Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-01-10


RY 10, 1877.
TELEGRAPHIC.
~~~~~A4~~~S~~
Further Partlculars Of the Ashtabu
Ia Disaster.
CLEVELAND, O., Jan. 1.-The work
. men at Ashtabula labored all day
, mainly in cutting up and dragging
ont the wreck of the bridge, only q
few working at the debris Of the cars
No additional bodies were found, bu,
large basketful of feet, hands, arms
boots, and other fragments of flesh
! and clothing were fished out, but
nothing that any one could identity
THE BRIDGE
was crossed by double track. The
wrecked train was coming over the
4 left hand or southern track. That
side of the bridge gave way first, and
the train in falling was thrown some
thirty feet to the left of direct line
between the abutments. The bridge
fell directly downward, and crushed
through the ice to the bottom of the
river. It would therefore form
q dam which would stop the bodies
washed down stream under the ice
| ON HORRORS HEAD.
| 1t is o current theory at Ashtabula,
where public feeling Is intensely bit.
ter against the managers Of the road,
that they are anxious to remove the
bridge, first SO as to permit any hu-
man remains now lodged against it to
be washed away, and thus .obliterate
the evidence upon which claims can
be based for damages by the friends
of the lost.
ANOTHER FACT
that is strongly commented upon is
that, Immediately after the accident,
q train-dispatcher in this city tele-
graphed not to permit water to be
thrown on the burning cars. The
dispatcher admits sending the dis
patch, but says that it Twas through
fear that the wounded might be
drowned by too liberal use Of water.
Near the west pier stands an engine
house, with steam-pumps for forcing
the water into the tank on the hill.
It had plenty of hose that could have
been instantly attached, and power
full stream of water thrown upon the
burning wreck in this way. 1t is
claimed that most of the wounded
who were burned to death might
have been saved, and the friends of
the lost, maddened by their failure to
find anything but the ashes of their
friends, charge that it was.
THE DELIBERATE PURPOSE
of the Company to let the fire do its
work as completely as possible. Until
the Coroner's jury now in session has
rigidly examined all the facts, iudg-
ment of these points may fairly be
suspended.
In all, eleven bodies have been
brought to Cleveland and prepared
by the undertakers for burial. Their
names have been already given in the
press reports. ,'a
DIR. wAsHBURN.
The report that the body of DIR.
Washburn, rector of Grace Church of
Cleveland, had been found was pre-
mature. A leg was found with a
boot, supposed to be his. The leg
was clothed with two pairs Of
drawers, and pieces of this clothing
were brought here and shown to Mrs
Washburn, who's Immediately pro-
nounced them not those of her hus-
band. 1t il not now expected that
any trace of the dead clergyman will
ever be found.
FRIENDS OF THE LOST
are pouring into Ashtabula from all
quarters, and their excitement and |
suspense add new element of tragic |
interest to that long chap
tea Of horror. Strong men, frail, |
trembling women, and even children
have focked to the scene from east |
and west, and stand about weeping
moaning, and in some cases fainting
with horror as they look down into |
the abyss into which the train with |
their friends on board plunged on |
that fearful night.
CLEVELAND, O., Jan. 2.-Victor
Nusbaum, Peter Livenbrae, Isaac and |
Birdie Meyer, and Larry Lanigan,
express messenger, all victims of the |
Ashtabula accident, were buried here |
to-day. The funerals were largely |
attended, and created profound i'm
preston. The news of to-day from
the wreck is summed up in the fol-
lowing special telegram from the re-
porter Of the Leader at
THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER:
AsHrABuLA, O., Jan. 2.-Work on
the wreck has gone ON slowly to-day.
There have been various minor dis
coveries, some of which are consider
ed quite important by friends of the
lost. The scaffolding is slowly rising |
toward the top of the gloomy abut-
ments. The wood from the stream
has nearly been removed, and only
the twisted and broken iron-work
remains. The ice has been broken
for considerable distance down the
stream, but very little has rewarded |
the search in that direction. The |
crowd of witnesses which, on each
previous day, has flocked to the scene |
of the disaster is to- lay very small. |
The work of identification, however,
goes slowly on, and now charred
limb, then shred of clothing, or a
cherished keepsake, is brought to
light and delivered to friends. The
following notes on the process of |
Identification are Of public interest
MRS. KNOWLES.
E. Fl. Bourne, of Cleveland, BROTH
er Of Knowles, lost in the car City of
Buffalo, was here to-day with the |
nurse of Mrs. Knowles family, in |
600 rch ~ cnvno a rolso nr <ho 1ococ.oJ L
or her little girl. Bits of clothing |
are identified by the nurse as having |
belonged to Mrs. Knowles.
DIR. G. F. HUBBARD,
of Polk City, Ia, from Bergen, N. Y,
where he had been visitinga brother
in-law, Thomas j. Love, was lost in 1
the train, and it was thought no trace |
was left of him. Mr.. Love, who had |
come on to search for him, was on |
the point Of going home, but upon
coming into the Morgue for tho last |
time to-day, found two shirts and a |
shawl which he Immediately recog-
nizcd. The shirts were plainly |
marked &c. +. Hubbard" These are |
all that is left of the deceased.
TWO HANDS
were found to-day. One (the lcft)
was perfectly preserved, and had evil
IDENTIFY been in the water. The other |
was shapeless mass, and only iden-
tilted as hand by q single nail. A |
pin-cushion was found to-day which |
was Immediately recognized as hav-
ing belonged to
JOSEPH II. ALDRICH,
of Des Moines, la. It was of some
metallic substance. On one side
were advertisements of Mr.. Aldrich's
business. The other was mirror.
The deceased had carried it three
years. Mr.. Aldrich's brother-in-law
and wife, who had come on from
Des M0ines, were very much graft
fed to find even this trifling relic Of
the dead man.
L