Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-10
TRAIN FELL 40 FEET
A Rock Island Accommodation
Wrecked by Scoundrels.
A DOZEN LIVES OR MORE LOST
Last Nights Terrible Disaster Near
Lincoln, Neb.
INJURED BURNED TO DEATH


and Pacific railroad where it crosses on a
high trestle the tracks of the Union Pa
cific ana Burlington and Missouri River
| railroads at 10 o'clock last night.
| Train No. 8 is an accommodation, called
| Fort Worth accommodation" and is due
to arrive here at $40 pm. Last night 1t
was about ten minutes late. and was max
ing it up when 1t struck the trestle across
SALE creek, about four miles from the city.
When it struck the trestle the rails i'm
/ meGiately spread, and the engine ,dra wing the
two cars after, went humping along over
the cross ties for about fifty feet and then
| with crash IL fell forty feet to the bed
of the creek below. The engine burst and
| glowing Goals spreading ignited the wood
| of the supports and coaches behind ii, and
! In few moments the bridge dry finder
/ from lts long exposure 10 the sun, was one
mass Of flames. and Goals falling upon the
! coaches lying in the Citches set them afire.
| ana five minutes after the first warning the
tire mass Of cars with their load of hui
man freight below was mass of flames.
An Awful sight.
l. 1t was an awful sight The flames mount
! e1 high in the heavens, coloring the entire
southern sky brilliant red, and from be
! low shreks of agony and pain were heard
Il issue. Willing hands We're there to help.
/ but little could bc done. The engine had
| fallen first then a combination car of
! smoker and express coach fell partially
! upon that. and the Tear coach falling be
! hind it telescoped that car, thus pinioning
| these unfortUnates who We're in the smoker
| 50 that ii was impossible to save them or
! for them to escape.
! Harry Foote, the brakeman who did so
| efficient work at the wreck, says lie is
/ positive that there were at least ten men
! In the smoker; six of them he can describe.
In addition to the crew he mentions man
I whose name he does not know, employed
/ by an elevator builder named Counselman
at NaTka. Kans. There were also several
/ passengers who got on at Janesen and two
1 who got on at Pawneo City.
! Foote says that when he took out Fred
. Scott the baggage master, who was cry
ing for help. he heard a groan from the
/ smoker and again another when the flames
/ reached II, but that was all. Probably all
were crushed 10 death, as the car was
smashed almost perfectly fiat.
I one man was found lying outside the
/ smoker. He was probably on the plat
/ form when the train went over He was
hseriousy but not fatally injured, and is
/ now AT the Opeit House.
ParnIyzcd " 18th Fright.
The passengers rescued from the third
car were paralyzef with fright and could
| only lie on their backs and moan, rendering
no assistance to the work of rescuers one
! family OF RUsSiaES, consisting Of a man.
wife and child, was completely panic
stricken that. like horses in a fire, they
could not IL induced to leave the car and
| had to be carried. The wrecking crew SO
/ far has discovered only few 5lackened
/ bones and fragments of burned flesh.
.. S. Bell, the Lincoln travelling man.
was not killed, as at first reported. but ter
! ribly injured internally. He was taken TO
! his home North 10th street.
Among the thirteen passengers in the
chair car were Mrs. Fritz and sister-in-law.
/ who were badly shaken and bruised. J. +.
| Putt, Lincoln travelling man. had three
! ribs broken and is a mass of cuts and
| bruises, but it is thought he will recover
j. X BTlnkeT. Denver travelling
| was supposed to have been killed. but he
turned up this morning, having missed the
Col. bills story.
Col. c. J. Bills. treasurer of the National
| Guard AssoCia ton of the United States.
| was one of the fortunate passengers, and
! his story is as follows:
jay Mcdowell and myself were seated in
| the middle of the car and as we discovered
| that the train was likely to go over the
| trestle, Mcdowell skated down the aisle.
! called to him to lie down. and the next
| instant the crash came. The engine went
| overheard first and the smoker on top of
| that. and the rear coach, in which we We're
seated, jammed down upon the other. The
| car was crowded with passengers. and We
were forced along the back Of seats IN front
of us, and all but Mcdowell and myself
were horribly mangled. As soon as posi-
| bic, we climbed through window. and ia
fifteen minutes succeeded in eXtricatinE
nine persons who We're jammed in the de
bris. Hearing the shr'els and cries for help
on all sides, / left Mcdowell and ran three
miles across the country to the penitentiary
without making stop. / had Warden Bee
mer telephone the police department, and
they responded promptly and nobly with
the patrol wagon, carriages and physi-
clans.
Killed and Injured.
Those known to have been killed are as
follows:
c. u. Stannard, conductor, Council Bluffs:
burned 10 death.
William Craig, fireman, Fairbury, Neb:
burned under engine.
Isaac Depew, Council Bluffs; instantly
killed
w. o. Hambel, Fairbury, Neb.; attorney:
burned to death
Munger, travelling man for Councilman.
the grain dealer.
E. II. Zelnecke, abstractor Lincoln
Henry Heyers, blacksmith, Council Bluffs
-- Counselman, elevator builder, Narka.
Kan.
The injured are
f. T. Scott, HoltCn. Kan: express mes
senger; fatally injured internally.
Col. c. J. Bills, Fairbury. Neb.; treasurer
of the National Guard Association of the
United States; leg badly cut: will recover
Jay Mcdowell Fairbury, Neb; legs cut
and head badly bruised.
Harry Foote. Council Bluffs; brakeman;
| leg broken.
J. f. Putt. travelling man, Lincoln, Neb:
| internal injuries.
Two ladies living in the Billingsley block.
LlncOln, NeD., SnSntly injured.
| A passenger named SOgrel; hurt about the
head
A number of people are missing and it is
| feared that c. L. UnrUb. mother and son
| of Jansen, Kan, are among the dead
NJ. Beaver, a clothier, and A. b. Eddie
| insurance agent, both of Pawnee City can
| not be found, and are supposed to have
| perished
An unknown man, said 10 have come from
Mcpherson, Kan, on the way to the Black
| hills. is supposed to be among the dead
1t is reported by Brakeman Foote the
| only of the train crew that escaped
| that five travelling men and two farmers
| were IN the car and burned.
Work OF Mreckers.
There Is no question that the disaster WAS
the work of train wreckers. ]. W. Glover.
| section man, today said he saw three we'll
| dressed mel jump a freight and 90 west
He said that the men each carried long
brand new satchel. This gives rise to
suspicion that 1t may have been some OF
| the Round Pond. Okla, enemies of the
Rock Island Marks made by a wrench on
| a loosened rail were plainly visible, and the
marks Of crUwbar on the GROSS ties were