Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-10-22
AWFUL RAILROAD DISASTER.
Four People Killed Outright and a
Score Injured.

A Half-turned Switch Responsible for the
Calamity - Believe That II Had Been
Tempered With--shocline Scenes About
the Wrecked Train.
Associated Press Dispatch By Special Wires.
GALEsBuRo, I'LL, Oct. 21.--The Chicago
Burlington a Quincy fast passenger train,
No. B, which left here at 1880 o'clock last
night met with terrible accident at the
Potter's switch near Monmouth, eight
miles west of here % minutes later. The
train was running at high rate Of speed.
The facts show that the switch was partly
open and the locomotive left the main
track and started on the side track. Some
of the cars behind kept on the main track.
As result the whole train of seven cars
and the sleeper were derailed and turned
over on their sides, the cars being scattered
around in great confusion. There was no
telescoping. There was on the locomotive
Engineer A. A. Emery and Fireman Nels
Anderson of this city and George Courtney
the travelling engineer who went out on
the trip to see how the new locomotive
would work.
Anderson was blown from the cab by
the steam, Emery and Courtney had no
chance to escape and their bodies were
found close to the locomotive. The bag
gage and express men were thrown across
euSif ooiS oub ihliacOuHiy escHpeu INJURY.
a young man named Frank s. johnson Of
Avon, who with W. r. Hardy, of Abing-
don. was standing on the steps Of the
smoking car, attempted TO jump off. He
was thrown under the wheels and killed.
Hardy jumped and escaped injury. The
baggage car caught fire, but the flames
were promptly exrnguished by Baggage
Master John Dore.
Oscar Zimmerman was pitched through
a window of the smoking car and was un-
hurt. He hurried back to stop two !ncom-
ing trains. The saddest casualty happened
in the first chair car, right back Of the
smoker. In one seat In the middle of the
car sat George Allen, his wife and baby
Mrs. Allen was next TO the window and as
the car tippled over, her head was driven
through the window and she was instantly
killed. The baby was hurled across the
car and, save scratch on the head was
bruises. He found his baby first, then
CROPPED his way from the car for lantern
and returning found his wife dead.
The scene after the wreck is said TO have
been heartrending and painful. The i'm
prisoned passengers beat out the windows
of the cars to effect their escape.
A large force of surgeons and railroad
officials went from here TO Burlington. In
addition to the four killed Is were injured,
pub biG VI bOilit were 80 SllRQJ lDfL
they left on the next train. Great Surprise
is expressed that the list OF fatalities was
not larger.
The killed are, Mrs. George Allen,
Lomoni, ILL.,; +. L. johnson, Avon, ILL.,;
George Courtney, Galesburg, ILL.,; A. A.
Emery, Galesburg, Ill.
The most serious injured are Elizabeth
J. Mcdonald, South Melford, Ia, arm
broken; 7. ]. Kirby, Lenox, Ia, left arm
mashed; John Busner, Forreston, ILL.,, left
arm torn Off Gus Wiggers, Rock Island,
ILL.,, hip hurt; Fireman Anderson, Gales
burg, Ill, seriously hurt but may recover;
Frank Kittrich, Chicago, cut about the
head
Mr.. Courtney was one of the oldest engi-
neers OH the road, having been with the
company before the war. The coroner
visited the scene of the wreck and will
hold the inquest tomorrow.
+. G. Rice, superintendent of the Illinois
lines Of the G.. B. & O., expressed the
opinion that theswitch had been tempered
with. After the wreck the switch was
found half turned with the pin hanging
down and the switch locked. A switch
engine had been working on the side track
during the afternoon but subsequently
seven trains passed over the switch in
safety.
Just year ago the fast mail ran off the
same switch and several were injured. It
is standard split switch and was regarded
as perfectly safe.