Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-05

OMAHA. January 4th.-A terrible accident
happened this morning between 10 and IL
o'clock on the Nebraska Division of the Chi
cago, st. Paul and Omaha Railroad, result
ing in the death of six men and the wounding
of one.
THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT
Was deep curved cut about eight hundred
feet long, about one mile south Of the Middle
creek side. track. This cut few d avs ago
was blown full Of snow, and ha6 been cleaned
out sufficiently to allow trains to go through !;
but they still have some trouble, the north
bound passenger train having got stuck there
yesterday. This morning working train
and gang of over twenty men, under Con-
ductor earns, were sent out from Oakland to
work at the cut and shovel Snow upon fat
cars to haul it out and widen the pas
sageway for trains. The snow on each
side is as high as the passenger
coaches, and has been cut out IN the
shape of trough, each side slanting
slightly. and terminating close to the rails
About half-past 10 o'clock the south bound
passenger train, bound from Iryington to
Omaha, came along at the rate Of twenty
miles an hour, and upon approaching the cut
got under greater headway, so as to make the
run clear through. When within about two
hundred feet of the south end of the cut the
engineer felt the engine strike something and
run over something. He hsd seen nothing,
and the loose STOW was flying in clouds in
front Of and over the engine, but ne imme-
diately whistled down brakes, and came to
stop as soon as possible. about four hundred
feet south of the mouth Of the
cut. Immediately upon stopping the
train man was found caught on
the forward trucks Of the for1 ard
car next to the engine. he having been carried
all the way there. He was extricated from
the position, and was found to be dead. His
clothes were all torn to pieces, and he was
CUT AND MANGLED AND BRUISED
In horrible manner. He was laid aside
temporarily, and upon going back into the
cut four more dead and two wounded men
were found lying on the track and each side
of it. One of the wounded men was Just
breathing his last, and was taken into one of
the cars, where lie died in a few minutes.
He had both legs cut off, and was literally
torn to pieces. The other wounded man
had one of his ankles so badly cut that
he will be compelled TO have it amputated.
His head was also badly bruised. The other
four men who had been killed presented a
terrible sight. Arms and legs were broken
and crushed, and their heads and faces were
bruised, wounded and bleeding. The sur
vivor, and the man who died just after being
found, were brought down to Oakland on the
passenger train. The survivor was taken to
his boarding house, and the corpse Of tie
other man was deposited in the depot, where
he was recognized by his friends. The other
FIVE bodies were put on Tie working train,
which was run down to Oakland with them.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
It seems that these seven men had gone
into the cut to shovel snow, and
probably thought there was room
enough for them to stand on the side of
the track and let the train pass, and there
fore thought nothing of it, for there are no
signals at the north end Of the cut to stop q
passenger train. or to indicate that there was
asy danger ahead. Exactly how they came
to be caught has not yet been learned, as the
passengers and some Of the train men, who
arrived here tonight, did not know that any
accident had happened until after the train
had stopped. There was nothing on the pilot
of the engine to show that the pilot had
caught them. The probability is that the
train, coming around the curve suddenly,
caught them unawares, and then they jumped
to each side and were either knocked down by
the strong suction caused by the train moving
so rapidly through narrow passageway.
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
The names of the killed are Charles Meyer,
Thomas Broughmon, A. II. Swanson, Gus.
A. Hermon, Ole Anderson and John Z.
Rickson. The name of the wounded man is
John Adellur, who viii probably recover.
The accident happened in the Omaha
Indian reservation, but the inquest will be
held at Oakland TO night, in Burt county, ad.
joining the reservation. Conductor Herman
and other train men Of the passenger train
remained at Oakland to attend the inquest.
Superintendent House, who received a brief
telegram at 2 o'clock, left on the 2:30 train
for Oakland. The dead men resided mostly
at that place, or in the vicinity.
ASK Your DRUGGIST for Hammers Gly.