Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-13
TERRIBLE WRECK.
Omaha in Mourning Over an
Awful Railroad Collision.
TwENTY-E1eHT LIVES ARE LOST.
Fifty More Pe:son Seriously Hurt and
Probably 700 More o. Less
Injured.

Excursion Train in Collision with . Freight !
on the Northwestern Road Through the |
Forgetfulne.s of the Engineer-Locomo-
tive Piows Its Way Into . Coach Filled
with People and Makes Frightful Havoc
List of the Dead and Wounded-Acci-
dent Near Chicago in which Five are
Killed-Drowniny in Kansas.
OMAHA, July 13.-Omaha is city Of
mourning with n full realization of the
greatest catastrophe that ever wreaked
death and desolation in the hearts and
firesdes Of the city's people. No part of
the city was spared. There are broken
and bleeding hearts everywhere, and sor-
row reigns supreme. The cause OF this
sorrow was u head-end collision between
Logan and Missouri Valley on the north
western road Saturday evening in which an
excursion train collided with fast freight
Never did u day of pleasure end with
more awful disaster. Twenty-eight peo-
We're killed and fifty-one injured, many of
whom will die. Twenty-iour of the dead
are identified, and the others are SO badly
mutilated that Identification is hardly
possible. 1t was not until after the morn
ing papers were out yesterday that ar-
thentic information became generally
known. Then it spread with wonderful
rapidity. In addition to the dead and
wounded mentioned above 100 others We're
more or less hurt.
Engineer Had Forgotten His Orders.
The wreck occurred as a result of En-
gincer Montgomery, of the excursion
train, mistaking orders. He was ordered
TO wait Mt Logan until the fast freight and
the east-bound passenger train had passed.
He waited for the passenger and then
started out, having forgotten about the
freight. The trains We're going fifty miles
an hour when they met three miles west
of Logan. Engineer Montgomery jumped
and escaped with broken arm. Satur-
day morning the Union Pacitic's pioneer
picnic was taken out over the Northwest
| ern to spend the day at Logan, and the
same night, as the excursion train loaded
with 1000 persons. all residing in and
about this city, was moving out of Logan
! it was struck by the train going east
| The two engines crashed together and in
an instant freight and passenger coaches
were piled one upon the top of another.
Word was at once sent to this city and in
II short time special train with doctors
and officers of the road on board was sent
out from Council Bluffs.
Description of the Collision.
The wrecked passenger train was a spe-
| cial of eleven coaches, with 1000 passen-
gers aboard. The excursion train had oily
started from the side track at the picnic
grounds between Logan and Missouri Val
ley when the train thundered around the
curve beyond the picnic grove and crashed
| hcad-cnd into the lighter passenger train n.
The heavier engine crowded the light loco
motivc Of the special from the track and
| crashed through the baggage car and half
| through the first coach before the fearful
velocity with which it was speeding was
stopped. The kissing steam from the
beilcrs added to the dismay of the terrified
passengers. which mingled with the awful
shrieks from the dying and injured vic
tins made il n scene terrible in its fearful
ness.
| Omaha Waited in Agony.
The railway people refused to permit de.
tails Of the wreck TO get out through their
offices. and all night people waited for
official lists of dead to reach the city. Only
those who had witnessed the pathetic
scenes that marked Saturday night could
fully realize the agony of these waiting
people. The list of the injured is a lengthy
one. 1t contains twenty-eight names OF
persons who were seriously hurt-danger
ously so to greater or less degree. In
addition there We're at least LOO, if not q
greater number, who received injuries of
minor nature. These consisted Of bruises
and cuts or slight disfigurcments which
will practically amount to nothing. A
considerable number also We're shaken uT
severely, but beyond this We're uninjured