The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-05
THE INDIANA HORROR.

Particulars Of the Fri2htful Disaster ut the
Indianapolis Fnir GxounLs--EearfuI SuGer-
inas of the yictins-Graphic Description Of
the Scene.
From the Indianapolis Journal. Oct 81
One o'clock yesterday afternoon was the hour
mills and into the competition several firms entered.
among them .Slnker u Co., engine builders, and
Completed and he victory il victory il IS had been
won by the Sinker machine. Seven minutes and a
halt OF saving had been done. with every part
OF the engine and mill strained to the utmost
tension alter which the tires had been
permitted TO go down and the machines to
rest. About three O'Clock Mr.. Sinker's foreman
thought ii advisable to saw up the logs on hand,
so as 10 clear up for removal on the morrow. The
engine was started and the task accomplished with
the exception OF two "tuIn5.n Tho pill beneath the
saw was 1lled with sawdust and temporary rest
was taken to allow two co0red helpers to clean 1t
gathered about the occupied by the machinery,
while here and there over the grounds were scat
tered 1000 or 200 people, AT moment OF undis-
turbed quiet while the hum OF the machinery was
hushed and attention drsctel toward the ring IN
which tho fast tr0ttlng was about to commence, q
noise, like the explosion OF park OF artillery, sa-
luted the ear and conclusion ofthe earth, as OF an
earthquake, sent thrill OF lear TO the heart. A
volume OF steam, olindlng cloud OF dust and
smoke, the air liied with debris OF timber OF pieces
OF ron OF shreds of clothing, parts OF human beings.
OF groans and shreks men falling hlther aud
with grape and shrapnel told the fearful tale of an
explosion. The engine, moment before thing OF
beauty, obcdient TO he touch or man, was torn and
rent by q mighty CONFUSION; Its c0mellness gone
It's parts scattered to the four winds, hardly joint
left in integrity That which IN one second had been
an implement of industry, IN the next was turned
into sickle OF death, reapng and moving It's vic.
TINS IN swath confined by no rule ana measured
by no regularity.
The scene was one to appal the stoutest heart The
immense crowd, only informed enough TO know that
terrible accident had occurred, swayed and surged
Ike migaty pillows, breaking oyer every conilne and
threatening to add TO the list OF deaths by trampng
beneath thelr feet some Of the weaker and the
smaller VINO were reeng about IN The vortex In
utter hep.essness. First impelled by curiosity the
jam was toward the spot from whence the sound
came; the manned and wounded lying about the
vicinity were overwhelmed, ard donotless some
were Killed outright who might have lived had they
been allowed cir and given attention ut once.
When curiosity was appeased by The ghastly sgslts
which met the eye, ana when the people, in
dazed and bewildered way, came TO comprehend
the character or the disaster panic seized
them, ana even q more fearful calamity was threat
ened through their terror. Strenuous eXertons
were made by the cooler and calmer to quiet and
allay eXcitem nj, and after tine something nke
order was evoked and survey made OF the extent
of the casualty.
The engine was set up about seventy five yards
west OF the Power Hall and the sawmili some fifty
or one hundred feet due north OF tne engine The
force of the explosion seemed to be lateral Heavy
pieces 81. 81 the macainery were blown 70 INC north
parts were found some distance to the east, but
more were thrown backward. Those who saw is
say that nothing was thrown higher than thirty or
forty feet The bodies OF several were lifted into tho
Cir and alighted In mangled and mutllatea shapes
many yards from where .hey were standing ny waea
power ana the horror OF tho explosion may lie
gathered from some or the incidents which We have
been able to coate.
Where the engine stood was left no perceptible
trace, except an area Of smoked and blscEened
ground. Even tue foundation had been torn up and
not brick was left standing the one upon the other.
