The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1888-07-28
A ruySEL WRECK.


Hun Dssaals q the K1Iing ef couda<sor
wsfhers a.a TIr<n>s B>see.r.
81. Louis, No, July le.-The west
ern mouth Of the tunnel was the scene
st AS O'Clock yesterday Of terrible
accident At the time mentioned
bridge engine No II in charge Of Ed
ward J. Newman. engineer, and
Frank Belcour. Eremsn, emerged from
the tunnel drawing train Of thirty
three freight cars, eighteen laden with
coal ard fifteen empty. The train was
in charge Of Conductor William Z
withers. who was seated on the pilot
beam Of the engine A very short dis
lance from the western exit of Of the
tunnel Is q coal switch which runs
Alongside Of the train dispateher's
tower. q switchmzn's shanty and a
large sznd-house- The track at this
point Is slightly curved. When the
engine struck the frog. for some unae-
countzbie reason the wheels took the
coal switch instead Of the main track
The freight car immediately behind
Ind not follow but continued on the
main track.
THE TERRIBLE STRAIN
broke the coupling which linked the
forward car to the engine and both the
engine and freight cars continued on
their separate ways. When the en-
CINE left the main track Ii ploughed
over the ties Of the coal switch. struck
the train dispatcher's tower and shat
tered X. tore away the side OF the
switchman's shznty and then suddenly
turned and shot into the sand house,
about sixty yards from the place of de-
railment- The second the engine left
the rack. Conductor wIthers, realizing
that wreck was inevitable, jumped
from the cow-catcher, on which he Was
seated. TO the ground on the right. He
fen right in the middle of the main
track in doing SO, and before be could
arise the cars which had kept on the
main line came laundering along and
struck him. His body was sufficient
obstruction TO derail the first forward
cars, which were in an instant piled UP
on top of one another. Withers was
killed instantly.
Engineer Newman and Fireman
Belcour did not
JUMP FROM THE ENGINE
when it left the track, but remained at
their posts in the cab. 1t was the only
thing they sould do, for on one side Of
them were the buildings referred to
and on the other was the train dash
ing along and liable to be piled up in a
heap at an instant When the engine
struck the sznd-house 1t knocked in
the side but came to standstill. The
shock threw Fireman Balcour to the
ground and the large iron tank, the
connection of which with the engine
had been broken, fell over on him, kill
ing him instantly. Newman kept his
seat and fortunately escaped serious
injury. The great noise made by the
crash and escaping steam attracted an
immense crowd A squad OF fifteen
policeman, under the command OF
Sergt. Hoagland. had great difficulty
curious back from the wreck. The
body Of Belcour when taken from the
debris was q shapeless mass and not
recozable. The head was mashed, the
breast. abdomen and arms were
crushed, the skull was in fragments
and the face was besmeared with
blood and brains. 1t was a horrible
sight. Edward j. Newman escaped
with only few bruises and went at
once to his home.
q The bodies of Withers and Bclcour
were taken TO the Morgue.
Frank Belcour was IS years of age
and leaves a wife and three children.
His home was on High street. between
. Twenty-second and Twenty-thlrd.
William Il. Withers was years OF
age, unmarried and lived with his
mother at 1909 Washington avenue
Withers was the man who killed John
Gordon on Fourteenth and Poplar
streets during the strike two years ago