Year: 1877

!. l. p. Railway.


The bridge was oyer what Is known
as Little Four Mile Greek, seven miles
east of Des Moines. 1t is little stream.
generally quiet and before known to
be as high as it was made by the un-
precedented rain fall of the fatal
morning and the night before. The
bridge rested on n stone arch IL feet in
clear, by walls five feet thick. The
bridge is approached from the east
around a curve and down n grade. 1t
is thought the rails were left standing
alone rs the train approached and the
engineer who had slackened his speed
till he came in sight of the bridge, sup
posing that all was right dashed upon
ii. The channel of the stream was 40
or so feet wide, and the banks about
20 feet high.


The locomotive in its wild dash
landed at the foot of the western side,
and half buried itself in the earth. Bar
NUNS car was next to the engine. 1t
dropped into the channel. The bag
gage and mail car followed, and passed
directly over 1t mashing 1t to pieces,
hut going to the bottom, bar of iron
running clear through it. The men
in that carescaped alive. The first pas
senger car pitched head down into the
channel where the water was at least
Is feet deep. The next car was plunged
under this, telescoping with 1t, and
the next telescoped through both OF
the two preceding II. The sleeping
car did not go into the wreck. simply
because there was not room for 1t.
Most of the killed were In the car in
front of the sleeper.


At o'clock, Wednesday p. M, II
bodies had been taken from the
wreck, IA men, two women and
child. Among the wounded, +. b.
Baker of the Barnum men, has since
died, making the known dead Is In
all.


The scene at the time of the accident
is described rs having been terrific
Rain was falling in torrents, accom-
panied by wind, lightning and violent
thunder. The crash put out the lights
and the scene Of terror ensuing may
well be imagined. Men who were not
injured and could get out went to
work at once to rescue the living and
the wounded. They had to go into
farm houses for axes to chop them out.
There were many painful scenes and
tender incidents. One mother was
killed sitting between two girls, who
escaped one unhurt. One little girl
who had lain In thswater for four hours
with heav man lying dead beneath
her body, was discovered to be breath.
ing, and was rescued and restored, and
shows no signs of injury.


One Of the Register reporters gives
his impressions Of the terrible sight rs
it met its gaze In the dim day light just
dawning over the scene of woe:


In approaching the front end of the
wreck ones foot trod on the mangled
bodies of Barnum's men, who seem
ingly had thrown themselves or Were
hurled headlong from the ear but to
be caught by the falling cars and
ground, into the ground, mangling
them terribly. They were found in
heaps and with great difficulty eXtri-
ed from under the debris. All were
more or less gashed with horrible
jelly and others literally cut in two.
1t was a most sickening sight when, in
handling the latter their entrails
| dragged along the ground like bloody
rags. The contents of their valises
and trunks were Uttered all over the
ground, and the car In which they
were was literally smashed to pieces
no one dreaming that such a car could
have existed, looking at the wreck
The engineer was found wedged in un
der his engine with his head mashed
to pulp. He was on the left side ol
the engine, which is usually the fire.
mans position. In extricating him i


was necessary to cut Off both his legs
On his body was found his watch
still going although filed with water
but unbroken. The train was report
ed ION time" at Altoona. The seen,
Of the wreck was the finish of a lont
curve, and 1t was impossible to sta,
the impetus Of the train after the con


dition of the bridge was seen. Tn


engine was plunged headlong into tn


soft earth on the opposite bank, ant


little to one side; the show car fol


lowed and fell abreast Of the engin


on the line of the track. The baggag
and express car falling on Barnum's


smashed it into splinters, while its i'm


petus was such as to force 1t ahead OIL


to the opposite bank, where it reste'


whole and its inmates and content
, uninjured. However the ends wer
+ stove in by the plunging articles am
, the following cars. The express mes
senger when he recovered from tn
shock found himself on the outside G
, the car and ahead of 1t and must hav
been hurled through the open end q
|. the car. He Immediately started Ol
t toward Des Moines for assistance, bu
losing his way returned to the wreck
D The fireman las reportedlwas foun
, on the top of the engine clinging I
e the bell, and as none of the cars fe
on the engine he escaped being crushe