The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-29
THE MASSACHUSETTS RAIL'
ROAD SLAUGHTER.
Criminal Carelessness Of Nn Engi-
neer.
4 Look nj the Dead BODIES.


fore II started Superintendent Prescott
sent special orders TO the engineer 10 b
careful, as there was train ahead G
him. The conductor OF the Accommoda
ton train was warned of the train bGhinr
him, and caused two red lAnterns TO b
put on the rear platform oil the rear cal
but It seems no attention was paid TO thO
orders, and the responsibility OF this care
lessness must rest somewhere.
AT the scene of the awful disaster thGrl
Is little to Le seen. In the ditch at the sid
of tho road still smoke the embers OF tn
burned cars, hut this Is almost all of which
tells of the disaster. In the Town Hall n
Revere, still lie half dozen bodies. TheI
are horrible TO look at; the bloody foam
lies upon their black, swollen lips; thel
eyes protrude from the sockets disColoret
patches Of flesh hang loose from thei
cheeks, andgre flaps ol boiled skin dan
gle from their hands. They have beer
crushed, cooked and tortured, and deeper
than all was their physical Disagreement
One sees something still more awful &c
look upon, their faces hauntlngly look o
unspeakablG agony, The officers OF the
road were almost Crazed by the accident
and seemed not to know what to do The
killed and wounded are nearly 0ll from
Boston, Salem and Lynn.
Two additional deaths by the disaster
occurred to-day. The papers this morn.
ing write demanding full investigation
of the cause OF the catastrophe, and stern
Judgment upon those responsible. The
inaUeSt. will be held near the scene OF the
slaughter on the bodies of the persons
killed out right. Another inquest will be
held on the bodies Ol those who died Mt
the City Hospital.
COMMENTS OF N. Y. PRESS.
NEW YORK, August 9S.
All the journals are discussing the Bos
ton railroad accident and are unanimous
in the opinion that the case demands such
investigation rs will result in GSing the
responsibility for the catastropheSand Wis
iting tho guilty with the severest penalties
of the law. The World says of the acct.
dent "If this be not murder, murder
most foul, most unnatural, most clamor.
Gus to God and man for Justice, then 1t
were rs well to strike out at once from
all legislation the useless statutes which
pretend to hedge with power tho lives OF
innocent men,"
INVESTIGATION BEFORE TITE CORONER.
BOsToN, August 2S.
The Coroner's Jury met this afternoon
in regard to the Revere disaster and was
composed Of DR.. Jas. b. Forsoth, the
coroner, Jonathan Hamilton, Andrew
Durham, John II. Proctor, Chas. II. Cicle
and Col. Porter, with Dr. Jacob Mitch.
ell, Of Chelsea, as clerk. The invcstlga-
ton was held In the Town Hall ut Revere
There was large attendance OF interest.
ed citizens, including many railroad peo-
pie.
The first witness called was John il.
Newland, conductor on the railroad, who
testified that the regular time for starting
the accommodation train was 7:l6; was
very late last Saturday night, 1t being 7;45
before We started; proceeded without III.
terruption until arriving at SOmerviAe;
started and ran 10 Sangus Branch, where
saw the train coming around o curve
signalled the train and stopped II; after.
wards spoke to my engineer; said We
could 20 along; after delay Of eight
minutes at the Junction ran down to
Everett from Chelsea stopped there III
minutes and ran TO Revere; after the pas
senrera,had alighted the word was given
''ali right l siung my lantern to start
can't say whether the train started or not;
some one on the platform said "here comes
the train;n Immediately jumped between
the tracks and swung my lantern; not
many minutes elapsed before the crash
came; there was not time 10 do nnyNmorc
before the collision; to the best Of my
knowledge II was o TO 8 o'clock when
my train started I Know that the express
Ii ain was TO follow ut s o'clock; when |
started from Chelsea station the express
train was not in sight; j had three cars
and a baggage car on thy train; ] had or.
ders To start at once; the rule Is 10 car
ry tail lights, they are white in color and
attached to the rear of the cars;
when arrived at Revere station deten.
ton at SOngres branch OF 8 minutes was
occasioned by the half past six o'clock
train; I did not discover the express train
till IL struck me; ! first discovered
the express train ut Everett; the train was
approaching at \ rapid rate; l could not
tell whether the stealh was shut of or
not the train appeared to be under full
headway; know the engineer OF the
express train, his name Is VIM. Brown;
did not hear any whistle from his train;
could not say whether he could hear or
not; l call thirty.flve miles per hour n
rapid rate; should Judge II was running at
that rate; had the right road according to
rule; the use Of lanterns on the rear OF n
train, il to notify of nm approaching train,
and invariably the rule Ia IN stop when
these signals are seen; ns nrG understood
by the rule, no train Is to be within hall
mile of the preceding train; instructions
are printed; II would require ordinarily
one and a half or two minutes TO pass over
the distance OfShAli mile; should
think II would require tile distance Of q
quarter Of a mile TO break up train run.
ming at the rate Of 10 miles per hour; the
condition Oft weather was overcast but
clear; | did sec a light half n mile distant
that night; light could he seen one mile in
a straight line; was on the rear end oi
the car before arriving at Revere; the first
intimntion had was u man singing out
from the platform, "train coming" did
not see the man that tended the switch at
the depot; think the man jumped into the
middle OF the track and showed light,
and this man was at my left hand some
seven feet In advance when the train
struck; was delayed half IN hour at the
Boston depot, but could not tell the rca.
son; the train when made and put into the
depot master and assistants make train