The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-08
RAILWAY TRAGEDIES.
A Series of Fatal and Destruc.
tive Accidents.
Five Excursionists Killed in a
Collision.


train crashed into the rear Of an excursion
train on the Illinois Central Railroad. near
Eighteenth street. in Chicago, ILL.,, about
eight o'clock the other night. The collision
resulted in the loss of four or more lives.
The first reports from the police were to
Within half an hour four mangled corpSes
had been dragged out of the wreck.
The collision occurred near Douglass Park
and the victims were Sunday excursionists
Just reaching the city on their way
home from an afternoons outing. They
were on the third section of train home
ward bound from Addison, ILL.,, a town eight
cen miles from Chicago, where there are pic
mic grounds much frequented by Germans.
Two Illinois Central coaclss were telescoped
and third badly shattered.
At the Illinois Central trainmaster's Office
at ten o'clock that night it was stated that
only four persons had been reported killed
and about eight wounded. The killed were:
Miss Ginan. Of Chicago. Gilman, sister Of the
above, two unknown young men.
Conductor Henry Darlington, Of the pas
sengcr train, and one Of tho brakcmen have
been arrested. They refuse to talk, but it is
claimed that the signals were burning too
dimly to be seen. Eleven passengers were
injured.
A railroad official, who was a passenger on
the Burlington train, said:
"The Illinois Central train reached Lawn
dale and there was an obstruction in the way,
which brought the train to halt, and when it
had moved the length Of about two cars
1t was run into by the Burlington pas
senger train due in Chicago at 7:20 P. NJ.
The Burlington train left Riverside about
twenty minutes late. It appeared as
if there was no fagman to signal
the Burlington train, and running at
q speed Of about fifteen miles ap hour
it crashed into the rear Of the Illinois Cen
trail train, telescoping the second and third
cars from the rear Of the train and smashed
both ends Of the cars and raised them up
from the tracks so that they stood four or
five feet higher than the rest Of the train.
''The killed and wounded were taken out
by cutting away the sides OF the car with
axes and were taken to house near the sta
tion at Lawndale.
II believe if the coaches in which these
persons were injured had been Of decently
substantial construction there would not
have been serious injury to any passenger"
Cars Plunge Fifty Feet.
A frightful wreck occurred on the Wabash,
st. Louis and Pacific, near Neoga, Iowa,
about three o'clock on recent morning.
The following is the list of the killed:
Burke Joseph, fireman, Of Stanbury, Mo. :;
Eslridge, Martin, engineer, of Stanbury,
Mo-; Williamson, R. s., head brakeman, Of
Macon, Mo.
The accident occurred at trestle about
three hundred feet long, which crosses cut
made by creek through hills. The bridge
is at the end Of curve so sharp that per-
son standing one hundred yards to
the east can Just see the end Of it. The
cars and O caboose, was just crossing round
this curve from the east when the whole
western half of the bridge was discovered to
be q mass of flame. The brakenien were at
their posts, as the grade is steep at this point,
and the engineer reversed the lever, but it
scarcely checked the train.
The engine struck the bridge and went
down into the burning chasm fifty feet be-
low, while the cars piled above it in shape
less mass.
Brakeman Williamson was hurled against
a tree and his skull crushed so that he died
in q few minutes. Engineer Eskridge was
undoubtedly crushed to death in tho wreck,
although his body has not yet been found.
Fireman Burke was found with his left
hand pinioned under girier, but otherwise
unhurt. Above him was a tank Of oil, the
lower end of which was already enveloped
in flames, and he begged the conductor and
the rear brakemen who found him to cut of
his hand rs the only means OF saving him
from the impending explosion Of the oil
tank.
They made desperate effort to pull him
loose, but being unable to do SO finally
started for the az in the caboose, but before
they could get to him the explosion took
place, and Burke was burned to death.
The bridge is supposed to have been set on
fire by Goals from an east bound local freight,
which crossed the bridge about nine O'Clock
in the evening.
Carrying the Wounded Home.
The persons injured in the wreck at Shoe
makersville, Penn, who were transferred to
the Reading Hospital, were taken to their
homes as rapidly as their, condition
only six remaining in the in
stitution. The scene Of thu wreck was
visited by thousands of curiosity seekers.
The damage to the tracks has all been
repaired and trains are running as usual.
The engine was moved from its resting
place in the river to poiEt near the bank.
The debris Of the broken cars which has beer
dragged out OF the water is still lying along
the bank.
It is not probable that any thing new will be
ELECTED as to how the accident happened be-
yond what has already been published. The
disaster is regarded as having been purely
accidental.
The name of David Amgstadt, barber OF
Mahanoy City, should be added to the list Of
the dead. This brings the number Of victims
up to twenty-five.
Brakeman Killed.
Two Santa Fe freight trains collided near
La Plata, Mo. Brakeman Cells was instant
ly killed, and one Of the engineers and his
fireman were dangerously injured. Both
engines were demolished and four cars were