Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-07-05
% AMERICANS DEAD
FAST TRAIN is WRECKED NEAR
SALISBURY, ENGLAND.
Most of the Victims Are Americans
Who Had Just Debarked From the
Steamer New York at Plymouth.
Death and Destruction Follow Crash.


Death and Destruction Follow Crash.
Salisbury, England, July 2.-Driving
at mad pace over the London South.
western railway, the American line ex.
press, carrying forty-three of the
steamer New York's passengers from
Plymouth to London, plunged from the
track just after passing the station
here, at 1857 a. M, and mangled to
death in its wreckage twenty-three
passengers, who sailed from New
York June %, and four of the train.
men. Besides those to whom death
came speedily, a dozen persons were
injured, some of them seriously.
Following is the list of the first
cabin passengers dead: Walter Bar
wick of Toronto, Louis CASTER of
Trumbull, Conn; Frederick Henry
Cossitt of New York; Mrs. G. w. Ell.
phicke of Chicago, Dudley P. Harding
of New York, Mrs. L. N. Hitchcock
of New York, Miss Mary F. Howieson
of New York, Rev. E. l.. King of To-
ronto, Frank w. Koch of Allentown,
Pa; John E. Mcdonald of New York,
G. F. McMeekin of New York, G. A..
Pipon of Toronto; Mrs. E. Semtell Of
New York, Miss Blanche M. Semtell of
New York, Miss Gertrude M. Semtell
of New York; Mrs. Walter w. Smith
of Dayton, o; Miss Eleanor Smith of
Dayton, Mrs. Lillian Hurd Waite of
New York.
The late hour of the New Yorks ar
rival at Plymouth saved many lives.
She carried more than sixty travellers
for London, but many of them elected
to travel on comfortably to Southamp-
ton in preference to the late landing
at Plymouth and the long night ride
across the country. If the New York
had made faster passage the somber
roster of the dead and injured would
have been longer. The train consist
ed of a powerful express engine, three
first class corridor carriages and one
combination guards van and buffet
The passengers were soon entrained
and the express pulled out. 1t was
given clear track on the run of 230
miles to London, on which the express
generally maintains an average speed
of mile a minute.
Engine Leaps From Track.
Driver Robins quickly gave the en-
CINE her head and the special was
soon speeding swiftly through the
night. 1t ran on safely and without
incident until it entered the long rail.
way yard at Salisbury, when the pas
sengers noted that the coaches began
| swaying from side to side. Suddenly,
at the end of the long platform, where
| the track begins to curve towards the
bridge spanning Fisherton street, the
engine seemed fairly to leap from the
| track. 1t swung across the adjoining
track with terrific force and destroyed
| the guards van of milk train that
was slowly steaming in the opposite
direction, killing a guard. Lurching
forward the locomotive plunged
against the standards and the Orders
of the bridge.
The first coach shot over the engine
and careened onward until it was
hurled against the parapet of the
bridge and smashed into fragments.
killing or manning almost every occu-
pant. One man was shot through the
window, cleared the parapet and fell
to his death to the street below. The
second coach lurched forward and
rolled towards stationary train and
practically destroyed itself before it's
wild flight was ended
The third coach dashed forward
with the rest, left the rails and en-
turned and collapsed.
The guards van and buffet, the
| rearmost car of the train, was saved
by the courage and quickness of
| Guard Richardson. With the first
shock Richardson jumped forward and
set the brakes and saved himself and
his comrades. The van ploughed for
ward, injuring some of it's occupants,
| but practically maintained its equilib.
rum
The surviving passengers and train
men describe the sound of the wreck
| heavy guns of varied caliber and when
| the crashing of the wreck was past
| there came calls of the injured, some
shrieking with pain and fear and 9TH
ers moaning as if bewildered by the
| shock.
Work of Rescue Difficult.
The darkness and incredible de.
| struction made the work of rescue eX-
ceedingly difficult. Lamps and torches
were brought to light the desolate
scene. The station was converted into
surgery and the platform was made
mortuary. Several of the dead and
/ injured were imprisoned in compart.
ments and it was necessary to saw
away the partitions in order to effect
their release Others were caught un.
der heavy wreckage. Several OF the
bodies were badly mangled and one
woman was decapitated.
In the carriages huddled in wreck