Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-06
IN A WATERY ABYSS
Plunge Six Cars on the Santa Fe
R. R., Filled With Passengers.
SEVEN PEOPLE GOODWIN TO DEATH.
The Trestle, Weakened by Washouts, Gave
Way Without Warning.
WESTERN RAILROADS IN BAD SHAPE

FORT MADISON, Ia, May 5.-Without a
word of warning, in the midst of fright
full storm, the eastbound transcontinental
express on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad, filed with human beings
wrapped in slumber, plunged through a
trestle weakened by rain to death, at about
1:45 o'clock this morning, between Revere
and Medill, in Missouri, about 265 miles
from Chicago
1t was frightful night The rain fell as
1t has never been known to fall before, and
only an occasional flash of lightning could
be seen in the gloom. The train had come
through from San Francisco, Los Angeles
and Mexico to Kansas City on time. On
arriving at Kansas City at 4:40 on Wednes-
day afternoon, orders were received to hold
it until $40 and run to Chicago on the time
of the Denver limited, which was very late.
At $40 the train, composed Of postal car,
baggage car, smoker, chair car, tourist
sleeper and two Pullman coaches, COM
menced Its run to Chicago.
Tho Fatal Bridge Is Reached.
All was well until pile and trestle
bridge over the Fox river was reached.
This bridge is about 175 feet long and 80
feet high. Two hours before the transconti-
mental express struck the bridge heavy
freight train passed over it in safety, but
the heavy rains had swollen the torrent
which ragged beneath the rails to a minia-
ture Niagara, which had carried the bridge
out of line, yet left it standing. So tar as
the engineer on the locomotive could see,
all was well.
With wheels turning slowly for safety's
sake, for the storm was terrific, the train
crawled slowly upon the bridge. The en-
gine crossed in safety, but not so the re-
mainder of the train, for the bridge went
down with its precious load, only the en-
gine and rear sleeper remaining on either
end of the abutments. The other part of
the train was precipitated into the swiftly
flowing waters in the ravine below.
A Plunge Into a watery Ravine.
Five cars with theirload of human freight
and the remains of the bridge sank together
in one mass of crushed timbers, torn and
twisted iron work and mangled humanity.
Then arose wild shrek from the wounded
and dying, rising above the roar of the
storm.
The engineer and fireman from one side of
the stream, and the uninju ured occupants of
the rear sleeper on the opposite bank, tried
to give what aid was possible to the unfor-
tunates battling for life in the ravine be-
low. Then men sprang from the windows
of the wrecked cars, and, fighting their way
through the water filled with debris, reached
the bank and fell to the ground exhausted.
Seven sank in the wreck to die. Twenty
six are known to have been injured. The
following is list of the killed:
WILLIAM HYNES, Oklahoma City. OF
Ian MARKLE. or MARKE, Kansas City.
Join Il 6. GREENEs Macon. Ga.
posed to be from Los Angeles; her ticket was for
Allegheny.
It is also rumored that the engineer and
fireman have been killed, but this is denied
because the engine passed over in safety.
The injured are:
The Long Roll of the Manned.
J. Tucker. conductor, Dawnes Grove; Martin
Regan. brakeman, Riverside; Andrew Roman,
express messenger; Claud Bell postal clerk; R. E.
butcher. postal clerk Mrs. Jane Hisey, Riverside,
j. c. Winslow, ChicagoI 81. NJ. Cutler, Chicago;
H. C. Cowling, Chicago; n. Lancaster, Chicago;
W. A. Allen, Athens. Pa. A. ID. Meade, Still
water. Mimi; Joseph Gunther. Chicago; o. L.
k1Psas sDGdsyE cy Bs5nes
Tough. Chetopa, Kan. !, james Marion, sedley,
ND Frank Grayss Sons SSedley nd w Smith
Athens. Pa; Robert Schultz, Lexington Junction.
Adams, o. L. Bogss, j. Mason and ". W. G. Smith.
The extent of the injuries have not yet
been ascertained. This morning there were
washouts on all sides Of this place, three on
the Santa Fe and three on the Chicago, Bur-
lington and Quincy. The greatest accident
at bridge 15O feet long and 80
feet high.
scant News ObtainabIe In Chicago.
A dispatch from Chicago SAYS: Third Vice
President j. D. Springer, of the Atchison,
and w. f. White, the passenger traffic
manager, used every effort to obtain fuller
details of the accident, and freely furnished
all the information in their power to the
and anxious relatives of the pas
sengers who besieged the Atchison offices
demanding Information. It was with great
difficulty that messages could be gotten
through.
Superintendent H. c. Ives started for
the wreck early in the morning, but was
confronted with three feet of water on the
track at Lockport The road was under
water east of Fort Madison, and the wires
were down for miles. The eastbound Den
yer express, which followed the trans
continental express, attempted to run
around the wreck on the Keokuk and
Western branch Of the Burlington, but was
stopped by landslide few miles out of
No trains have arrived in Chicago on the
Atchison since the Kansas City local came
in at A. M. to-day. This train crossed the
fatal trestle about $40 P. NJ. Wednesday.
No trains were sent out to-day, but it is e1-
pected the line will be opened tomorrow.