Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-07-16
A HEAD-END COLLISION.
Twenty Eight People Killed in an Iowa
Train Wreck.

llslon that resulted IN an appalling
loss of life occurred ON the Chicago &
Northwestern road, between Logan and
Missouri valley, at $3.50 tonight.
The best information indicates that
twenty-eight are dead and fifty. one in
Jured, many of whom will die.
The wreck occurred as result of
Engineer Montgomery, of the excursion
train, mistaking orders. He was or.
dered to wait at Logan until the fast
mail and the east-bound passenger had
passed. He waited for the passenger
and then started out, having forgotten
about the mail. The traius were going
at the rate of fifty miles an hour, when
they met three miles west of Logan.
Engineer Montgomery jumped and es.
capped with broken arm.
The officials of the road positively
refused to give any information con.
cerning the matter, stating it is some.
thing that concerns them, and not the
public. They even refuse to handle
the Western Union business, and all
the information secured comes by the
Omaha Bees courier service and by
telephone.
This morning the Union Pacific
Pioneers picnic was taken out over
the Northwestern to spend the day at
Logan, and tonight, as the excursion
train loaded with 1900 persons, all
residing in and about this city, was
moving out of Logan, it was struck by
fast train going east The two en-.
gines crashed into each other, and in
an instant freight and passenger
coaches were piled one upon the other.
Word was at once sent to this city,
and in short time special with doc
tors and officers of the road ON board
was sent out from Council Bluffs.
Reporters were detailed to accompany
the train, but, instead of allowing
them to board the train, they were
elected with the remark that 1--WE
don't want any id reporters.
The two engines were completely
demolished and the first two cars of
each train telescoped. Both crews es.
capped by jumping. The dead were
mostly in the first coach of the excur-
sion train.
The list of the injured is lengthy
one. 1t contains at least twenty-eight
or more names of persons who were
seriously hurt, dangerously SO to a
greater or less degree. In addition,
there were at least fifty, if not a great
or pup har xuhn rooo;uod ;r;r,;o, 90 4,
minor nature. These consisted of
bruises and cuts or slight distigure-
ments, which will practically amount
to nothing. A considerable number
were also shaken up but not injured.
This was especially the case among
the passengers who occupied the cars
Immediately behind the one which was
demolished.
All the dead and injured were
brought to Omaha today.
The train which carried the dead ar.
rived at the Union depot at $3.50
o'clock. 1t had been given out that
it would not arrive until noon, an6
this was responsible for the fact that
only few of the relatives of the lost
were there to receive their bodies. Bu
even then, there was enough of heart
breaking woe to touch the sympathies
of those who saw the pitiful spectacle
/ The police had stretched ropes across
the platform to keep back the crowd
and the trainmen, assisted by a posse
of police, tenderly lifted the bodie,
from tho train and deposited them in 8
long, CHASTITY row on the floor in thu
baggage.room. Each was covered by
sheet, and when the line was com
plete, passage was cleared and thos,
who had friends among the dead were
allowed to pass through the improviset
morgue.
One by one they passed down tn,
line, lifting the coverings from eacl
bruised and blackened face as the,
went along. Some of them failed tt
find the face they carried in thei,
hearts. Others found it but too soon
and their sufferings. as they behelC
the terrible certainty that killed al
hope, was pitiful to see.
One father bent over the sheetet
form that lay near the middle of tn
row. The light that filtered through
the breathless crowd fell on the still
smiling features of his little boy. Th
body was terribly crushed, but thu
face was untouched. Involuntarily, h
lifted the shroud little further unit
the mangled body was disclosed, ant
then uttered cry of agony tha
brought tears to the eyes of many al
onlooker who had looked on death be
fore. The fact that several of the deat
were children added not little to tn
pathos of the scene.
At the end of the row lay the bod,
of Mrs. Maggie Bradley, while he
babe slept between two strong men a
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