The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-23
ACCIDENT.

i BIsMARK, March 22.-The following is
the result of the accident known at the
present time: Nine men were killed out
right and ten to twelve were injured, some
seriously. The cars at once took fire and
/ burned. The men were consumed.
The place of the disaster is about nine
teen miles west of Bismarck at Soap Stone
lcut, over Sweet Briar creek, and two miles
east of Sweet Briar station. Abrut 1880
last evening a snow plow, work train and
passenger train left Sweet Briar in the
order named. The snow plow passed safe
ly across the bridge over the creek; the
work train came close behind composed
of fiat cars next the engine, followed by
two sleeping cars for thirty men each, din
ming, kitchen and store cars. The train
was going about ten or. fifteen miles per
hour. The engineer hearing a sound like
| that of broken wheel reversed the lever,
but not in time. A scrape followed imme-
diately. 1t appears that a wheel on the
head truck of a fiat car broke and the truck
| jumped the track, the broken truck bump
ing across the bridge displaced the ties,
and the rails being left. unsupported gave
way, precipitating two sleepers, the dir
ing and kitchen cars into herivsr; four of
the iron bents in the bridge were broken
in two There were about fifty men,
some sleeping, Others reading or playing
cards. When the car overturned the bed
ding took fire. The roasted bodies of the
killed are almost beyond recognition.
Most of the killed were of the men in the
car The others made strenuous efforts to
put out the flames. but unavailing, ow
ing to the straw bedding. 1t
is supposed that seven of the eight
men lost were killed Instantly, as but one
was heard crying for help. This man was
lying with his feet to the flames and his
head fast His comrades endeavored to
pull him out, but failed, and were com
PEELED to see him gradually roast Only two
persons in the Car, aside from the killed,
were injured.
Of the killed, johnson was found with
one leg charrsd, head smashed and arms
over his head, as in death agonies. The
body of Thomas Wilson lay near Johnson,
a charred mass; William Watson was lying
with one arm over his head and the hand
of the other was burned eff completely; j.
Mccormick was found in roll Of blankets
smothered and then burned;
Thomas Brady was found with his head
burned nearly off.
George Moser, James OBrien and |
William McAndrews were seriously injur
ed
The following men were slightly hurt:
George Miller, T. o. Berry, M. Hanson, 2.
Lombard, A. Sunstrom, J. Kennedy, Pat
rick nj. Err John Purcell, Thomas Con
nors, Nelson Qunstrom. Fred Master, Fred
Harris, Charles Corwin, Charles flanagan,
William Brennan, Charles Sage, John
Marry, Joseph Smith, Joseph Donegan, F.
O. Berry, Henry Mann, w. j. Babcock and
Thomas Mcqueen. The wounded are cared
for by the railroad company. A coroner's
iury found that the wreck was accidental |
none was to blame.
The dead were brought to Mandan this
afternoon and inferred.
The superintendent says the trains will
run as usual to-day.
The ladies of Mandan are actively en-
gagged in attending to the wants of the suf /
ferers, who are generally foreigners and
have no friends here.