The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-07-01
A TERRIBLE WRECK
A TRAIN GOES THROUGH A TRESTLE
IN MISSOURI,
The Number of the Dead Is Estima--
ted ut About Twenty-Five-One
of the Heaviest Rain Storms in
the History Of the Country Was
in Progress at the Time of the
Accident.

Kansas City, June 2o.-The st. Louis
express on the Wabash railway
plunged through a trestle at Missouri
City, Mo-, carrying down the entire
train with the exception Of the rear
car, a Pullman.
The number Of dead is estimated at
from nine to twenty-five The train
was composed of a mail, baggage and
express car, smoker, chair, sleeper and
two coaches for Excelsior Springs. 1t
made the run without incident until
the bridge about two miles this side
of Missouri City was reached. There
is wooden trestle on a curve which
was built several years ago to avoid
using tunnel that was formerly used.
AS the train struck the trestle it
swerved, owing to undermining caused
by the volume of water under it, The
engine passed over, but the bridge
went down after it and the tender
broke loose from the engine and fell
on it's side. The mail car went down
into the water. the express car fol-
lowed, each falling on it's side; the
chair car tipped down into the chasm
and as the ear end raised up the front
end of the sleeper went up and it stood
on end, the lower erd grinding and
crushing the mail and baggage cars
beneath it. The front end of the
sleeper was out over the chasm, but
it was held in place by the coupling Of
the two Excelsior Springs cars behind
it.
One of the most important things,
and one which secured the safety Of
the remaining passengers on the train
was the tagging of a freight train
which followed the passenger train
81 ton min i~1,f f1oi y1
was tagged by passengers 800 feet
from the wreck.
The accident happened during one
Of the heaviest transforms ever seen in
that country. 1t was accompanied by
a tremendous roll Of thunder and the
most vivid lightning. The elements
and the horrible nature of the accident
combined to make it one of the most
| terrifying sights imaginable. Before
| any one could realize what had hap
pened the cries of the injured filled the
| air. Shrieks and shouts for help came
| from all sides. Some one shouted the
wreck was on fire and another shout
ed that another train was following
closely. One of the young men in the
rear coach sprang off and ran back
down the track, and with an umbrella
| tagged the train that was close in the
| rear ana the crew OF CnaC Train uurfleU
down to render all aid possible. The
work Of rescuing the passengers who
were injured began with promptness,
but was accomplished with the great
est difficulty. Not trainman was to-
be found. The crew were all in the
wreck, and only the conductor of the
| Pullman and his porter were there to-
help the passengers. They took charge
promptly and rendered valuable as
sistance.
The occupants of the smoker who
were in the rear end managed to
scramble out of the car and escaped,
although it is pretty certain number
were unable to get out. The worst
damage was done in the chair car.
Conductor Copeland had just entered
the front door of that coach when it
went down. The punch of the sleeper
behind and under it sent the occu-
pants of the car in pile down at the
front. Chairs went tumbling down
along with the people and beneath the
mass Copeland met his death. A
heavy chair struck him and crushed
his head out of all semblance of hui
mainly, while a score of other people
were piled over him. The brakeman
and news agent were in the smoker
and went down with it.