Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-09-28

TEaRisLE WRECK on THE ZIG
FOUR NEAR MANTENo. IL.
Two Trsina Collide.

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Nine people we're killed and twenty
injured by q fearful rear-end collision
between two sections Of the Big Four
train. known as No. 45, near the village
Of Manteno, a few miles north Of Kan
kakee, on the line Of ths Illinois Gem
trial Railway. A special train left Chi
cage at $50 o'clock at night over the
line OF the Illinois Central railway, but
conducted by the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago and st. Louis Railway Com.
ANY. The train was in two sections
and was file d with Worlds Fair visit
ors from Indiana and the Southeast.
At 10 o'clock the first section stopped
ut Manteno. q town OF 600 inhabitants
fo.ty-six miles from Chicago. 1t is rs
ported that the fiagman did not go
back the proper distance to signal
the ether half of the train, approach
ing at a high spsed..
The locomotive Of the rear section
struck the rsar OF the sleeping car
ahead when going at the rate OF almost
q mile u minute. TIE engineer saw
the impending calamity and jumped
with the fireman after. doing every
thing D ssible to check the speed OF
the engine. Both we're badly bruised,
but escaped with their lives. The
three rear sleepers on section No. l
were tslescoped, TIE powerful engine
of the second section driving its way
into them. and every person in the
| crowded cars was killed Or injured.
scene Of Horror.
The scene about the accident was one
- o..ar Any - <,y
plowed it's dreadful way literally
through. the bodies of sleeping men
and women. Blood besmeared the iron
and wood of the shattered ca 9, that
taking on the force OF the locomotive
added to the disaster. The night wa:
dark and the shrieks of the injured
and dying mingled with the hiss OF the
steam from the broken boiler. The
| passengers on the coaches OF the train
behind escaped with nothing more than
a shock. which in some cases was
sufficiently eve to throw them
from their sleeping berths. Many Of
them dressed and hurried forward tC
assist in the work of ~rescuing the un'
fortunates who were still pinioned IL
the wreck. They were hardly on the
ground before the residents OF Mantent
had reached the spot. Houses near the
place of the collision were hastily
thre wn open, and each became an i'm
provised hospital. Several physicians
were on the cars and they passed among
the wounded. alleviating with the few
resources at their command the suffer
ings of the wounded. Sheets and table
cloths were torn into bandages ana
wounds skillfully dressed while BRAY,
u.,1 l,:.l1,. ,v,n,nas ,,Snsa<.nnl A., fhni,
wants with coffee hastily prepared ant
with cups OF water.
Help Arrives.
Some of the trainmen hurried Il
Manteno and then wired to Kankaket
and Chicago for assistance. A doZeI
physicians from kankakea arrived a
the scene of the wreck as rapidly q
as they could be conveyed in a hurried
~ made up train. AS soon as the in
ju,ed were rescued from the wreck
they ere taken to Manteno to bt
cared for prior to their removal t.
Chicago. The arrivals were timel.
and their efforts much appreciated b.,
the terror-stricken passengers. many
of whom, otherwise uniniured, were
suffering from the suddenness of the
shock and were going about wringins
their hands and crying.
The cries Of those who were caugh
by the broken timbers and twiste,
ironwork of the shattered sleeping
cars were pitiable and the work Of get
ting them ont attended with the vi
most difficulty, so thoroughly had tn
engine done its work Gf destruction
As the labors of the relief party pre-
ceeded. deal and dying were foun,
mingled with the sometimes uncon
scious bodies Of those whose lives wer
providentially preserved. The wors
of it all was in the rear car, wher,
the %ponderous locomotive had struc'
with unchecked force. But 8
tremendous was the impact that eacI
OF the three rear coaches contribute
its quota to the list Of casualties. Sew
eral we're hurt by being HURLED fror
upper berths to tho floor below. VIII
escaped further damage, but all thes
were able to be about. and some {
them aided afterward in the work {
nj C
Tne wreck was the worst that ha
occurred on the Illinois Cent. al systel
for twenty years. Several Of the il
jured are beyond recovery, aud it
probable that the list of fatalities wi
be swelled to fourteen.