Terrible Railroad Accident

CHIC too, Au-. 17.- A terrible RCfüdeDt occurred at half-past ten last nighi ut, on the Chicago & Alu.n road. Tho following ■ of thi acoident is from sta temen tí of offl 'The regular passenger train from St. Louis lelt liero at '■ id consisted of a baggage oar, exprtaa and three coaches. They luid 011 a second-class or smoking car and two sleeperB. At 1:20 p. m., wheti three miles uoith uf Lemont .and about tweuty-two miles south of this city, at a curvo in tho road fuere suddenly appeared u coal ti-uin oí' thirty-flve cíU'S, running at the ruto of twonty miles an hour, tho passenger train running at the rate, probably, of thirty miles an hour. Nether engineer savv the other,s ongino till ït was too lato to roverse, a tact accounted for by tho curve in tüe road, and partially by a dense fog. Tho two trains oamo togothor with fenrful forco. Being on a curve, howover, euch engino left the track and passed oach other, that attached to the coal train striking tho baggage car a few feet from the end and shcving it ort' the track, breaking tho coupling between it and the smoking car, which tho engino strook square in the end and with such foroe as to throw tho forward end in ttho air so that tho engino ran under it, tearing the Hoor oompletely oüt, and hurling the lifty or sixty unfortunates who wern in tho car in a stiuggling mass to the lower end, wheuco thero was no chance í'or oscape, causing a scone of horror whioh cannot bo adequately described. The smoke stack and dome of the engine were knocked o ft' by tho oollision, and the broken tirabers of tho smoking car penetrated the boiler, letting loóse a dense volumo of hot steain, which ponred in the car, blinding and sealdh'g tho helpless inmates who, with heart-rending sbrieks, strugglbd viiinly to exlricate themselves. Meantinie Conductor liussell, of the passenger train, who was unhurt, and a nuinber of passengerd from rear coaches came forward and endeavored to assist the poor victims, but there was little left to do beyond taking from tho wreek tho dying and wounded. Many wero foarfully scalded. Sevon died soon after they were taken out, and four havo sinoe dieü. The point where tho accident occurred is near what is known as tho bog, a low marshy meadow, about half way between Lemont and Willow Hprings station, and uot a house in the neighborhood. The unhurt passengers, however, took bedding fróm the sleepers and ministered as mnch as was possiblc under the circumstauces to the wounded, while Conductor Russell hurried back on foot to Lemont and telegraphed Superintendent HcMullen here for surgeons and aid. Mr. McMullen hastily got together a half dozen physicians and supplios of euch articles as wero necessary and started about iniduight with a special train for the scène of the disaster, arriving there about 1:30 this ruorning. Everything possible was done tor the sufforers, and at six o'elock this morning tho traiu roturned to the city bringing the injured coaches of the wrecked train and all the dead and wounded except two firemen who were left at Lemont for burial. On ' their arrival here those of the wounded I who rosided in tho city were taken to their homes and the others were taken to a hospital, with tho exeeption of Captain Smith and. Mr. Fluery, who rere taken to the west side Briggs House. Neither of theso gentlemen, it is fuared, eau recover. Tho cause of the aooident was the criminal recklessness of the conductor and engineer of the coal train whosoduty it was to wait at Lemont until the passenger train passed, unlesa they had received positivo orders to proceed. This the officers of the road say was not the case, and that tho coal train should have stöd .knyinThe conductor.,. ryn_ ning the train for a year, and was considered a ürst-class man. He has not been seen eiuco tho disaster, and is thought to have escaped and flod, as the last seen of him ho was in the cabooso of his train, which was uninjured. No blaino is attached to the otücers of tho passenger train, which is said to have been on time and had tho right of the track. The track has been cleared of the wreek, and trains will run out from hero to-night as usual. THE COEONEB'S I2ÏQUE3T. Chicago, Aug. 18.- The inquest on tho bodies of those killed by the Chicago & St. Louis Eailroad disaster was, begun today. Tho Superintendent of the road, tho station agent at Lemont, near which the accident occurred, and the conductor of the passenger train gave testimony. TLe tenor of the evidenee went to show that the accident was caused by disobedience of tho rules of the company by the conductor and engineer of the eoal train, who should havo waited until the passenger train had passed. The inquest will be continued to-morrow. AK.BESTED FOR MANSLAUQHTEU. The cotiductor and engineer of the coal train havo been arrested on warrants for manslaughter sworn out by thottorney of the railroad company, and every effort will be made to convict them under the manslaughter statute, there being no statute bearing directly on tho caso. THE DEATH KOLL. The death roll has been swelled to-day by the deaths of Hon. John "W. Smith, Warden of the State Penitentiary, and J. W. Fleuiy, Purctrasing Agent of the same institution. A completo list of the deaths thus far is as follows: John W. Smith, Joliet; J. W. Fleury, Joliet ; William Little, Springfield, Illinois; Koger F. Bross, Chicugo ; Thomas Morton, Chicago; James O'Neill, Joliet, Illinois-; Thoodore Stenz, Texas; Jacob Candot, Oshkosh, Wisconsin ; Geo. Tendel, Chicago ; Geo. Senter, Chicngo ; U. Divelbies, Springfield ; Conrad Webber, Chicago ; Jacob Lauser, Joliet ; Win. Davis, Chicago; Joseph B. Michie, Jackson, Tennessee ; John Metzier, Joliet, Illinois, und an unknown man. THE WOTTKDED. The wour.ded number nearly forty, a few of whom will die.