TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 28, 16 August 1887, Page 2

TERRIBLE RAILWAY ACCIDENT

HUNDREDS KILLED AND WOUNbED. TERRORS OF A TRESTLE BRIDGE. BETWEEN TWO DANGERS. DBOWNING V. BURNING. DATES! DETAILS. Naw Yobk, August 12. A terrible railroad, accident has occurred on the Illinois Boad, a train running on to a bridge which was on fire. The bridge gave way and a number of the cars were thrown into the river below, over 180 feet. Over 100 lives are known to have been lost and over 400 persona have been seriously injured. Ohioaoo, August 15. The Chicago Inter-Ocean gives full and graphic details this morning of the awful catastrophe which occurred last week near Pearia, on the Illinois Central Road. A full train, with nearly 600 passengers on board, consisting of three Pullman Palace cars, nine ordinary cars, two luggage cars, and a refreshment and smoking car, was en route from Springfield (Illinois) for Chicago. All went well until nearly midnight, when the train approached the 'gigantic wooden trestle bridge across the Illinois river, about four miles west of Peoria (III.). The bridge, which is 2500 feet in length, crosses the Illinois river at a height of 180 feet above the water, at a point about 160 miles south-west of Chicago.

Owing to some unknown cause the bridge, built five years ago at a cost of 89,000 dels., was on fire when the train arrived, the main beams being already charred and eaten away by the fire. The train was within 300 yards of the bridge before the driver became aware of the danger, and although every effort was made to stop the train, it rushed right ahead at the rate of 25 miles an hour on to the burning bridge. An appalling catastrophe followed. The seven foremost cars and the first engine were precipitated through the burning bridge into the river below, whilst the six hindmost cars and their occupants were saved for the moment owing to the breakage of the couplings.

Unfortunately for these so providentially saved from the horrible fall into the river, a baggage car contained some 130 barrels of petrolenm and owing to the sudden stoppage, the cars heaped up and through the upsetting of a stove, the liquid became ignited. A ghastly scene followed. The cars were soon all ablaze, and their occupants shrieking for help, hurridly escaped out of the doors and windows. Scores were burnt to death, others were crushed and mangled beneath the heaped-up cars, while some fearing a lingering death shot themselves with revolvers, At early morning, when the relief train arrived from Springfield, the scene was most harrowing. Over 170 persons are estimated t o have perished in the Illinois Biver and some 70 to 80 had succumbed to their injuries or had been burnt outright.

A special relief train was run over the Illinois-Springfield road from Chicago, the Lake Erie, Burlington and Quincy and other roads furnishing contingents of helpers. The Medical Association of Chicago, and the National Aid, Committe from Milwaukee sent forty representatives, who were early on the scene of the disaster, and every aid that the human mind could devise, was given to the survivors.

The train contained some 230 excursionists bonnd for Niagara Falls, via Chicago, and several bridal parties were on board. The scene on the Chicago Stock Exchange when the news arrived was most exciting, members struggling with each other to read the notice board on which was posted details of the catastrophe. Over 180 lives ere reported to have been lost, and nearly 200 passengers are in the Peoria and Springfield; hospitals, suffering from the moat severe injuries.

Telegrams offering aid have been received in Peoria from all over the States, the Bail, way Boards of New York, St Louis, and.Sau Francisco alone guaranteeing a relief fund of 800,000 dollars,

Jay Gould, the New York millionaire has started a fund with a donation of 10,000 dollars, and telegrams have heen received from the President and Mrs Cleveland expressing their sympathy and regret. An enquiry will be held next week into the causes of the awful disaster at the Peora bridge.