Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-07-04
Names of tho Injured.
DELAY SAVES NUMEROUS LIVES
Night Ride Deters Many from Board
ing the Inflated Train.

NISnJ llluc DeIerS MANY lrOn hOnfU-
ing the Inflated Train.
The late hour of the New York's 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
Mt 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 big American
line steamer reached Plymouth at 9:35
o'clock Saturday night, and half an
hour later there was a tender along
side to receive passengers for England.
Several who had planned to debark
and packed their baggage decided Mt
the last moment to remain aboard. 1t
was a fateful decision, though not die
tated by any fear.
The run across the Atlantic had been
pleasant. There We're CHEEKY partings
when the passengers for London trans
ferred to the waiting tender, which
steamed for the Davenport landing,
where the express was lying made up.
The train consisted of powerful ex-
press engine, three first-class corridor
carriages and one combination guards
van and buffet. The passengers We're
soon entrained and ut 1870 the express
pulled out. 1t was given clear track
on the run of go miles to London, on
which the express generally maintains
an average speed of mile minute.
Driver Robins quickly gave the en-
CINE her head and the special was soon
speeding swiftly through the night. 1t
ran OH safely and without incident un-
til 1t entered the long railway yard at
Salisbury, when the passengers noted
that the coaches began swaying from
side to side. Suddenly at the end OF
the long platform, when the track be-
gins to curve towards the bridge span
ming Fisherton street, the main avenue
of the city, the engine, seemed fairly
to leap from the track.
1t swung across tile adjoining track
with terrific force and destroyed the
guards van of milk train that was
slowly steamtDg in the opposite direc-
ton, killing a guard. Lurcling for
ward the locomotive plunged against
the standards and Orders of the bridge
The bridge withstood the impact, and
rcbounding the engine crashed into an
other engine which was standing on n
siding and overturned. The wreckage
of the two engines interlocked in a
great broken mass of twisted steel and
iron. Throughout the wild plunging
of the engine Driver Robins, whether
alive or dead. remained in his cab.
Hours afterward his charrcd body was
found grilled over the firebox.
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 maiming 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 its
wild flight was ended. The third coach
dashed forward with the rest, left the
rails and Encountered some obstruction,
overturned and collapsed.
The guards van and buffet, the rear
most car OF the train, was saved by
the courage and quickness of Guard
Richardson. With the first shock Rich
ardson jumped forward and set the
brakes and saved himself and his CON-
rades. The van ploughcd forward, in
jurlng some of its occupants, but prac.
tically maintained IT'S euu,lihrilm.