A Railroad Calamity

JACKSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/19/2013 at 15:12:45

Jackson Sentinel, Sept. 6, 1877

A RAILROAD CALAMITY

As the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific fast train going west, on Tuesday, August 28th, was crossing a stream about seven miles east of Des Moines, the bridge gave way, letting the whole train into the creek. Eighteen persons were taken out dead, others will die, and the injured number forty or fifty. It is one of the worst railroad accidents that has ever happened in Iowa. Had the Democratic State Convention been held at Des Moines. where for years it has been held, one hundred or more delegates would have been on the train.