Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-17
SIXTY FEET DOWN
The Terrible Plunge ola Fail
way Train.
SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF A TREsTLE.

Seven Persons Killed Out of Sixteen on
Board ard Miracle That Any Are
Alive-Five Wounded, But Not Seriously
Hurt-Frightful scenes at n st. Paul Fire
-One Fatality and Others Badly In
jured.
RICHMOND, Va, Aug. IA special to
The Dispatch from Danville says: An aw-
full accident occurred at the county line
trestle, just east of Milton, by which two
passenger coaches and a sleeper were pre-
cip;tated sixty feet into the creek below,
killing seven persons outright and wound
ing number of others. The train was
the regular train bound for Portsmouth
After passing through Milton and going
over the trestle, the engineer, Peytou Tun
stall, who says he was running at the rate
of ten miles an hour, felt the bridge giving
way. He threw open the throttle, and the
engine, tender, aud a box car got safely
over, but the passenger car was too late,
and the span went down under its weight,
the second passenger car and sleeper TO-
lowing.
Broke the Cars to Splinters.
The cars were shivered into kindling
wood and the escape of any of the passen-
gers was a miracle The water in the
creek had risen to the depth Of twelve or
more feet, and it is the general belief that
the rise had undermined the foundation of
the iron piers, causing the trestle to settle
| On the train at the time were about sixteen
persons, including the train hands. but
only one of the latter-Conductor Morris,
of Portsmouth-was killed: none of the
others ceiving serious injuries In tie
sleeper we;e Mrs. Harvey Giersch, two
children and nurse, of Winston, y. c.;
Conductor J. L. Sizer, of Richmond, and
J. r. Towns, colored porter The nurse
was drowned and the conductor and porter
injured.
Statement OF Conductor Sizer.
The station agent at Milton heard the
crash and Immediately gave the alarm by
tolling the bell. The people turned out
in full force and went to work at once to
rescue the dead and injured from the de
hris. J. L. Sizer, the Pullman conductor,
in speakieg of the accident said: Il had
| just gotten through with my collections
and had reported TO Captain Morris, who
had passed forward on the train, and was
| preparing to retire when the crash came
| Fortunately l was in the forward end of
my car. Mrs. Giersch's nurse was on the
rear end of the car where she was found
with her head and chest under the water,
| and was most probably drowned, as there
was no heavy timbers or anything else on
her body that might have caused her
| death"
Heroic Little Glrl-List of the Killed.
The little 1%-year-old daughter of Mrs.
| Giersch, not realizing the danger through
! which she had passed, said: Don't mind
me; am not hurt; but please take MAN.
! ma out"
| The following is the list of killed: II.
! Morris, conductor, Portsmouth, Va: w.
r. Ellison, Alton, Va; J. C. Davies, a
| farmer of Baskerville, Va; W. r. Elan,
! Durham, \. c.; James s. Lowe, railroad
| conductor from the west, who was pas
/ senger; Thomas Lee (colored), Winston. y.
| c.; Frances jenkins (colored), Salem. y. c.
| No One Seriously Injured.
| Following are the names of the wounded:
Mrs. Harvey Gersch, of Salem, y. c..
| slightly; J. l.. Sizer, Richmond, Va, Pull
man conductor, foot mashed and hurt
slightly in side; J. r. Townes, colored por-
| ter on Pullman, slightly bruised about the
| body; - Davis, flagman, hurt about
| head and face and foot sprained. The in
| juries of none will likely prove fatal. The
| loss to the company will be very heavy, as
the cars and full span of the bridge will
be a total loss.