Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-05-07
,NNESSEE, SATURDAY, MAY Z, 1881.
Another Railroad Horror.
CLINTON, Iowa. April 2

CLINTON, Iowa, April 81.
AN appalling accident occurred on the Rock
Island Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul Railroad, formerly known as the
Western Union Railroad, eight miles below
this city, and one mile below Albany, H., at
4:20 this morning. AT that hour the express
train south, due in Rock Island at six o'clock,
was passing along at its usual speed. 1t had
Just left Albany. AS the train approached the
trestle bridge, two hundred or three hundred
feet long, over the Meredosia River, near its
point of juncturo with the Mississippi, the en-
gineer gave the usual short whistle; but the
bridge must have appeared oil right, as he did
not slow up. When within q few feet of the
bridge the engineer must have then noticed q
suspicious appearance as he gave two or three
short, sharp whistles us signals of danger
Then Immediately followed crash, heard
for three miles in either direction, as
the whole train went down Into the terrible
rushing waters. The Meredosla is at 4
very high stage from the overflow of the
Rock River bottoms beyond, and an unusual
torrent had un iermined the trestle, so that
one hundred feet Of 10 gave way as the engine
passed upon it. The train was composed of
the engine, tender and three cars the for
ward car containing the baggage, express and
mail; the second car contained eleven pas
sengers; the rear car was the sleeper, and
contained three passengers and tho -coored
porter. The engine, tender and the TWO for.
ward cars went down into the river. The
sleeper went partly over and hung on the
verge at an acute angle.
The engine and tender, with the engineer,
William West, and the fireman, name not
learned, went down out of sight, and no sign
of the locomotive or men has since been seen.
The engineer is believed to have bravely
stuck to his throttle, when he might posi-
bly, have saved his life by jumping.
The express messenger Daniel Ellithorpe,
and the baggageman, Samuel Flanagan, had
just gone into the passenger coach before the
accident, and they, with the brakeman Henry
Meyers, the conductor Thomas Fuller, all es-
capped by climbing on top OF the passenger
car as it was sinking, and leaping thence to
the top of the sleeper. Meyers had his collar.
bone broken and had to be helped out Eli.
thorpe and Flanagan were both badly bruised
Three passengers in the rear car escaped by
climbing out of their berths up through the
rear end of the car IN their night-clothes, but
| afterward recovered all their clothing. One
of the gentlemen ran back to Albany in his
nights-cl0thes in the rain and reused the neigh
bors.
Meantime, the passenger coach, with its
eleven occupants, settled into the stream, and
| tioated off across the water thirty rods to an
! island, where it lodged, with only Il foot and 8
half of the upper part out of the water. For
tunately, the forward end was badly broken
and out of this one man CROPPED his way, and
| with the help of a train man. pulled out Il lady
and girl who were the only female occupant;
of the car, except another child girl two
years old, who was drowned. The mother anC
daughter were rescued with great difficulty
and were in badly-bl used condition. Tn,
daughter had two or three ribs broken, ant
was otherwise badly hut internally.
Two men and n lad of sixteen had, in som,
way, climbed out of the car before it hoatet
away, and got on top. AS it ioated by the ap
proach to the wagon bid C. which was carried
out by the flood yesterday they jumped
| ashore, one uiun anu II Uuy csclpiug, Inc oIne
| man falling into the river and beng swep
under the car Of eleven passengers in thu
car, only five have been found. Tho other
have been drowned. No one knows the name
of any one of them, except the lad above re
ferret to, who lost his brothcr-in-law, will
whom he was en- route from Pine River. Wis.
to Omaha, and DR.. Lundy. The boy positive
ly refused to give his name
Nothing is KIN pwn of the names or dcstina
lions of the five adult passengers drowned
except of the Wisconsin man and DIR. D. w
Lundy. The latter got on the Inflated train Il
Albany, and was drowned Within sight of hi
home. He was welI-known, highly csl eemet
physician, whose loss is deeply felt, and he i
widely amentcd. He was only going to tn
noYt station bclow to 500 n nntipnt