The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-07-15
TRAIN WH|RLED
FROM The TRACK
Passenger in Illinois Had Fierce
Encounter With a High
Wind.
ONE PERSON WAS KILLED
Tornado Struck Train and Blew
Coaches From Track-Enaineer
Ran a Sensational Race
With Elements.

Pittsburg, H., July An accom-
mediation passenger train on the Chi
cago, Peoria and st. Louis railroad was
blown from the track at Oakford, ILL.,,
twelve miles north of Petersburg, last
evening, and one person was killed ana
4 number We're injured.
The dead:
THOS WILEY, express messenger.
The injured.
Thomas Hogan of Springfield, Ill.
Thomas Lynn Chandlerville, Ill.
Thomas Eichnauer. Petersburg, III.
Thomas Swisey, mail clerk, Peters
burg, Ill.
General Manager H. w. Gridley, of
the Chicago Peoria and st. Louis rail-
way, broken arm.
Conductor Coleman. Springfield, cut
about head and arms
The train consisted of two coaches, q
baggage car and the engine, and all
but the engine We're hurled from the
track down a seVen-foot embanliment
turning over twice in the descent and
landing In II splintered mass of debris.
The accident occurred just few rods
from the bridge over the Benjamin
river.
The work of relief began Immediately,
and owing to the remarkable escape OF
nearly all the small number of pas
sengers aboard, those who We're in
jured and pinioned in the debris were
speedily rescued and at once given at
tention.
Relief trains We're hurried from
| Springfield ana Havana, and the more
seriously injured We're taken to the hos
| pitfalls.
The engineer, who escaped injury.
said he watched the gathering storm
closely as his train sped along, as he
feared from the appearance of the
| clouds that a tornado might arise. AS
| "a t,.oi pha6 CDlyfor1 the
| clouds suddenly seemed to concentrate
and drop. apparently coming directly
towards the train, Realizing that the
| train would encounter the tornado If it
| proceeded the engineer quickly shut off
/ steam and came to n halt. The APP
preaching tornado, when about Il mile
away, swerved to the northwest and
the train was directly in it's path.
Wind Clouds Chased Train.
Instantly the engineer opened the
throttle in Il wild endeaVor to rush be-
You'd the zone of danger, and again the
tornado swerved and headed directly
(, for the flying train. The roar was
heard plainly above the rattle OF the
train. Steam was crowded on, and like
a rocket the light accommodation train,
jumping and pounding on the rails,
dashed ahead in an endeavor to cross
before the tornado and pass IN safety.
Suddenly, with n crash that was heard
|
nado, the train was struck broadside,
the coaches torn from the engine and
lifted into the air and hurled from the
embankment into the ditch seven feet
below. The engine alone remained
upon the rails.
The engineer and fireman hurried
back to the wreck and began pulling
out passengers. Those who We're un-
injured Immediately assisted, and
within a remarkably short time the
dead express messenger, Thomas
Wiley. and the injured passengers had
been taken from the debris to hastily
improvsed shelter. The engine was
then hurried on to Petersburg, where
relief train was speedily made up,
and, bearing physicians, hurried back
to the scene The wrecked cars took
fire. but the flames were eXtinguished
before any Roadway had been made.
AS soon as possible the injured We're
placed aboard the relief train and TAX
en- to Springfield and Havana. and
those whose injuries We're of a serious
nature were placed in hospitals.
General Manager Fl. w. Gridley, who
suffered q broken arm, remained on
the spot and directed the relief work,
as did Conductor Coleman Of Spring
field, who was cut about the head and
face.