The Van Buren press., 1904-07-09
TRAIN BLOWN FROM
TRACK BY TORNADO
Three Coaches on Chicago, Peoria &
St. Louis Railway Wrecked.
ONE MAN WAS KILLED
And Twenty-Five Were More ar Less
Seriously Injured--Cars
Turned n Somer-
snuIa.

Dead.
Thomas Wiley Springfield; baggage
msn.
Injured.
Elvina Witnack, Lawrenceburg, Ky;
collar bone broken.
Arthur Latodd, Springfield, broken an
John Ferris. Oakford; shoulder dislo-
Gated and internally injured.
Mrs o. A, Land, Springfield, cut about
face and head
0. A. Land Springfield; internally in
jured
Ernest Lee Springfield; head cut and
Internally injured.
Conductor G, A. Coleman, Springfield;
head cut leg perforated by splinter from
Mail clerk Ben. S. swaley Springfield;
cut and bruised
General Manager w. II Gridley, Spring
field, right arm broken.
Mrs Oscar Finuey Springfield. shoul-
der dsiocated,
Infant SON Of Mrs. Finnoy; shoulder
broken.
j. l.. Fitzhugh Champaign; leg broken.
Thomas Hogan and Mrs. Hogan, Spring
Harry J. Eichaneur. Petersburg. Ill.,
Springfield, H., July Ga cyclone
lifted a heavily-loaded Chicago, Peoria
& St Louis passenger train from the
tracks two miles north of OaNOrd
Tuesday evening at six o'clock, and
rolled II down an embankment, killing
the bagpageman and injuring a score
OF passengers,
Soon after leaving Oakford, Engineer
S Martin, of Springfield, saw the tor
nado, which was sweeping along sew
era miles from him. over the prairie,
The direction in which it was travelling
when first observed, was such that the
train would not have been in its path.
The engineer therefore stopped his
train, and was intently watching the
funnel-shaped cloud, when its point
suddenly veered and began to rush to-
ward him.
All steam was crowded on, and the
passenger flew over the smooth coun-
try trying TO get out Of harms way
For four miles the engineer drove his
machine at top speed. the great ma
jority of the passengers not knowing
the reason for the unusual speed
Finally it was seen that the storm
cloud could not be avoided, and the
engineer stopped his train on the edge
of 2 long trestle rather than risk its
striking the train on the bridge
Only the presence Of mind Of En-
eneer S, Martin, of Springfield, preyen-
ed catastrophe Seeing the fun
nel-shaped cloud sweeping toward
him, the engineer applied the emer-
gency brakes and stopped the train at
the brink of high trestle over Pecan
Run pond in which the water is IS
feet deep A moment later the cyclone
struck
A sudden wind and the downpour of
rain were the first intimations Of the
| tornado.
The first gust of wind raised the
coaches from the tracks, and was quick
ly followed by the full force Of the ele-
ment, which jerked the coaches free
from the engine and tossed them down
a low enbankment
Turning, the passenger filled coaches
n complete double somersault, the tor
nado piled them in heap l50 feet from
the tracks Windows were shattered
and the woodwork Of the car was splin-
tered.
Relief trains were hurried from
Springfield, Petersburg and Havana
Before the physicians and nurses ar
rived, the passengers who escaped un-
hurt cared for the injured BaGgageman
Wiley, who lost his life, was found
crushed alongside the railroad tracks
1t is supposed that he leapcd from the
car door on the side toward which the
train was thrown, His remains were
unrecogni2ahle,
So sudden was the accident that the
passengers had no time to move from
their seats shattered glass and spin.
tered woodwork caused most of the in.
juries The oil lamps We're burning In
| the coachef, but the fires which result
ed were oXtlnguIshcd before any head.
way was made by the flames. Engineer
Martin and Fireman Swarborg, both Of
| Springfield who watched the accident
| from tho engine cab, tell interesting
accounts Of the freak storm
when the injured had all been taken
from the wrockagc, they were placco
| IN u coach and taken TO Petersburg
where physicians dressed the wounds
temporarily preparatory 20 moving
the injured to hospitals at Springfield
]