The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-10
THE TERRIBLE PLUNGE
oFATRAIN OF CARS INC rAE RIYER.
The Span Ora Bridge Orsr the Missouri River Gives
Way and Plungss Trala Eighty Feet lntO the
Waters BslOW-RSnArEsbls Escape Of Two
Men who Wsnt Down With II.

haten nbsloH-kemRFkable Escape Of Two
Men who Went Down With IT,
' ST, LOUIS, Mo-, December 0.-The Il
, iated train which went down through tn
st. Charles bridge, the railroad bridge owe
the Missouri river, last night, was freigh
, No. Il, eastward bound. BY schedule, i
crosses Just before the WarentOn accom-
mediation, meeting the latter at Brotherton
and passing. The engine, tender ant
thirteen cars loaded with live stock, ant
eighteen with other freightand the caboost
went down. Three Of the six men on the
train when 1t started over the bridge accom-
panied it on the wild leap of slxty-fve feel
into the river channel, That two OF them
escaped to tell Of their awful experience
seems miracle, Five OF the six are ac.
counted for, but one Is missing. Jack
Kirksby, the engineer, stuck to his post.
His body may still be in tho cab, with bis
hand on the throttle, or 1t may have been
washed away, that being mystery yet
unsolved, The fireman, II. Chamberlain,
was by the side Of Kirksby, but somehow
he was forced through the cab window and
upon the top Of the wreck, Just above the
surface OF the water, where he Clung, calling
forhelp until Charles Splnks and A. Dolan,
the latter bridge watChman, had manned
q skitf and rescued him. lie was tit sub.
eCt for n surgeon, both bones OF the left
leg below the knee being fractured. The
brakeman, Charles S. Albinger, lives to be
pointed out as the other OF the two men
who
WENT DOWN INTO THAT AWFUL ABYSS.
He was on the third car from the engine
and hC ielt all giving way beneath him.
llo dropped flat ON top OF the car and touch
cd tho foot board. The car he was on
doubled over the one in front and stood out
OF the water about half It's heighth. His
cries brought ono Of the numerous skitIs,
manned rs soon as tho alarm was given,
and he was brought ashore. Halt IL dozen
cuts and some heavy bruises composed the
! extent OF his injuries. He was cared for at
the Cult House and there is every prospect
that he will be out soon. These were the
only men who accompanied tho train to Its
destruction. Oblnger has family at Mo-
berly. Chhmberlains home Is ut Tyrens.
KirkDsy's body II found, will be taken back
to M0berly. 1t was long train,
engine and tender, thirty.two ears and the
cabOose. When the engine was nearly
across the span which fell the caboose was
away back on span No. 3, Just leaving the
st, Charles side OF the river The span
which went down did so in It's entirety.
AsTHE TWO SURVIVORS TELL 1T
The bridge seemed to drop out from un.
der them in one piece; down went the
forward third Of the train, and then
the remaining fourteen cars followed
so slowly that those who witnessed It say
that II seemed to almost stop. Car after car
toppled over the brink until not one was
left A brakeman was on top OF q cur, well
toward the rear. He saw tho Chusm yawn
Ing, jumped TO one side, caught the trestle
work, climbed down and walked buck to
the st. Charles side. No less sensational
was the escape Of W. G. Anderson, OF Pat.
tonsburg Mo-, and Pat Crane, Of Howard
county, two stoCkmen, and conductor Dur.
field, who were on the caboosc. Tho sue
cession OF jerks warned them, and they
jumped off Of tho rear platform upon the
bridge and stood looking at the slowly dis.
appearing tr1lin. .Durleld says that stimuli
tNneously with the uneven motion OF the
train came the cry Of MidCap, who shouted
to tho occupants OF the Caboose.
iron ooD's SAKE JuMP, SUES GOING DOWN"
A ferry boat dropped down to tho scene
OF the wreck, but Il was impossible TO do
anything. skiHs had already taken of the
surviving trlinmGn. The utter hope
lessness OF any search for poor jack Kinks.
by was apparent. Just above the surface
OF the water could be seen theCorncr Of the
cub, and piled In and around were the cars,
some broken and twisted out Of all shape
and ready to be washed away in fragments.
Others were almost whole. Perhaps ascant
third Of the train Is left above the surface
Of the river against the piers On either
side OF the break arc masses OF rolling stock.
These partially submerged portions contain
some OF the stock cars.
THE SUFFERING OF TIE DUMB nRUTEs.
At midnight the squcalng Of the i'm.
prisoned swine and hoarse believing OF
the cattle could be heard up town, n mile
AWAY from the wreck. A month ago the
State Railroad Commissioner made re-
port that the bridge was perfectly safe, and
only yesterday one OF the Commissioners
was here and inspected tho structure and
went away seemingly satisfied. The em.
ployes oi the road who were injured, O.
II. 0blinger, brakeman, and Newton Cham.
berlain, fireman, were soon In their beds
at the Gait House, whittier they were re.
moved after tho accident The first named
who was severely cut about the head and
face besides suffering other severe bruises
said: I q i'..ll 7f.. ~
oBLISdER's STORY.
! was on top Of tho box.Car third from
the engine, sitting on the brake-wheel. The
train was running slow; about M fast rs
you can walk. The engine and two or
three cars had got on 10 the span the for.
mer being within Car.lGngtll OF the
abuttment, when all Of sudden, as
though In u dream, felt something sink.
ing, and said TO myself any God, has
the ST. Charles bridge gone again ?" The
cur seemed TO fall Il little slower than did,
and two or three times Caught up with II,
and the next thing ! knew was standing
on top Of the cur, which was surrounded
by water looking up at tho other cars. For
while felt very Unsafe and thought
every minute would be-. my last, for the
cap came laundering down, ClaSli clash
Clash until | saw the red lights fall, and
then ! knew TINT was safe | then
Crawled up OIL the top car, u few feet above
me, and lay there on my right side. While
In that position looked over the cab Of
the engine, which was just out Of water.