Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-27
Nix. PLEASANT'S EXPERIENCE


xnE---Au Eng1n GERS Misfortune.
As stated in the account appearing in
last nights ARGUS of the collision on the
Rock Island road between Atkinson and
Annawan, Mr.. Adair Peasants, of this
city. was passenger on the Denver ves>
thule express coming from Chicago and
with which the stock train coliided.
Il was in the smoker" said Mr.. PleasI
ants this morning. when the collision
occurred. We knew from the abrupt stop
OF the train that there had been collis>
ion. Hurrying with the other passen-
gers to the forward end of TIE train,
l beheld sight which | shall new
er forget. The two locomotives were
locked, one having crashed into the
other. while the tender of the pass
senger engine was forced back into
the express car. Some of the stock cars
were derailed and number of hogs lay
dead and bleeding by the side of the
track, But the worst, and may say the
most sickening sight of all, was that
which we saw in the front end of the ex-
press car. There under and among
heap of baggage, lay the msngled body
of man and the means and appeals that
escaped hts lips were appalling The
first thought of the trainmen was that
the unfortunate fellow was the baggage
man, but they were quickly diSpelled of
that idea by the appearance of that
| officer Then it was learned that the
crushed man was passenger named Vic
tor Minuaert, of Atkinson, who was rid
| ing on the front platform Of the express
car when the collision occurred, and
whose body had been driven back into
the position have described by The fuil
| force of the tender. The poor fellow,
only a mere boy, was SO wedged in be-
tween the parcels of baggage that it was
impossible to extricate him without
chopping hole il the car. Axes were
secured and two hours were consumed in
getting at him in this way. Meanwhile
the sufferer was moaning, screaming
and praying and begging for relief. Ht
appeared conscious aud told where he
was suffering the most pain. Finally
when he WAS extrlcsted, be tainted from
sheer exhaustion and pain. The
mutilated portions of his body presen &c
horrible appearance One of the lowe
limbs in particular was a clotted mass o
torn clothing, bruised and bleeding fest
and mashed and broken bone. The bo
was taken to neighboring farm house
where he died before medical assistanc
could be summoned. There were tw
other men riding on the froat plattorr
who leaped, and while one of them ha
an arm broken. the other, | believe, es
capped"
Much sympathy is expressed anon
railroad men and others in Rock Islam
for Al Rough, of this city, who was Ii
engineer on the stock train. Rough is
young man and had been running as eS
ira engineer, as ne was on this occasion
only short time. 1t Is understood TIL
owing to the complicated condition OF Il
time card. he was disposed to wait at \
kinsou for the vestibule, but the condu
tor advised HIM that the vestibule was Il
Sunday train and to go ahead. He d
so against his will with the unfortuna
results. The circumstances seem To I
most, if not quite exonerate him fro
blame, notwithstanding that the Ro
Island road holds the engineer and co
ductor equally responsible. 1t is to
hoped at least that Engineer Rough v
he given the benefit of all doubts.