TRACK WASHED-OUT.

Results in a Terrible Railway Wreck in Iowa.

DISASTER OCCURS NEAR WATERLOO.

A Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Train Is Ditched - Seven Killed Outright. One Dies of Injuries and Sixteen Badly Hurt.

Waterloo, Ia., May 29. - The most terrible wreck in the history of Blackhawk county was that which occurred Saturday night on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad, about four miles northwest of this city. A passenger train of seven coaches, including the mail and baggage cars, was wrecked with a terrible loss of life and great injury to many living. The cause of the disaster was a washout, due to a waterspout or cloudburst in Orange township. Crossing the railroad track where the wreck occurred is a little stream called Sink creek. The sand and gravel was washed out from under the track, leaving it unsupported for stretches of from ten to twenty feet. The rails and ties held stoutly together, and there was little to indicate to the engineer the insecurity of the road before him. All at once a lurch of the engine warned the engineer of the impending disaster. He and the fireman leaped from the cab, and by good fortune that can be counted as scarcely less than miraculous escaped with but slight injuries.

Cars in a Confused Heap.

Freed from the track, the engine plowed its way deep into the earth along the side of the track until its momentum could carry it no further, and it stopped. Lying on one side in the ditch behind it cars of the train were piled up in a confused heap. The mail car rolled over close to the engine; the baggage car partly telescoped the mail car; the first coach partly telescoped the baggage car, and the second coach partly telescoped the first coach. The third coach telescoped the first sleeper, the floor of the coach resting just about on a level with the lower berths in the sleeper. Here is where the greatest casualties occurred. The rear of the sleeper was not injured, and its passengers were not injured to any great extent.

Relief trains carried surgeons and nurses at once to the scene of the wreck to care for the injured. Seven or eight of the injured were brought to Waterloo. Afterwards all were taken to Cedar Rapids and placed in St. Luke's hospital, where they are being cared for. The surgeons state that none of the injured are seriously hurt, and all will recover.

The Victims.

Following is a complete list of the killed and injured:
KILLED -- E. L. ARNOLD, Minneapolis; WILLIAM A. MCLAUGHMAN, Minneapolis; H. R. SHEPPE, Alton, Ill.; DAVID HEILO, Minneapolis; GEORGE WAINWRIGHT, Burlington, Ia., conductor of the train, F. S. CARPENTER, St. Louis; one body not yet identified; WILLIAM SCHOLLIN, of Waterloo, whose arm was amputated in order to release him from the wreck, has since died at his home.
INJURED - B. W. Currington, Chicago; Asre Norboje, Tower, Minn., Anna Hernans, Tower, Minn.; Anna Brba, Tower, Minn.; George Petrociz, Tower, Minn.; Arund Aslaksen, Norway, I; Corrine Neal, Minneapolis; J. L. Neal, Minneapolis; R. L. Calvin, St. Louis, porter Pullman car; W. T. Burke, Cedar Falls, Ia; C. W. Mathews, Cedar Rapids, Ia., brakeman; Ed Skang, Lemond, Minn.; D. W. Fleming, Albery Lea, Minn.; J. Johnson, Hunter, S. D.; Jerry Murphy, Butte City, Mont.; Mrs. Morgansteen, St. Paul, Minn.

A Sad Case.

One of the saddest cases was that of R. H. Sheppe, of Alton, Ill., who died at 8:15 o'clock Sunday morning at the Beck, Naumann & Watts building, where many of the injured were taken. When brought in it was plain that he had sustained bad internal injuries. He was cut about the head and his wounds, both external and internal, were bleeding freely. To a physician he confided that he was on his way to Minneapolis at seven o'clock Sunday morning and was to have been married Sunday. He asked a physician to telegraph his father and his sweetheart. "Tell her," he gasped. "that I have been detained by a wreck and cannot keep the appointment on time. Don't say anymore, he said. He expected to get better, but breathed his last at 8:15 o'clock.

Daily Iowa State Press, Iowa City, IA 29 May 1899
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Transcribed by Sherry McClellan. Thank you, Sherry!