Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-05-25
Fifty People injured.
Wreck on the St. Louis and
San Francisco.
THE WORK OF SUPPOSED BANDITS.

Sieve raj OF the Wounded Fatally Hurt
Ffih-Plates Removed on Curve and
EInbankment Cause the Disaster-Re-
ward of 81 900 offered for the Perpe-
trntors-Ffve Coaches Demolished and
of the Victims.
SULLIVAN, Mo, May 25.-The westbound
train on the st. Louis and San Francisco
road was derailed about ii 80 o'clock Thurs
day night near here. Fifty passengers were
more or less seriously injured and several of
them win die. Bandits are alleged to have
CAUSED the wreck. The train left st. Louis
at 9:l5 and was running at a high rate OF
speed three miles west of here, when, with
out warming, the track gave way and the To-
connective, baggage car and five coaches went
over the embankment
To the Rescue of the Victims.
The trainmen and those only slightly in
jured at once turned their attention to the
more unfortunate injured, and in a very
short time nearly fifty passengers, ALI badly
hurt, had been released from the debris. A
temp prary hospital was improvised and the
most seriously injured were taken there,
while others were taken to St Louis on. the
relief train, which was hurried to the scene
Of thu disaster. The wounded were placed
under the care of Dr. Mcintyre, chief sur
geon of the road. Most of the passengers
had retired when the shock came
Where the Wreck Took Place.
just three miles west of this place is a
sharp curve, and when this place was
reached sudden jar and jolt was felt all
over the train The people in the rear cars
could hear the forward coaches rafting and
tumb ing over the ties and the crushing
noises of the cars being demolished A creek
is crossed by the road at that point, and
there is a steep embankment thirty feet high.
Most Of the passengers thought the train was
going through bridge. In an instant all the
coaches except the two sleeping-cars had been
thrown from the rails. People were thrown
about in the cars in all directions, and some
were thrown from the coaches and down the
embankment
A Fortunate Circumstances.
For Iunately there were no fires in any of
the cars, and the jolt extinguished the lights
would have been caused. Most of the for
ward cars were smashed into atoms. On the
train we're many physicians returning from
Sprinl yield, where the state medical conven-
ton is being held, and they rendered valua-
BILE assistance in caring for the injured
Who Tempered with the Track?
The explanation given by the trainmen
was that the spikes and flsh-plates had been
removed from the rail at the curve, thus
leaving the rail too loose on the ties. The
forward portion of the locomotive passed the
place, but the tender jumped the track and
was thrown part of the way down the en-
banknent Who removed the spikes and
plates is not known, but the superstition is
that the work was done by train robbers who
wanted to hold up the train If the accident
was ca used by bandits they must have either
weake ned in their purpose or have thrown
the wrong train. The road officials claim il
Is a clear case of train wrecking.
The List of Injured.
The official list in part of the injured is
subjoined: d. s. Weikert, Wertzville. Mo.
both legs broken four inch above the ankle
George S. Simpson, Hancock county, Ills.
Patrick O'Day, aged years, fracture OF
skull, will probably die; Mrs Kate O'Day,
bruised about head. neck and side, and in
ternally; Martin O'Day, cut and bruised on
the face, also cut in right foot and bruised
about the chest; William Doherty, left hand
cut ard bruised; Mrs. Mary Griffith, Fair
Creek, Ills, injured on forehead and right
elbow broken; Mrs Mary Ash, Bloomington
Ind, bruised on left side and severely
shocked; DR. Ed s. Russell, Tuscarawas
Ohio, severe flesh wound, ear torn, cut in the
head, severe shock, but rally ing nicely
his wife also cut in the head; Emma Pater-
son, Decatur, Ills. Mrs W. j. Wright, De
catur, Ills ]. C. Hovele, Litchfield, Ills.
Croel Cresler, Galveston, Ind c. j. Wright
baggas eman, bruised on knee and right side
cut on face; Paul Horn, Mt Pulaski, Ills, q
cut on the head, bruised on shoulder; Mrs.
W. j. Wayne, Decatur, Ills, slightly bruised
little girl unhurt
The ODay family are relatives of Vice
President John O'Day, of the St Louis and
San Francisco railway, and the boy and hi:
mother are fatally hurt
Reward for the Miscreants-
Gene raj Manager Morrill, has offered a re-
ward Of 81, 600 for the arrest of the fiends
who wrecked the train. Nearly all of the in
Jured are still at Sullivan Under charge OF
the medical corps of the road.