers were party
OF actors and actresses en- route to ST.
Louis to fill an engagement at the Thea
ter Comique. They lost their wardrobes.
The party included Charles Edwards,
Nellie Mallenburg, Rose Blair and Mag
gle Murray. Ex-Governor Palmer was a
passenger on the destroyed train and left
the sleeper in such haste as not to carry
away all his wardrobe. A car loaded
with valuable goods. $4,000 worth, was
to have come through by this train, but
didn't arrive from Cleveland in time to
make the connection.