, 1888-02-26
THE PARTICULARS.
How Engineer Michael Powell Lost
His Life Yesterday Morning.
A List of Those Injured in the
Terrible Railway Wreck.
The Fire MeIts Silver Bricks and
Telegraph Wires.


SIDNEY, Feb. 25.-Appended is a com
plete list of the passengers who were in
iured in the collision at Cotton carly this
morning:
Brown Norwich. New York. face and
nose cut; w. H. Murphy, Salone, Ia,
hand cut and bruised; Z. D. Isaacson,
Howard, Neb., back OF hand cut; George
Keller, Mansfield, o., small cut on third
finger; Mrs. Burton Reid, GAINESVILLE, N.
Y, left arm and foot slightly cut and
bruised; Mrs. Baird, Laramie, Wyo.,
ankle bruised; Joseph Smith, Grand
Island, Neb,, head and leg bruised; Mrs.
Lucy Hachenberg, Burcher, Neb., back
of hand cut; John Law, Julesburg, Neb.,
wrist broken and face cut; Geo. McNary,
Kimball, Kas arm bruised and ankle
sprained; w. d. Knowles, Green River,
Ills. back and side hurt and both legs
scratched; P. j. Carlston, Kearney,
Neb., slightly cut on hand; Frank N.
Keith, Grand Island, Neb., back and
nose hurt; j. G. Fox, HALEY, Idaho,
hand slightly cut; Mrs. John Lighthall,
Helena, Mont, broken collar bone; Mrs.
Eli Douglas, Thebes, Ills, slightly bruised;
E. johnson, Beresford, Oak. side bruised;
Brakeman f. L. Lawrence, head, neck
and face cut and burned and back of
hand burned; Fireman August johnson,
thigh broken; Engineer Michael Powell,
killed.
An Associated Press dispatch from Den
yer, dated Feb 25, gives the following
particulars concerning the accident:
About 2 o'clock this mornin p, near
Cotton, trains No. 4 and IS on the main
line of the Union Pacific railroad col
lided with terrible force. the engines tel,
escaping each other and the cars pill
ing on top Of the wreck, which immedi-
ately took fire, burning a large number of
cars, including the baggage, express, two
Pullman and one cmigrant sleeper. On
No. the heat from the fire was so in
ense that all the telegraph wires running
along the track were melted and for e
time all communication was shut off. Just
how any passengers escaped was Il mys.
terry to them, as they watched the burn
ing mass which twenty minutes before
were two heavily loaded moving trains.
However, they all escaped with but
slight bruises, excepting Engineer Pow
ell, who was instantly killed while trying
to check the speed of his engine in order
to save the lives of his passengers. The
passengers not injured assisted those who
were caught in the wreck to escape and
soon had them all u and at the hotel,
where all were reported doing well, none
being seriously injured. .
The company soon had wrecking trains
on the ground and the track was cleared
by s o'clock this morning. Just who is
responsible for the collision is not vet
known here.
The wrecked passenger train left Sid
ney at 1920 and was running fifty miles an
hour when it struck the freight train that
was Just taking the side track at Cotton.
Some of the freight cars, which were
loaded with gasoline oil. had not got off the
main track when the overland FLYER
struck them and they Immediately burst
into flames. The engine turned a COM
plete sommersault, the tender going on
n side and the engine on the other.
The express messenger, Chas. u. Howard,
barely escaped, but managed at the risk
OF his life to save many thousand dollars
for the Pacific Express company. Among
the treasure were thirteen silver bricks,
five of which were melted by the heat.
Superintendent Dickinson's car and one
sleeper were not injured.
Among the injured are August John
son, fireman, leg broken; W. H.. Murphy,
Sloane, To-, hand burnt; Joseph Smith,
head injured; Mrs. Douglas, California,
leg and hand burnt; Frank Lawrence,
North Platte, cut on head; G.. McNara
and a Mr.. Brown, Portland, Ore, bruised
and sprained; John Law, Julesburg, cut
on head and wrist sprained; Mrs. Benton
Reed, GAINESVILLE, N. Y, back hurt; w.
D: Knowles, Illinois; Mrs. Bayard, Lara
mic. and Lucy Hackenburg and some
others whose ame could not be learned
were more or less injured.
The wreck is now cleared up and trains
are running over it.