Altona, Illinois
Train Wreck
September 1895
A PECULIAR WRECK
One Man Killed and Property Badly Damaged In
Illinois.
Galesburg, Ills., Sept. 13.--The Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy railway has had a
peculiarly bad wreck just east of Altona. A
westbound train broke in two, and as the front
part slowed up at the water tank, the rear part
ran into the front, causing a car of naphtha to
ignite. There were 12 cars of naphtha and
petroleum in the train, and all were soon
ignited. The flames shot hundreds of feet high.
Three cars exploded with tremendous force. The
house of Thomas Craver,
near by, was set on fire and
destroyed, and Mr. and
Mrs. Craver barely escaped with their
lives. SAMUEL WELSH,
20 rods distant, a village fireman, was covered
with burning oil and burned to death. Other
firemen were badly but not fatally burned.
The loss to the railway company is $12,000.
Houses a quarter of a mile away were scorched by
the burning oil. C. O.
Carlson, a locomotive fireman, was
thrown from a tank and injured about the head.
Oil cars are strewn along for half a mile. The
track is twisted, telegraph poles down, ties
burned, trees blasted and the whole scene is one
of ruin.
The Salem Daily News, Salem, OH 13 Sept
1895
Transcribed by Audrey. Thank you,
Audrey!
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