Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-11-16
THE CRASH OF DEATH.

Eleven Wounded-The Result of q Rear
End Collision In . Fog Between an Elk
dalton.
CHICAGO, Nov. BY rear-end col
lision on the Chicago, Rock Island s.
Pacific railroad last evening at Seven
ty-frst street five people were killed
and eleven injured. Passenger train
No. II, known as the limited vesti-
buled express, crashed into the rear
end of Blue Island accommodation,
badly wrecking two coaches and the
engine.
The trains left on time. The ac-
commodation train stopped at Seventy
first street to receive and let off passen-
gers. Close behind it was the limited
express. bearing down on it at the rate
of twenty miles an hour. A heavy fog
had settled over the city early in the
evening, and it was almost impossible.
the trainmen said, to clearly discern
signal lights.
The engine of the express train
plowed its way into the rear coach of
the accommodation, being forced be-
tween the two sides like a wedge.
The car was picked up and carried for
ward, SO great was the momentum, and
was driven with terrible force into the
end of the second coach from the rear.
The explosion of lamp ignited the
woodwork in the debris and the fire
soon began to spread at a lively rate.
AS soon as the flames burst forth
they were seen by a dozen people, who
fastened to give an alarm. The fire
was preceded by very little smoke, and
before the first engine arrived it had
gained a lively Roadway. Several en-
gines responded to the alarm, and the
blaze was soon extinguished. The re-
moval of the dead and injured had
been commenced before the first detail
of police arrived. Bravely did those
passengers who had not been injured
and the people from the surrounding
houses earnestly work to rescue those
who were still in the mass of timber
and iron.
Encouragement was lent by the
groans of the dying and loud cries for
help of the MANNED. Two men were
found, one lying on top of the other.
Across them was heavy piece of tim
Der, one of the under supports of the
rear passenger coach, They were the
first to be taken out, and as they were
carried to one side, other willing hands
pushed forward to renew the search.
Added to the horror of the scene
with its pile of debris and cracking
timbers, was the sound of escaping
steam. The engine attached to the
limited express had been partly de-
molished and pouring from one of it's
escape pipes was constant stream of
scalding vapor.
Nicholas Hinze, of Walden, had been
chopped from beneath heavy timber
which pinned both of his legs to the
bottom of the car. His injuries were
of a serious nature and as the physi-
clans set his fractured leg he was COM
peeled to use as a support or brace the
dead body of a woman. The crowd at
tracted by the news of the wreck
surged in and about the little station.
Curious women forced their way
through the crowd to peer through
the windows at the dead and dying in
the stuffy room. So strong was the
rush that the police were compelled to
charge the crowd again and again. 1t
was even impossible to remove the
wounded from the front way and the
rear was used. Backed up against the
doors the ambulances and patrol
wagons waited and received the vic
Tins.
In the rear room, for the outer office
had become too small to hold the
many, was Miss Schaefer. She had
been frightfully scalded about the
head, but, weak and suffering, she per-
sisted in walking about the room. A
dozen Of the women of the neighbor-
hood, supported the young woman and
tried to cool her fever by tanning her
The passengers in the rear coach of
the passenger train had little warning
of their danger. Several people had
when the accommodation
stopped at the Eggleston depot about
200 feet south of Seventy-frst street,
and the train had been started again.
1t is not thought that the train was
moving at greater rate of speed than
from two to three miles an hour. Sud-
denly those sitting in the rear of the
first intimation which they had of the
express. The headlight
on the engine of the latter shone but
dimly through the fog-laden atmos-
phere, but several people saw it few
seconds before the crash came.
The suburban train which is known
as No 127, was drawn by engine No. 500.
in charge of A. Gary, N. w. Freeman,
conductor. The express train was
drawn by engine No. 936, and was in
charge of Nathan Dickerman, engineer;
Senzlsy, fireman, and A. T.
conductor. The collision
caused Gary to be thrown from his seat
in the cab, but he was not injured.
Eyewitnesses claim that soon after
the accident occurred a portly man
climbed into the cab, and, addressing
said:
''The railroad company won't want
you to be seen here"
s'What's that?" Dickerman is said to
have asked.
'sWhy the best thing for you to do is
to get away as fast as you can," the
is alleged to have replied.
There are those by whom it is claimed |
that Dickerman hastily threw aside his |
overalls and jumped from the engine |
and disappeared.
Struck an Open Switch.
MoBERLY, Nc. Nov. 1.-THE Chicago |
cannonball train on the Wabosh road, |
.,,b;c, loft Kansas Citv Tuesday even