~20 Burlington Hawk-Eye, IA. “Dashed to Death. A Train on the Rock Island…” 8-30-1877, p1.

–20 Des Moines Register. “Keokuk Explosion Among Major Disasters in Iowa.” 11-26-1965, 4.

–20 Perry Chief, IA. “Horrible R.R. Accident.” 9-1-1877, p. 4.

Narrative Information

Aug 29: “Des Moines, Aug. 29. — The details of the railroad accident on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad, at the east branch of the Four-mile creek, seven miles from this city, are beginning to arrive. The number of killed is estimated all the way from ten to fifty. All of the train but the sleeping car went down into the stream. The engine is completely out of sight. Barnum’s show car went down among the rest, and it is said of the eleven occupants all but one were killed. It is impossible to get full particulars yet, as the accident occurred several miles from a telegraph office. Arrangements will soon be made for telegraphic communication direct from the scene of the accident….

“A special to the State Register from the wreck says there are sixteen killed so far as known. Twelve bodies are out on the banks, as follows: Billy Rakestran, engineer; J. K. Bolt and daughter, Boone, Iowa; Wm. Cummings, newsboy; Mrs. Emma Babcock, school teacher, Rock Island, III.; seven of Barnum’s men, as follows: F. B. Baker, J. H. Bruce, A. Mack, G. Rockwell, C. Thompson, and J. Purcell. Four dead bodies are still seen in the wreck, but cannot be got out at present….

The Cause of the Disaster.

“The accident was occasioned by the washing out of a bridge, and occurred about four o’clock this morning.

Additional Particulars.

“….1:55 p. m. — One more body has been recovered, quite an old man, with the name of J. S. Ferguson in his hat. In a car not yet uncovered several more bodies can be seen. It is believed that there are a dozen bodies in it. The car on top of this is now being lifted off with ropes and pulleys. The bodies so far recovered are now being loaded on cars to be sent to Des Moines. It is thought that several have floated down the stream. The water in the channel was over twenty feet deep. The wounded survivors are all at Altoona, and no names can be had at the wreck.

Later Details from the Wreck.

“Wreck, near Altoona, 3:30 p. m. Aug. 29. The body last taken out was that of Mrs. Crow, the wife of a workman in the pork house in East Des Moines. Her head was caught and mashed between two cars. The top car is now pulled off, and it is thought that there are only one or two more bodies in the wreck.

“Later. — Three more bodies have been taken out, all men, one supposed, by papers on him, to be Cogren, a commercial traveler from Peoria, Illinois. The other two bodies have not been identified. The body of a lady is now in sight in the wreck, making the eighteenth person known to be killed. The three cars are so firmly telescoped together that it is impossible, so far, to pry them apart, even with block and tackle. The name of the last man taken out was Thomas Dunaway, of East Des Moines, who recently ran away from the insane asylum.

The Death Roll.

“Des Moines, Aug. 29. — At six o’clock seventeen bodies had been taken from the wreck, fourteen men, two women and one child. Among the wounded F. B. Baker, one of Barnum’s men, has since died, making the known dead eighteen in all. The full list of the dead is as follows: Mrs. Emily Babcock, Andalusia, Illinois; John K. Bolt and daughter, aged eight, Boonsboro, Iowa; Mrs. William Crow, of Des Moines; Mrs. Donoway, of Des Moines; William Rakestraw, engineer of the train, Stuart, Iowa; M. Cogren, commercial traveler, Peoria, Illinois; Jabez E. Prince and D. A. Bronson, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Wm. Ganning, newsboy, Des Moines, and the following who were in Barnum’s car: Green, Berry, Geo. Rockwell, John Purcell, John Bruce, Charles Thompson, and A. Mack. Two more bodies are known to be in the wreck, one of Barnum’s men and a little girl, daughter of Mrs. Crow, one of the women killed. It is thought by many that there are still others either in the bottom of the wreck or floated down stream, but the best posted foot up the total death roll at twenty.

The Fatal Bridge.

“The bridge was over what is known as Little Four Mile creek, nine miles east of Des Moines. It is a little stream generally quiet, and never known to be as high as it was made by the unprecedented rainfall of yesterday morning and the night before. The bridge rested on a stone arch twelve feet in the clear by walls five feet thick. The bridge is approached from the east round a curve and down a grade. It is thought the rails were left standing alone as the train approached and the engineer, who had slacked his speed till he came in sight of the bridge, supposing that all was right, dashed upon it. The channel of the stream was forty or fifty feet wide and its banks about twenty feet high.

Description of the Wreck.

“The locomotive, in its wild dash, landed at the foot of the western side, and half buried itself in the earth. Barnum’s car was next the engine; it dropped into the channel. The baggage and mail car followed and passed directly over it, mashing it to pieces, but going to the bottom, and a bar of iron running clear through it, the men in that car escaped alive. The first passenger car pitched head down into the channel, where the water was at least fifteen feet deep. The next car was plunged under this, telescoping it, and the next telescoped half through both of the two preceding it. The sleeping car did not go into the wreck, simply because there was not room for it. Most of the killed were in the car in front of the sleeper.

A Scene of Indescribable Horror.

“The scene at the time of the accident is described as having been terrific. The rain was falling in torrents, accompanied 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 a mile to a farm house to get axes to chop them out. There were many pitiful scenes and tender incidents. One mother was killed siting between two children who escaped unhurt. One little girl, who had lain in the water for four hours, with a heavy man lying dead beneath her body, was discovered to be breathing, and was rescued and restored, and now shows no signs of injury. The dead were brought here on a train, reaching here at eleven o’clock. Some twenty-five of the wounded came with them. The officers of the road were at the wreck all day caring for the dead and wounded….” (Burlington Hawk-Eye, IA. “Dashed to Death. A Train on the Rock Island Rod Goes Through a Bridge.” 8-30-1877, p. 1.)

Sep 1: “The most horrible railroad accident that ever occurred in Iowa happened on the Rock Island Road between Des Moines and Altoona, last Wednesday morning at about three o’clock. A bridge had been undermined by the torrent of water that was raised by the storm, and when the

western bound express train came along the bridge gave way, and the entire train, with the exception of the sleeper, plunged into the abyss. The passenger train on the K & D. Road –whose track crosses the same stream a short distance from the scene of the accident — was a few moments behind time, and this doubtless saved it from a similar fate, as the bridge on that road was also undermined. The engineer saw the wrecked train and stopped just in time. The scene at the wreck was one of horror. The cars — five in number were telescoped together, crushed and splintered, and in the midst of the wreck were scores of dead and wounded human beings….”

(Perry Chief, IA. “Horrible R.R. Accident.” 9-1-1877, p. 4.)

Sources

Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye, IA. “Dashed to Death. A Train on the Rock Island Road Goes Through a Bridge.” 8-30-1877, p. 1. Accessed 11-18-2014 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=136889630&sterm=train+des+moines

Des Moines Register, IA. “Keokuk Explosion Among Major Disasters in Iowa.” 11-26-1965, p. 4. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=116169964&sterm=keokuk

Perry Chief, IA. “Horrible R.R. Accident.” 9-1-1877, p. 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=5274669&sterm=train+des+moines+rock

1877 — Aug 29, Bridge washout, Train goes into Little Four Mile Creek, ~Des Moines, IA — 20