The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-01-15
CHASTITY DETAILS.
Further Particulars of that Horrible
Tarrytown Train Disaster.
Gen. Wagner, One of the Victims,
Burned to Death in His Own Car.


uOlilDic ucdln VI DuTIlluR.
Henry s. Rockenbaugh, a passenger
describes the horror of the collision as
something indescribably dreadful. The
train stopped for SOME minutes and he
walked back to look out of the reaI
window in the last car in which he was.
He saw the engine of the approaching
train laundering around a curve and
turned to run back to the forward end
Of the car, shouting as be ran to warn
his fellow passengers Of their danger.
All started up from their seats. Before
he had reached half through the car,
the shock came and he felt himself
lifted up in the air. Pitch darkness
followed. On all sides cries of horror,
anguish and despair went up. Then a
lurid glow was cast through the car
from the fire breaking out, and he saw
men and women struggling to get free
from the wrecked car. He heard a
lady, wedged in under a seat, calling
most piteously for help. He tried to
aid her, but she was held fast in the
fire and compelled him to leave her to
her terrible fate. He recollected seeing
a stout lady who was identified as Miss
or Mrs. Brown, get on the cars at Green
Bush.
Senator Wagner's remains were sent
down to the city first in one of the dead
senators W palace cars.
Two hours later, the remaining seven
bodies were brought down in an ordi-
nary baggage car, accompanied by
Captain Vale and Coroner Knox. Six
Of the bodies were packed in ice boxes
and the charred remains of the seventh
was borne on stretchers, covered by a
fur-lined cloak of Mrs. Valentine, the
young wife, whose wedding tour ended
in such a horrible death. The car was
switched off upon a side track. When
it arrived it was run east of the depot
to the old freight station at Forty-third
street.
Here collins were ranged on the floor,
and upon hastily improvised tables were
spread the draggled and burned gar
ments and satchels recovered from the
wreck to serve as the means of identi-
flying un~recognized bodies.
Here a black fur muf and a cloak,
there a broadcloth coat and hat bat
tered out of shape.
Charred and half-consumed satchels
and bundles lay scattered about and
were examined and registered in turn
bya police official, who took charge OF
all the property. In these were found
clues that led to Identification of one OF
the bodies as that of the Rev. F. Mari.
chal, The clerical cut of the few tat.
tered rags that were yet left of the vest,
had originally attracted attention to
the mans probable profession. The
name was written on the binding of the
fly leaf of a volume of sermons and the.
illogical work, but without address.
His body, like all others, with the
single exception of that of Mrs. Brown,
was burned so as to be unacceptable.
AS the identity Of each body was es'
ta%blished, a sheet of paper marked with
the name and number was tackled TO the
coffin-lid and the name checked-off il
list with as business like air as if the
matter concerned ordinary bills Of
freight handled daily.
Reminders Of the wreck were seen or
every side, horrible and ~sickening in
the extreme.
Officials at the Grand Central depot
exhibited their usual ex~asperating Of
fetal Ignorance, and referred questions
to a higher authority. Up to noon
some of them said they had barely
heard of the accident by rumors, etc.
Higher officers ''could not bother with
reporters" and haughtily refused to
talk.
The following are the dead: "
Senator Wagner; Park Valentine
age 81, Bennington, VT; Mrs. Valen
tine, age 10, North Adams, VT; Oliver
B. Kelley, Spring City, Pa; D. l.
Ransome, guest of the Hoffman house
Rev. F. Marichal, residence unknown
Miss Maud Brown, 443 West 53rt
street, New York; and a man un
known.
All the injured, with the exception
of Miss Mary Daniels, a guest of tn
Sherwood house, were able to go thei
homes and no list kept by the police.
Miss Daniels was seriously burned
but will probably recover
Senator Wagner was heard to sa
Immediately after the collision an
while the flames were burning 6ercel
In the car he was in: "For Gods SAX
help me-" Men and bars proved un
availing to save him, and his friendi
we're driven back by the fire and tn
voice was soon stilled.
George Melius, brakeman, charge
with the responsibility for the evening
disaster, was arrested at the Gran
Central depot this evening and locke
up on a charge of criminal carelessnss!
He made the following statement:
When the train stopped, I got m
lamps, white and red, and walked I
the back part of the train. In abol
two minutes / started back around ii
curve about six or seven car lengths
, From where L stood | waved my re
: lantern across the track and L thin
that there was time enough to stop I'll
eli. Il N-I 49, N A. .--A