Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-05-25
Cen. Eullerton's Death.

"A remarkable chain Of circum-
Gen. Joseph 5. Fullerton in the wreck
of the east-bound Baltimore & Ohio
express on the Youghiogheny bridge,
near Oakland, Nd" said Albert Swas-
ey. who accompanied Humphrey Full
lerton 10 the scene of the wreck, to
a st. Louis exchange reporter. Gen.
Fullerton came to st. Louis at my in
vitation TO see the first iron work put
into his building at Seventh and Pine
streets. The day he arrived was the
f1rst OF three days of rainy weather.
The men could not work in the rain.
and | asked the general to stay over
until the next day. He did so, but
the day was no better than the first,
and / had few minutes of hard talk
ing to induce the general to stay over
for the third day. / finally succeed
ed, however, but the rain continued to
fall and the work was not commenced.
The continued bad weather put the
general little out of sorts and max
ing an engagement for the following
day we parted.
That night he happened to glanc
at the weather forecast and seeing rair
predicted for the next day he wrote
me a note Of apology and departed on
the 3 o'clock train for Cincinnati. The
train arrived at Cincinnati two hours
late and as consequence Gen. Fuller
ton missed the eastern connection. Hs
occupied berth No. 6 in the Pullman
going TO Cincinnati.
when the train failed to make con.
nection he was told that the sleeper
would be sent back and was given 3
check for berth on another car. This
car was attached to the rear of the
next train and Gen. Fullerton, instead
of going to his new berth. which was
in the first of the three cars, went
into the berth he had occupied on his
way from st. Louis. About s ocolck
one of the conductors noticed the gen.
eral in the berth he had been assigned
to while in Cincinnati. The general
said that he did not like the idea Of
sleeping in the rear coach and had
changed his mind about occupying his
old berth.
"The general was sick most of the
night and rested uneasily. When the
train was wrecked he was in his berth
and this was probably the cause of his
death. When the train left the track
on the curve approaching the bridge
they were on the inside of the curve
and the engine and all but the three
sleepers rode over the bridge safely.
The two Pullman cars at the rear of
the train were left on the bridge ap-
preach, owing to the breaking of the
coupling and the first sleeper was
carried about half way over. Its coup
ling also broke and the car was hurl-
ell over the bridge into the river, leav-
ing the trucks tottering on the edge
of the bridge. After it reached the wa
ter the heavy trucks fell with terri
Bile crash on the roof Of the car i'm
mediateiy over the berth Of Gen. Full
lerton and buried that part of the car
in the mud at the bottom of the river.
Search was Immediately made for
the dead and injured. The only one
missing was Gen. Fullerton and, al
though there are 125 men working at
the river and immense quantities Of
dynamite have been used, the body has
not yet been recovered. 1t is suppos-
ed to be buried beyond all hopes Of
recovery in the bed of the river. The
generals clothing was recovered, as
was also his pocketbook, which con-
tanned precisely $13." The death Of
Gen. Fullerton will not interfere with
the erection of the building TO be nam
ed after him.