The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-10
A WRECK ON THE RAIL.
Two Passenger Trains Collide on the
Milwaukee Road Near Lanark..-
A Bad Smash up, but no One
Seriously Injured.

There was collision on the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul road between
Lanark and Lanark junction at 3:15 p. m.
yesterday, and although no one was Sc
riously hurt the loss to the railway cons
pany will amount to several thousands of
dollars Train No. l, composed of mail
car, baggage car and two coaches,
pulled out of Racine on time yesterday,
bound for this city, where it is due at $40
p. m Conductor B. Ketchingman had
charge of the train. The train going
to Chicago was special, carrying an
excursion party from Dakota, and
was composed of ten coaches and bag
gage and mail car. The coaches were all
well filled with passengers. The train was
drawn by a freight locomotive, and the
air brake attachment could not be used,
so that all stopping was done by twisting
the brakes. This train was humming
along toward Chicago when train No. 1
hove in sight rapidly moving in an oppo-
site direction on the same track The
engineers saw each other at about the
same time and reversed their engines
The engineer on No. l applied the air
brakes, but the engineer on No. was
unable to do this. After doing all they
could to stop their trains, and giving the
alarm both engineers and the fire.
men jumped off their locomotives.
Train No. was on down Craze and its
lspeed was not Stacked much. No. had
almost stopped when the collision came.
1t was terrific crash and both locomo>
tives reared into the air, the engine of the
Tighter train-No. 1-being pushed back
ward for a considerable distance when it
came down again. The mail cars of both
trains, which were, as usual, the first cars
J after the tenders, were thrown from the
track and smashed to pieces. The bag
gage cars were considerably iammed, but
were comparatively uninjured, while the
coaches of both trains were not hurt in
the least. The engineer Of train No G
had his right ankle broken by his leap
from his locomotive Aside from this
there was no serious injury received. A
number of passengers who became fright
q ened by the whistling of the locomotives
! jumped from the trains and were bruised
, and a number of them sustained spraincd
! ankles. One chap who was frighteneC
out of his wits tore nearly all his clothes
o off and lacerated his flesh on a barbet
wire fence.
The engines are badly wrecked, while
p the mail cars of both trains have beer
4 rendered practically useless-hardly
worth repairing 1t was a very lucky &C
K cident so far as human life is concerned
, OF course the railway officials are as nun
+ as oysters about the accident and it il
A hard 10 tell who is to blame for it. No
o 3, Conductor W. c. Bush, took No II
trip and came in this morning about
q O'Clock and at once returned on the ST.
q a. m. run. A temporary track was bull
n around the wreck last night so that train
are running today as usual.
Travel is good on the c. B. & Q, road
The train that pulled out from here at
= o'clock last night was well filled will
passengers.
The Milwaukee train north bound wa
about thirty minues late this morning OIL
u account of the lateness of arrival causet
> by the wreck mentioned elsewhere.
% The Chicago trains are taking larg
numbers of people to the Chicago expo
y sition and state fair.
The Peoria train started out with fai
" trip of passengers this morning.
Frank Clark is conductor on the Mer
Ger county road this week.