The framing or the sawmill was thrown asSew.
turned over, broken ana disocated. large piece
OF the boiler, which must have weighed 300 pounds,
piece was thrown clear Into the time track and
skipping over 1t buried Itself IN the sod beyond
Another large piece was blown westward. clear over
the dyke upon the cattle pens. 1t crashed through
the roof OF one and struck large OK on the horns
breaking oil the tips, passing entirely out OF
the enclosure OF the rair grounds. one OF tho
shafts, to which was attached an eccentric, was
thrown sideways over Power Hall, and landed at
the SIDE OF Domestic Hail. One or the rods was
twisted of ami carried at least 800 yards in north
eastery direction, striking meu on the head who
was standing not far from the amphltnealre. In
almost every direction smaller pieces OF the ma
chinery were thrown and the air was literally full
OF splinters bolts screws nuts pieces OF rods and
SUCH OF the lighter portions OF tao engine. Innu.
meraDle are the stories told OF how deadly missiles
alighted just In front OF people, arrested by gra-
ci0us Providence in their deadly flight
10 attempt pom picture OF tha scene were folly.
Imagine $4,000 people Dallid with fear, rushing and
crushing to and fro, lmpe0d by nameless something
towards an unleinabe object; m n bearing dead and
wounded into the various halls women shrieklng
and crying for fear their husbands, brothers
might be among the killed; strong men convulsed
ana In tears because temporarily separated from
wives and children, and in suspense as to their
safety; here stumbling across the mutilated form OF
man. there appalled, with the horrld spectacle OF
skull absolutely stripped OF Its flesh; here an arm
there PAIR OF legs; here side or esh cooked until
1t looked like tripe, there pool OF cotted blood
here horse struck dead In its harness, with the
occupants of the carriage dumb ana pasied with
terror All this, and more infinitely more, must bo
imagined to nl IN the details OF picture OF which
1t were next to impossible to give but the fainte3t
outlines
In time, however, this Babel ana chaos ceased.
and the dead and wounded were gathered together.
placed Ia wagons ana started for the city. where
they received every possible attention that sympathy
anu skill could be5tow.
The procession OF the manned and bleeding md
Of tho corpses into the city was sad and sckoning
enough 1t was forcible imitation Of that spectral
panorama OF suffering that eIfadel into the streets
or Washington city on that July morning when the
federal hosts were beaten baoA lii blood and dis
NAV from Bull Run.
The tldlngs OF tho accident reached town in very
few minutes, and soon tho wnolo populace was
aroused Pennsylvania and Delaware streets as
the principal avenues from tho grounds, were lined
with terrorstrcken people, eager to hear the news.
at the gates Stood groups OF scared women and
children, shverInE with tho dread that one OF those
rude hearses might dropiits load OF blank mscries at
their doorsteps. Never nave we seen tho city OF
indianapolis so thoroughly alarmed ana aroused.
The pitch from JOY TO horror was so sudden aud 80
extreme. The newspaper oltces were crowded
with eager news seekers; the rooms OF w. w.
Weaver, tue undertaken, whittier the dead bodies
matloD, wero beseged With crowd OF several
hundred Until midnight. The hotels were throngei:
the Surgical Institute. where The wounded wee
lying. was the focus towards winch hundreds OF
people conveyed, ana Wherever two or three could
got together there was huruel comparison or
notes aud an exchange OF the latest Information.
The accident happened not iar from halfpast
four ana before Six the fair grounds were deserted
ana the CITY made the depository OF the horrible
story.
INCIDENTS.
A man walking In front OF the Executive Head
ouarters was startled at seeing the skull Of n man
dropping In front OF him, the nesh actually scllded
OIL the bones, but the eyes aud teeth still remaining
la the sockets and Jaws.
Several yaras nom tho disaster was found pair of
legs held together by tie merest shred OF flesh At
one place was the headess trunk OF man; at an
other was the leg OF q woman, With her boot and
stocking and part OF her drawers sdll upon IT. the
arm OF man was found driven INTO poplar board;
while not far from Power Hall was seen The body OF
man horribly mutilated that his heart stomach,
liver ana lungs could readily 10 seen. When first
discovered his heart was still paptatng, and the
motion OF the organ was plainly observed.
IL was reported, apparently upon good foundation,
that woman was delivered OF enid on the ground,
the fright bringing on miscarriage, which may
cause her DEATH
In tho AgEcntnral Hall were living fonr hndies