Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-22
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
A Fireman on a Passenger Train
Caught Under the Engine,
ALL OTHERS ESCAPE USuURT
Evan stephens Tells VI the Belle
PLANE Accident on the Chicago
aud Northwestern.

This morning the mail brought to
hand Professor Evan Shepherds letter
regarding the railway disaster In
which he and party OF Salt Lakers
were on the ith instant, IA stated ON
that day in a telegram 10 the NEWS
from Belle Plaine, Iowa. The letter
hAs by some means boon delayed i've
days In transit. IL reads:
In wreck? Yes, and forum.
ately, out Of it, and live. But
one soul stepped across the narrow
gulf into eternity, the rest Of w
being permitted to stand on the brink,
scarcely conscious OF tho nearness NJ
the awful abyss. Only by degrees did
the situation dawn upon us as We
neared the massive ensine lying In a
sleaming heap OF metal, mud, earth
and spiintoTs IN roadside ditch, it,
great body half cfouchrd against the
bank like some wounded snimnl on the
point Of expiring. Then came upon
our hali.Tousod senses tho awfulnCtH
and reality Of what had taken place.
As quickly Ms possible We enqulrod
at each section, where our friends
were n moment before slumbeTing, II
all were safe; then ~ quickly I'D.
vised them to hastily don their
Taiment aud leave the car lest
another calamity might follow
another rushing train dash upon Us be-
fore our bewildered trainmBu gave the
signal OF danger; for fire or steam
might DO doing deadly work, rs our
berths were almost even with the de.
rallied engine.
How quiet everything wasl /
thought | heard one cry nj fret, hut
everything became AZ stlll as n Il were
only an ordinary halt nj n station. We
alighted. The morn was Just breaking,
anu In the dim light we beheld an app
palling sight. The track 10 our left
was torn into splinters. Just beyond
the heap, against the bank, and
straight across the track, lay the bag
gage car ON Its side, with the sleeper
next 10 our own crashed into IL, while
the coach that was originally between
the two lay the opposite slide OF the
track, side towards uy, with only One
end broken through. Our own car was
but slightly damaged, by being some
what thrown against the one ahead OF
Us. There was a broken window caused
by the nyint debris OF the torn up
track. This was In a section used by
two Of our party.
AS we gaLed upon the wreck about
us we listened with dread for cries
OF suffering, but none were heard.
Marvelously, every one seemed 10 have
escaped. The engineer came out
OF the heap Of debris almost
unhurt Hut wait; one is missing.
| The fireman IL nowhere 10 be seen.
| He In buried In the bank with the
engine. Only onel But to one fond
mother, one loving vito q year ago
"a happy bridel, II Is almott tao esnIe
us II tue whole creation was In that
| lileless mars, while we, In seeing each
othersBfe, almost felt, Tor the moment,
ns n the whole world should rejoice
with US IN our deliyeranctl PARDON.
able selfshne ness, perhaps, Tor the world
10 wide and contains many ihrobbing
hearts, with but few VINO beat In the
unison OF friendship with our own.
In about an hour the mangled iom
OF the fireman was taken from under
the engine. Death doubtless had been
instantaneous. Tho baggage was
iished out Of the battered baggage car,
many trunks with tho contents having
been ruined. In six hours the track
was cleared anu the undampgod cars,
drawn by another locomotive, car.
ried the delayed passengers toward tho
"White CITY" ~ II nothing had hap
peued.
A Hat car, which had not been ST.
| suTely fastened on side track, had
rolled It's way on 10 tho main road dur
I A Al.