Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-27
SIXTEEN KILLED.
Train Goes Through a TrestIe
Near Peru, Ind.
The Dead and About so Injured
Chiefly italian Immigrants.
Two Cars Telescoped. .immigrant Car Buried
Beneath Three Others.

ItVu, Ill.,, june IO-SSiAtteI DeTSOIS
were killed and about so We're seriously
injured in wreck Of train No. 3, the
west bound Wabash limited, nine
miles west Of this city, at 1880 A. NJ.
Thursday. The dead are all Italian i'm
migrants en- route to Colorado. Many
of the injured undoubtedly will die.
Mrs. VIM. Cotton, wife of Gen. Supt.
Cotton Of the Iron Mountain Railroad,
was among those injured. Nearly all
Of the injured were residents of this
section.
Two sections of train No. 3, one COM
ing from Detroit and the other from
Toledo were consolidated in this city
into train Of II cars. making up the
flyer for its journey to st. Louis. 1t
consisted of combination baggage
and express. baggage and smoker.
day coach emigrant coach. three chair
cars, three sleepers and the private
car Of Gen. Supt VIM. Cotton of the
IroE Mountain Railway.
Having left this city one hour late
the train was speeding westward at a
high rate. when at point nine miles
west, the engine plunged through a
trestle which had been undermined by
the recent heavy rains. The embank-
ment On both sides of the little stream
dropped at a sharp angle a distance
OF 40 feet.
Owing to the momentum Of the train
the engine appeared to leap nearly
across the abyss. plunged into the soft
ear IN on the opposite side and fell back
to the bottom. Engineer Butler and
Fireman Adams We're thrown from the
cab but not seriously hurt.
The express car and the first chair
car were telescoped. The emigrant car.
followed by two chair cars, went down
on the left side of the track and the
first sleeper pitched forward upon the
mass of debris. Its windows and trucks
were broken but none Of the occupants
were injured.
The remaining cars also left their
trucks but We're not badly damaged.
| 1t was in the emigrant and the day
coaches that most of the deaths and
injuries occurred.
Heavy foliage lined the banks on
| both sides of the culvert, the approach
| to which was over q reverse curve.
There was absolutely no means by
which the engine crew could see the
I impending danger. In fact the engine
ran out upon tHt lTeStit peloIe tHe
structure gave way. The night was in
| tcnsely dark.
For q few minutes after the fatal
| plunge and dreadful roar of crashing
| timbers Il death-like stiffness prevail
ed which was only broken by the cries
| Of the injured. Trainmen caught up
their lanterns and rushed to the neigh
boring farmhouses for assistance. Tel
ephone messages We're dispatched to
this city and every physician was hur-
riedly taken to n special train which
carried them to the scene. The injured
we.e placed aboard the cars and
bl ought to the General Hospital in this
city, where everything possible was
done to aid their condition.
Many operations were necessary, the
most notable of which was the one per-
formed on John Williams. the news
agent a lad of IA years. Both the boys
arms both his legs and the right
shoulder blade were broken. Under the
surgeons knife the lad bore up Won
derfully and possibly may recover.
For a time after the rescuers reach
ed the scene OF the wreck little could
be done in the way of removing the
dead. Hundreds Of tons of twisted iron
and broken timbers rested upon the
car where the unfortunate emigrants
were crushed.
But by means of wrecking derricks
the mass was gradually opened and by
de Wight nearly all the dead had been
removed to this city.