The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-16
PERILS OF TRAVEL.
TAE sPUYTEN DvYVIL DISASTER.
Further Details OfthAt Terrible Calamity vivid
Picture of the Shocking Scenes and HOr.
rOn Of the Accident Culpabls
Party Arrsstsa-Insldsnts.

/ SNAW ASAAt NtANtNty -AV0AkQ W lie
liam Curtis, who had been at Albany al
tending a meeting Of the Regents Of the
State University, was returning to Staten
Island to-day when seen by Tribune re-
porter. to whom he told the following story
Of the railroad accident at spuyten Duyyil;
l was in the third car from the rear OF the
Minnehaha, When the train reached
spuyten Duyvil it stopped, for what reason
doesn't seem to bc definitely known.
There were several rpmors in regard to 1t.
As an old traveller, / usua lily get out when
a train stops, but / sat quietly Inst evening.
1 asked the porter whywe stopped. He re-
piled that we were stopped on a signal. I
still sat in my chair, should think ten
minutes, then heard whistling; i sup
posed a train was coming from New York.
Thinking It improbable that ono would be
coming from the other way, | had no ap-
prehensions, because did not doubt that
the necessary precautions had been takcn.
l thought the train was cotning on the
other side ofus. 1t was only moment or
two before the tain was on us. At the mo-
ment OF the collision the shock Wa
plainly perccptible, but it did not throw
me of my feet or injure me in any way. A
young woman near me was thrown into
convulsions. arose and went forward. |
was the first person to go out OF the cur. A
water.tank stood against tho door. Having
kicked that out OF the way stepped out
into the snow, looked back and sawsmoke.
A great crowd had gathered around the
cars, which were evidently burning Itwas
scarcely five minutes from the time felt
the shock when the cans were in flames.
The burning ears looked like fiery fur
mace. heard people calling the passen-.
gers to go back and get the things they had
left in the cars. So / went back. On my
arrival there, found ]. Hamiin Robb.
His hand was done up in handkerchief,
and there was considerable blood on
him. / had some court-plaster in my
pocket, and with that / dressed his hand.
Then | saw man sitting down in the
car, evidently in pain, with his head on his
hand, asked him II could do anything
for him. He said he had been hit on the
back Of the neck by beam. There were
several gentlemen cut and bruised, but
none seemed TO be severely hurt. Itlien
hastened to the burning car. They wese
throwing snow on the fire. Itwasimpossi-
Bile to hear anything, the noise was SO great.
Several were inquiring about Senator Wag-
ner We stayed there about an hour after
the shock. l saw no official person; we
seemed to be utterly hopeless. IT was in
credible that there was such criminal mis-.
management on the part of those who had
the responsibility OF running the train.
We were certainly for ten minutes perfect-
ly still on that curve, and at the end OF
those ten minutes, train which was
known to be a short distance behind u.s.
came crashing into us with these fearful re.
suits. 1t is only necessary 10 state those
facts to appreciate the situation.
"Our car got merely the impact from the
end OF the Empire, which was tho next
car. Tho most | could find out was that
five persons were killed. / saw Senator
Wagner before the accident, but not to
speak to him. 1telegraphed home at tho
very earliest moment. Think none in my
car was seriously injured. Where the re-
sponsibility lies it is impossible to say.
The conductor OF the train was bound to
use every precaution when We stopped at
Spuyten Duyvil. The imminence OF the
peril was such that he should have made
sure that the signal was given. He had
only one thing to do, and that was to look
out for the safety Of the train, and he knew
that another train was behind him.
Henry S. RoCkenbaugh, q passenger, de-
scribes the horror OF the collision us some
thing indescribably dreadful. The train
stopped for some minutes, and he walked
back to look out Of the rear window in tho
car, in which he was. He saw the engine
Of the approaching train laundering around
the curve, and turned to run back to the
forward end Of the car, shouting rs he ran,
to warn his fellow passengers OF their dam
ger. All started up from their seats. Be-
fore he had reached half through the car
the shock Came and he felt himself lifted
up in the air Pitch darkness followed.
On oil sides cries OF horror, anguish and
despair went up. Then lurid glow was
cast through the car from the fire breaking
out, and he saw men and women struggling
to get free from the wreck. He heard a,
lady, wedged in under a seat, calling most
piteously for help. He tried to aid her,
but she was held fast, and the fire con1.-
PEELED him to leave her to her terrible fnte.
He recollected seeing Il stout lady, who
was identified rs Mrs. or Miss Brown, get
on the cars at Grcenbush.
The list Of dead is as follows: Senator
Wagner, Park Valentine, aged twenty-one,
Bennington, VT; Mrs. Valentine, aged
nineteen, North Adams, VT; Oliver B,
Keeley, Spring City, Pa; D. L. Ransom,
guest Of the Hoffman House; ReY, L. MARI
chall, residence not given; Miss Maud
Brown, 443 West Fifty.third street, New
York and man unknown.
All the injured, with the exception OF
Miss Mary Daniels, guest OF the Sher-
wood House, were able TO go TO theirhomes,
and no list was kept by the police. Miss
Daniels was seriously burned, but will
probablyIrecoYsr.
Police Commissioner Nichols, who was
on the train, says:
"Senator Wagner passed through the
car in which was seated, greeting friends
pleasantly as he passed along. He passed
out on to the platform Of the following car,
and second later, following Immediately
upon the bang OF tho door Senator Wagner
closed behind him, came the terrible shock
and deafening crash OF crushing tinbers
and swapping iron. How escaped I
scarcely know, but when got out Of the
wreck turned to look for Senator Wagner.
The car, at the spot where had seen him
last, was burning fiercely, and out OF the
fire came deep. despairing cry, For Gods
sake, help me J"
With axes and bars Commissioned Nich-.
OILS and his company attacked the car 10
free the imprisoned man, but were driven
back by fire, and the voice was stilled.
George Alelicus, brakeman on the Chi
cago express train, charged with the re-
sponsibility Of Friday evenings disaster.
; was arrested ut the Grand Central Depot
this evening, and locked up on tho charge
Of criminal carelessness, He made the
following statement:
"Whenthe train stopped got my lamps.
white and red, and walked tothe back part
5 Of the train in about two minutes; stared
back around the curve; about six or seven
nnr lnnnt h. irnIn ,.lnrn aInol i s -.