The historic times., 1891-10-24
FATAL WRECKS.

A Fast Train the c., B. & Q. Wrecked In
Illinois Persons Killed and Many
InJured-The Switch Had Been Tam
pered With-Wreck on the B. & o.
GALEsBURG, Ill, Oct. 2o.-The Chi
cago, Burlington & Quincy fast passen'
ger train No. 5. which left here at 1876
! o'clock last night, was wrecked at the
pottery" switch near Monmouth, six
teen miles west of here, twenty-five
minutes later. The train was running
| at high rate of speed.
| The switch was partly turned and
the locomotive left the main track and
started on the sidetrack. Some of the
| cars behind kept on the main track.
The whole train of seven cars. save the
sleeper, was derailed and turned over
on it's side, the cars being scattered
around in great confusion. There was
no telescoping.
There were on the engine Engineer
A. A. Emery and Fireman Nels Ander-
son, of this city, and George Courtney,
the travelling engineer, who went on
the trip to see how the new locomotive
worked 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.
In the first chair car back of the
smoker, in q seat in the middle of the
car, sat George Allen with his wife and
baby. Mrs. Allen was next to the
window and as the car tipped over her
head was driven through the window
and she was instantly killed. The baby
was hurled across the car, and save a
cut on the head, was uninjured. Mr.
Allen received only bruises. He found
his baby first then he CROPPED his way
from the car for lantern and, return
ing, found his wife dead.
A large force of surgeons and rail-
road officials went from here and Bur-
lington. In addition to those killed
eighteen were injured, but the injuries
of some were SO slight that they left on
the next train. Great surprise is ex-
pressed that the list was not larger.
Those killed are: Mrs. George Allen.
of Lemoni, Ill; F. S. Johnson, of Avon,
ILL.,; George Courtney, of Galesburg,
H.; A. A. Emery, of Galesburg, III.
The most ser iously injured are:
Elizabeth J. Mcdonald, of South
Melford, Ia, arm broken; T. j.
Kirby, of Lenox, Ia, left arm
mashed; John Burner, of Foreston, H.,
left arm torn off; Gus Wiggers, of Rock
Island Ill, hip hurt; Fireman Nels An
derson, Of Galesburg, H., scalded, may
recover; Frank Valtershall, of Chicago,
cut about the head.
F. c. Rice. superintendent of the Illi-
nois lines of the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy, expressed the opinion that
the switch had been tampered with.
After the wreck the switch was found
half turned with the pin hanging down
and the switch locked. A switch en-
gine had been working on the side
track during the afternoon, but subse-
quently seven trains passed over the
switch in safety. Just a year ago a
fast mail train ran off the same switch
and several people were injured. 1t is
a standard split" switch and was re-
garded as perfectly safe.
WRECK ON THE B. o.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Oct. % "A fright |
full wreck occurred N the Baltimore & |
Ohio railroad, near St Johns station,
forty miles east of Cumberland, Nd,
yesterday afternoon, resulting in the |
instant killing of the engineer and fire.
man and the injuring of several others,
three of whom will die.
The accident was caused by the
spreading of the rails. The train, which
was No. 6, left here at o'clock and
was running at the rate of fifty miles
an hour when suddenly the engine
jumped the track and was followed by
the baggage car, postal car, smoker, pas
senger coach and two sIeepers. The train
ran along the ties for distance of 300
yards tearing up the ties, and then
overturned. 1t was complete wreck
and the only wonder is that more were
not hurt The tracks were blocked for
many hours and all the trains were de-
layed. The loss to the railroad will be
heavy.