Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-15
FIRE AND DEATH.
Further Particulars of the Hudson River
Railroad HorrOr-Names Of
the Killed.
Sickening Sights-An Affecting Incident
The Body OF Senator Wagner
Recovered.

NEW YORK, January 1.-THE body Of
Senator Wagner was recovered this morning
from the wrecked cars at SPuyten Duyvn and
brought to this city, accompanied 10y nunlsr-
Gus friends and relatives, and conveyed to
his residence. The body was burned 50 Is to
be unacceptable, and was only identified
by his personal effects. Both hands were
burned off and the limbs drawn up in a po-
sition that showed the horrible agony the
victim had endured.
HENRY = ROCRESBATGH,
a passenger, describes the horror Of the
collision as something iudescribably dread
fuI. The train stopped for some few minutes
and he walked back TO look out Of the
window in the last 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, shout
ing as he ran to warn his fellow passengers
of their danger, and all started up from their
seats. Before he had reached half way
through the car the shock came and he felt
himself lifted up in the air. Pitch darkn IS
followed on all sides. Cries of horror, an
guish and despair went up; then Il lurid
glow was cast through the from the fire
breaking ont, and he saw men and women
strugglir; to get free from the wreck. He
heard lady who was wedged in under a
seat calling most piteouslv Tor help. lie
tried to aid her, but she was held fast and the
fire compelled him TO leave her to her terri
bic fate. He recollected seeing a stout lady,
who was identified as Mrs. or Miss Brown,
get on the cars at Greenbush.
THE BODIES BROUGHT TO NEW YORK.
Senator Wagoner's remains were sent down
to the city first, in one of the dead sen tors
own palace cars. Two hours later the re-
naming seven bodies were brought down on
an ordinary baggage car, accompanied by
Captain Yule and Coroner Krox. Six of
the bodies were packed in ice-boxes, and the
charred remains of the seventh were borne
on stretcher, covered by the fur-lined cloak
of Mrs. Valentine, the young bride whose
wedding tour ended in such horrible death.
The car was switched off upon side track
when it arrived, and run east Of the depot
to the old freight station at Thirty-third
street. Here collins were ranged on the floor,
and upon hastily improvised tables were
spread the drenched and burned gar
ments and satchels that had been recover
from the wreck, to serve as the means of
identifying the unrecoguiz- dead. Here
black fur muff and a cloak; there broad
cloth coat and a hat battered out Of shape
Charred and half consumed satchels and
bundles lay scattered about, and wsre exam
ined and registered in turn by a police
official. who took charge of all the property.
In one of these were found clews that led to
the identification OF one of the bodies as that
of the
REV. T. MARECHAL.
The clerical cut of the few tattered rags that
were left of the vest had originally attracted
attention to the mans probable calling. The
name was written on the binding, and on the
fiy-leaf of volume of sermons and theologi-
cal work, but without address. His body, like
all the others, with the single exception Of
MrSa and Miss Brown, was burned so as not
to be recognizable. As the identity of each
body was established, sheet of paper
marked with the name and number was
tackled to the cofiin-lid and the name checked
off on a list with as business-like an air as il
the matter concerned were the ordinary
bales of freight handled daily.
COARSE GRIN AND JOKE
passed once in while between the rough
idlers, undsrtaker's men, or whoever they
were, who had conlrived to gain
acc SO to the place with the po-
lie, the coroner and the reporter, and
in whose brutal minds not even the horror
of that dreadful sc=ne was able to instill
sense of dread or decency. Side by side,
on the rough pine floor, stood clumps of
painted boxes. The brief blue pencil mark
on the tags affixed to each told the saddest
flOTy Vi all. ue DO&SS DSIu all LhdL was
left of the charred bodies of Park Valentine
and his young wife, bride and groom
on'y the night before. Dstective Dakin, who
was experimenting the examination OF the
personal effects, told of the death of
OLIVER b. KELLY,
of Spring City, Pennsylvania, in the Kill
cullen Hotel, after terrible suffering. Kee-
ley's right arm was burn d off at the elbow,
and his body fairly roasted He was con-
scious, nevertheless, through his long strug-
gle with death, and in Detective Ddken, who
came to his bed-ide, recogniz ID a fellow Ma
son. He made himself known as a brother
in distress, and told the officer he was a
member of Spring City Lodge No. 55S, at his
home. "Write to my wife" lie said grasping
the officers hand and pressing it, "aad give
her my love-" With these words on his lips
he expired.
D. L Ransom was prominent resident of
| Massina New York, and the Rev. p. Mare
chal was Catholic priest connected with st.
Francis Xavier College, 40 East Fifteenth
street.
slcKENING SIGHT.
In pail between the coffips, covered over
with newspaper, lay a mans hand, torn
from the arm by force that had ground
bone and tendon to jelly, mute, pleading,
upiurned if reckoning for aid that came
not, it was a most terrible, sickening monu-
ment of dreadful catastrophe. Whose hand
it was was not known. 1t had not belonged
to any one of the bodies recovered by the
police, so far as could be observed, unless il
might be the missing stump of Oliver B.
Keely's body, but the fire had not scorched
nor even touched it.
THE USUAL INDIFFERENCE.
The officials at the Grand Central depot
when questioned by reporters exhibited the
usual experience of official ignorance and
Indifference, constantly referring the ques-
tions to some one higher in authority, who
had nothing to say. As late as an hour be-
, fore noon some of the officials in the depot
had barely head of an accident, rumor
like, etc. ssisiant-Superintendent Charles
w. Bissell had at that hour received no other
report but mere verbal hearsay of one from
an official OF the wrecked train or the one
that ran into 1t, and referred the reporters to
Spuyten Duyvil for information. When
pressed for official news, he replied impera-
lively that he was very usy and could not
bother with these men" (meaDing reporters)
call day"
LIST OF THE DEAD.
The list of the dead is as follows: Senator
Wagner, Park Valentine, aged nineteen
years, and wife, North Adams, Vermont
Oliver B. Kelly, Spring City, Pennsylvania;
d. L. Ransom, guest OF the Hoffman House
the Rev. +. Msrichal, residence net given;
Miss Maud Brown, 443 West Fifty third
street, New York, and man unknown.
All the injured, with the exception of Miss
Mary Daniels, a guest OF the Sherwood
House, were able to go home, and no list was
kept by the police. Miss Daniels is seriously
burned, but will probably recover.
WHAT POLICE COMMISSIONER NICHOLS SAYS
Police Commissioner Nichols, who was on
the train, says: senator Wagner passed
through the car in which l was seated, greet.
ing friends pleasantly as he passed along.
He passed out on to the platform OF the fol-
lowing car and a second later following i'm
mediateiy upon the bang of the door Sena-
tor Wagner closed behind him came Ter
rible shock and deafening crash OF crush
ing tImbers and swapping iron. How | es-
capped hardly know, but when / got out OF
the wreck / turned TO look for Senator Wag-
oner. The car at the spot where had seen
him last was burning fierceiy, and out OF the
fire came the despairiny cry, For Gods sake
help me-" With axes and bars Commits
sioaer Nichols and his company attacked the
car to free the imprisoned men, bat were
driven back by the fire, and the voice was
stilled.
MIR. keeIy's Home.
PHILADELPHIA, January l4.-Oliver b.
Keely, killed in the Spuyten Duyyil col
iision. was a member Of the PhiiadeIphia
firm of Oliver B. Keely & Co., No. 331 North
Third street, and proprietor OF the Spring
CITY Stove and HolIowware Works, in Ches-
ter county. He left for Albany last Tues
day, and nothing was heard from him until
1 r -. 81 h.