Chatsworth Train Disaster

August 10, 1887, was a day of mourning for Washington and the area after the thirteen cars on an excursion to Niagara Falls wrecked near Chatsworth, Illinois. Approximately eighty people were killed, and several died later, as well as 300 being injured. The Toledo, Peoria, & Western Railroad paid about $200,000 for damages and sustained considerable damages for lost cars and two engines. Earlier in the day, hundreds of happy people crowded the Peoria depot to send off 700 friends and relatives, but a few hours later, they huddled at the station, waiting for hours for news of their loved ones.

The summer of 1887 had been a dry scorcher.  On August 10, a T.P. & W. crew had been sent to burn the grasses and weeds near the wooden trestle bridge two and one-half miles outside of Chatsworth. This was a necessary regular task to prevent sparks from passing trains from igniting dry fields. Earlier, a crew had cleared the closest grasses away from the bridge, so this burning crew felt there was no need to watch the grass fire after their 5 p.m. quitting time, assuming nothing was left to burn up to the bridge.

Engineer David Sutherland testified that hours later, he and his fireman John Rogers saw the light of the fire ahead, but they were already traveling at 40 m.p.h., so they had to keep going and pray that the bridge would hold.  Their engine did get across, but the damaged bridge sank, and the following engine and cars “telescoped” as each following car careened over or into the preceding car. The cars made of wood splintered apart worse than the twisting of the cars made of steel. In the aftermath of this tragedy, railroads moved from wooden passenger cars to safer steel.

Rescuers and medical staff came from surrounding towns to help at the heart-wrenching scene.  Some bodies were so mangled that their identification was difficult.  In one case, a body was identified as Mrs. Mahala Clay of Eureka, and it was taken home and buried.  However, Mrs. Ira Hicks of Chillicothe was still missing. A search and investigation by her friends disclosed that the body buried in Eureka was that of Mrs. Hicks.  The correction was made through the clothing on the body in the morgue.  The woman’s body was exhumed and given to friends of Mrs. Hicks.

The railroad company collected and burned all the debris four days after the wreck.  It is entirely likely that not all the dead had been found or removed, so the fatality numbers are not considered accurate. One of the identified fatalities was Elizabeth M. Cress, wife of Peyton Cress of Washington. Other local people who died were from Eureka, Pekin, Metamora, and Peoria.