Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-10-25
A RAILROAD DISASTER.
"reminiscences of the Accident al Gasco.
made Bridge In Missouri

The presence in Denver Of Mr.. G. A.
Reed, the Chicago Travelling Agent of
.he Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Rail-
way. calls to mind one of the most hor-
ribIe railway disasters that is known
in the annals of railroading. 1t occurred
in October, 1857, at the time of the
opening of the Missouri Pacific Railway
from st. Louis to Jefferson Gty. Mis-
souri,, and it is known as the Gasconade
bridge disaster. In the morning of the
day on which the accident happened
sixteen coaches filled with the most
prominent men of St Louis started out
from that city filled with the brightest
anticipations of a delightful trip, and
among the passengers was Mr.. Reed. In
the train there was also commissary
car filled with the choicest wines and
liquors, and amply supplied with eata-
bles. Eighty-eight miles west of st.
Louis the Gasconade River empties into
the Missouri, and within sight OF the
latter stream the railway stream crosses
the Gasconade. The bridge over the
Gasconade had been tested, and so con-
fident was the engineer who built it that
he rode upon the locomotive. When
the train reached this bridge the passen-
gers were in the midst of luncheon, and
the white-a aproned darkeys we're in the
act of carrying the wines and liquors
through the cars, and no thought of
danger appeared to enter the minds of a
single one of the hundreds who were
upon the train. Suddenly the crash
came and the engine plunged through
the broken bridge into the river below.
It was followed by several of the cars,
while all but one of the others were
ierked from the rails and thrown across
the track. A scene which is beyond de.
scription followed and the destruction of
life was fearful. MIR. Reed wa sitting next
to the window, about the centre of one
of the ears, and he attributes his escape
to the fact that he had just a moment or
so before raised the window. The
weather was misty and he desired to
lcct at steamboat which was opposite
them in the Missouri River, and he
raised the window for the purpose OF
getting clearer view. When the crash
cane his car plunged forward into the
water, but the rear portion Of it rested
on the unbroken part of the bridge. Mr..
Reed caught the side of the window
with his hands and this prevented him
from falling into the front part of the
car, as it stood upon end in the water.
Almost all the other passengers fell, 9
confused and mangled mass, into the
end of the car and with them went the
stove and other articles not securely
fastened. The gentleman who sat in the
same seat with MIR. Reed was one o.
those who fell forward, and he was also
among the killed. Altogether there
were forty-four persops killed in the &C
ciient and about fifteen subsequent,
ded from their injuries. There wa!
only one lady in the party and she es
ca ped without the slightest injury. Th'
civil engineer who built the bridge ant
who was riding on the engine was among
the dead.
To this day the accident on the Gas
conade bridge is spoken of in Missouri
as one of the most horrible of which th
people of that State have any knowl
edge.-Denuer Tribune.