Year: 1873

THE Chicago Tribune of the 18th gives
the following account of the recent horri-
BILE accident on the Chicago, Alton d st.
Louis Railroad: ~ w


The train consisted of locomotive,
baggage car, a smoking-car, two coaches,
and two sleeping-cars. The cars were
we'll filled, particularly the smoking car.
The train was due at Willow Station at
955, and was on time. 1t is not usual for
this train to stop at that station, but on
this occasion it was necessary, in order TO
take on sleeping-car which was brought
from St. Louis by the train which left that
city in the morning.


The train started from Willow Station,
according to the best evidence, ten min
utes behind, and, as it is customary on this
road to make up lost time, undoubtedly
the rate of speed was somewhat accelerat-
ed. The conductor and engineer knew
they were to pass a coal train at Lemont,
seven miles distant, but unhappily that
train did not wait as it should have done,
but came on toward the passenger train,
expecting to make Willow Station. 1t
was race for life. The conductor and
engineer of the coal train knew that the
passenger train, laden with precious lives,
was in front, and if they did not reach a
switch by a certain time collision was
inevitable. Both trains were rushing
toward destruction. On they flew
over the iron way through the
darkness, the speed increasing at every
revolution of the wheels. The passengers
in the sleeping-c cars were preparing to re-
tire, or had already done SO. Those in
the coaches were looking forward to
reaching their destination, where expect
ant families awaited their coming. The
suspicion of danger never crossed the
minds of any, when suddenly, without a
moments warning, not even whistle, the
two trains were locked in an embrace of
death, and in one terrible moment wives
were made widows, children became faith
erless, mourning was sent to the threshold
of many happy homes, and sorrow
that can never be eradicated, pierced
many hearts. There were three
concussions-irst, when the engines met
and were destroyed second, when the
baggage-car struck and was smashed into
Fragments and third, when the smoking
car collided and leaped in the air, alight-
ing on the fractured boiler of the freight
engine. The remains of the passenger
train engine were thrown from the track,
toward the east, and so were the ruins of
the baggage-car. Then came the smok-
ing. car ON top of the boiler. The fore
part of this car was burst open by the
force with which it struck, the hind
wheels remaining on the track, and
there it stood at an angle of thirty
degrees, the passengers imprisoned in the
broken iron and wood, while the deadly
steam came up with terrific force from
the boiler below, scalding those whom it
touched, instantly peeling off the skin,
Il off
One moment was sufficient to cause death,
but many were there several minutes be-
fore being extricated. They breathed the
burning atmosphere. One breath was
fatal, the inner surface of the chest and
lungs being fearfully scorched.


AS soon as they recovered from the first
shock, the passengers in the two coaches
and in the sleeping cars, who were unin-
jured, did all they could to rescue the
sufferers. ttfs


The cause of the accident was the mex
cusable ,foolhardiness of the conductor of
the freight train in leaving Lemont
when he knew that it was a matter
of life and DEATH that it was a mere
chance if he could reach a witch in time,
that it was his duty to remain there until
the passenger train, which had the right of
way, was safely by, and that any way he
had no right to run any risk or take any
chances. Mr.. Huston, station-agent at
Lemont, entreated him not to leave the
station, and SO uneasy was Mr.. Huston
when he did leave, that he listened until
he heard the concussion, and then he
went to work to secure the necessary aid.


The night was dark, the sky cloudy,
the waning moon shed no light, the stars
were visible overhead, but a thick fog
covered the surface of the earth, and lights
could not be- seen for any great
distance That made no difference,
however. With the same reckless man
agement of the freight train the accident
might have occurred in the full blaze of
MONDAY. There would be nothing to pre-
vent it. A curve in the road hid the
trains from each other, and the engineers
could do nothing to stop their engines.
In this case nothing seems to have been
attempted, There was no Rafferty, there,
by deed of heroism to Tighten this
gloomy tale.