The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-06
TUMBLED INTO A TORRENT
A Train on the Santa Fe Crashes
Down Through High
Trestle.
Five Cars Filled With PASSENGERS
Fall Thirty Feet Into the
~"@ River .@.
Seven, and Possibly More, Lives Are Lost
and Thirty, at Least, Injured-Ihe
Unfortunates.

FIT. MADIsoN. Iowa, May 5.-A friphtful
railroad accident occurred early this morn
ing on the Atchiaon. Topeka d Sante Fe,
twenty five miles west, near Dnmas, Mo.
without word Of warning in the midst of
frightful storm, thsa eaatbound trans-
continental express, filed with human be-
inRs wrapped in aumber. plunged through
trestle weakened by rain. killing seven
people aud woundin9 number Of others
The great express come through from San
Francisco, Los Angles and Mexico to Kan
sas City, and left there at GAO Wednesday
afternoon. Ihs train was composed Of 1
postal, baggage, smoking, chair, tourist
and two Pullman coaches. The bridge
| through which the tram plunged was about
l75 feet long and thirty feet high, over tho
| Fox river. The terrible rains Of tho past
month seemed TO reach their climax
last night and carried the bridge ont
of line, yet left it standing
and, 30 far as the engineer could see, all
right. Owing to the terrible storm tho
tram crawled sloWly ON to the bridge; tho
engine crossed in safety, but not the rest OF
train, for the bridge went down with the
load. the engine and rear sleeper remaining
on either side of the abutments. The
other portion Of the train was preeipitated
into the mad current which was rushing
through the ravine.
Five cars with their load of human
freight and the remainder of the bridge
sank together in one conglomerats mass of
crushing timbers, torn and twisted iron
work and mangled humanity. There arose
wierd shrek from the wounded and
a ok &k, ~.
engineer and fireman and the uniniured oc-
cupants Of the rear sleeper hurried to the
rescue. Some Of the passengers in the
wrecked cars escaped, and fighting their
way through the whirling torrent reached
the banks and fell to the ground exhausted.
Seven sank in the wreck to die, and twenty
five are known to have been injured.
The following is the list Of the killed.
William Hynes. Oklahoma City; Lon Mar
kell, Kansas City; Luther Cornelius, Kirks-
vile. Mo-; 8. 4. Verkler, Westport. No.;
John G. Gtones Macon, Mo-; lady and
from Los Angeles. tt was also rumored
that the engineer and fireman had been
killed but this is denied on the ground that
the engine passed over In safety.
The injured are: j. Tucker. conductor.
Downer's Grove; Martin Reagan, brake
A~'A's 1S4'SA1ANSs AAAA0V lSOAhA8 OAPEOb6
messenger; Claude Bell, postal clerk; r. Il,
butcher, postal clerk; Mrs. Jane Hizy,
Riverside; J. G. Winslow, Chicago; II. G.
CowlinR; N. Lancaster. Chicago; w, A.
Allen, Athens, Pa; Robert Schultz, Lex
ineton junction, Mo-; j. +. Hurlgen. Read
ing, Pa; William Adams; q. L. Boys; J.
4. Snyder; s.. A. Laugh, j. Mason; F.
Graves; W. g. Smith; A. D. Meads,
saltwater, Mimi: L. 8. Downs. Okla
homn City. .. T.; F. W. Moore, Winnebaeo,
H.; r. Il. Moellen, Kansas CITY; Mrs. A. J.
Sullivan, Coffyville, KAN; Alice Hughes,
Sedan, Kan; Mrs. J. II. Heating. Ration,
N. M; Mr.. and Mrs. w. w. Isham, River
side, Ill; an Italian woman, unknown.
Some fifty others suffered from slight outs
and scratches.
relief train was sent from here at three
4. m. The train arrived there after day
Light and rendered valuable assistance to
the suffering passengers. In the meantime
the Colo ado express came up to Medill
and started for Fort Madison, via the Keo-
kuk d Western road. A few miles north OF
Keokuk the train ran into . landslide and
narrowly escaped ditchina. Many Of the
injured are in serious condition, but only
two fatal Examinations are anticipated.
Most of the passengers were able to pro-
coed, transferred. 1t will require several
days to clean up the wreck and pus the
track in working order.