The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-21
WRECK ON THE P. Ft. ". & c.
The Limited Express Strikes Landslide,
and Goes Over an Embankment.

PITTsBURG, March 20-The Chicago limited
express on the Pittsburg Fort Wayne & Chicago,
coming east, ran into landslide near Columbi-
ana, O., this morning. at o'clock, and was
wrecked. The company learns that the train
ran into a land slide near Salem, o., sixty
seven miles west of Pittsburg. The recent rains
had loosened the earth, and it fell upon the
track. The engine and train were derailed
Engineer James Richards and fireman c. Rhoads
were instantly killed. Eight passengers were
slightly cut and bruised. None were injured Sc
riously. No bones reported broken. The brake
man and baggage-master were also reported
slightly injured. Wreck trains were promptly
sent to the scene of the accident. The passen-
gers were transferred and will reach Pittsburg
about five hours late It is reported all injured
passengers will be able to go through to their
destination. This is the first serious accident
that has happened to the New York & Chicago
limited express since it commenced running,
nearly three years ago.
Official reports state that the train was COM
ing down Franklin grade, three miles east OF
Salem o., at the rate Of forty miles an hour
when the engine struck an obstruction OF some
kind, and, jumping from the track went over
the embankment. The entire train left the
rails, but only the baggage car and smoker up
set When the engine was overturned the boiler
exploded, and the engineer and fireman were
blown several hundred yards and instantly
killed. Baggage-master Beisel and brakeman
Lands were slightly injured. Six passengers
were also painfully hurt, but none dangerously.
Their names could not be learned. The other
passengers were badly shaken up, but uninj ured
A train was sent out from here immediately,
and the passengers transferred
Another account says the train consisted OF
an engine, three passenger coaches, baggage
and mail car and sleeper Upon reaching
Franklin hill the engine left the track, plunglng
down an embankment thirty feet below. The
baggage and smoker followed and were
badly wrecked To add to the horror, almost be-
fore the passengers could realize what had hap
pened the boiler of the engine burst with a
report that could be heard for miles The bag
gage, ear lying near the engine, was blown to
pieces The dead and mangled bodies of the engi
neer and fireman were found four hundred yards
away. In addition to the injured given already,
the colored porter of the Pullman sleeper was
| seriously injured As yet no definite cause can
be assigned for the accident, but the opinion is
| expressed that an obstruction was maliciously
| placed on the track in such way as to be unno-
ticed by the engineer in time to avert the acct
| dent
| For a few minutes after the explosion the in
| terror of the sleepers was scene of confusion.
The screams of the lady passengers was
most heartrending, and the cries of strong men
could be heard above the din calling for help.
! Some little time elapsed before an attempt was
made to ascertain the extent of the accident, so
great was the excitement, and every person be
ing either unconscious or imprisoned. The first
person to emerge from the wreck was a colored
porter, who though badly bruised, succeeded in
breaking the windows of the sleepers, which af-
forded an avenue of escape, and one by one the
passengers crawled out and soon ascertained
that none had received serious injuries, al
though eleven were more or less bruised or cut.
The injured passengers names are as follows:
Frederick Mathock, of Philadelphia, slight bruise
on the face; VIM. Rich, of Chicago, slightly cut
about the face and head; j. B. Vets, of New
York hand cut; Mrs. Dean, of Chicago, right
arm bruised; j. II. Mcknight. of Fort Shaw,
NJ T., scalp wound E. O. Northam, of Phil
| adelphia, foot hurt, and face bruised and cut;
Mrs Roche, of Chicago, muscles of the arm cut;
VIM. Fuller, of Chicago, face cut D. Newcombe,
of Atchison, Kan, leg cut and face bruised; r.
Brunswick, of Chicago, right eye cut and hands
hurt; II. l. Douglass, of Fort Yates, D. IT., head
cut and face bruised; Richard AFTER, porter,
head badly cut Baggageman Beisel received a
bad cut on the leg, and it is feared his knee is
fractured. The sleeping-car conductor was badly
bruised. but not seriously. One of the eolored
porters was found unconscious in the smoker,
lying in pool of blood and it was at first feared
that he was dead, but after being removed to
open air, he revived. His injuries are not con-
Sidered fatal