The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-01-18
A TRAIN IN FLAMES.

A Passenger Coach and Baggage Car In
simultaneously EnveIoped in Burning
OiI-Three Women Burned to Death
and Number of People Badly Wound
ed.
BRADFORD, Pa, Jan. ia stream Of
oil from tank on the hillside flowed across
the Bradford, Burdell & Kinzua Railroad
track, covering it tor 100 yards. AS the
morning train from Wellsville came along
the oil caught fire from the engine, and in
stantly the train, which consisted of loco
motive, baggage and passenger ear, was en-
veloped in flames. Three women were
burned to death, and twenty-five persons
were terribly burned about the head, face
and hands, or badly hurt by jumping from
the moving train. So intense was the heat
that windows cracked and fell in. In a few
seconds the cars were blazing fiercely. The
passenger coach was filled with travellers.
There was frantic rush for the doors, but
the heat was so intense that the panic
stricken people were driven back and forced
to jump through the windows.
A relief train with surgeons and cots was
dispatched to the scene. There terrible
sight presented itself. The passenger
coach and baggage car were smoking mass
of ruins. The engine lay on its back, haV-
ing turned complete somersault. Many
of the more seriously injured lay on the
ground in the snow suffering terrible ag-
Onies. Others had managed to get to the
houses of the oilwell workmen. The cries
of the burned were terrible. Several were
literally scorched black. These will die.
The list of the killed and injured is as fol.
lows:
KLLED-Mrs. L. C. Fair, Kinzua Junction,
burned beyond recognition; Miss Katie Nor
an, of Aliens, Pa, body burned to a crisp;
Mrs. Tobias Jones, Rev City, burned to Gin
ders.
INJURED-Prof. Taught of Tarport, not ex.
pected to live; Patrick Sexton, engineer, ter
ribly burned on face and hands; Mike Walsh,
fireman, horribly. burned about the face and
arms; w. H. Belknap, of Aiken, injured in
ternally: George Mccartney, newsboy, burned
about the head and hands; not expected to
live; Jerry Haggerty. Ceres, N. Y, badly
burned about the face and head; Mrs. Black
her daughter and her son, of Aiken, burned
about the head and hands; g. w. Van, wife
and son, of indianapolis, burned about the
face and hands; John Kafoer, of Aiken, ter
ribly burned about the face and hands.
Mrs. Thomas Parker, of Bordell, Pa,
threw her four-year-old child out of win,
dow, and jumped out. Captain Hoe, of
and head, and fourteen or fifteen others
were severely burned.
D. r. Brest foreman of the Anchor Oil
Company's lease where the holocaust oc-
Cured, said II went to part of the lease
where they were putting up a boiler this
morning, and seeing streak of oil in the
snow running down over the railroad track,
l struggled hard to reach the track and
warn the engineer The snow, however,
was so deep that I made but little head
way, heard the train coming and immedi-
ately afterward was startled by an explo-
sion. The train was soon mass of flames.
| could render no assistance TO passengers y
John Burke of the Bingham House, Dun
kirk, N. Y, with his sister May, occupied
seats near the center of the passenger cal
and escaped without injury. Burke de
scribes his experience as follows: 'The
train was running fifteen miles an hour
Suddenly the car became dark Jets anC
tongues of flame leaped up on all sides and
flashed through the ventilators. The glass
cracked with a snap and the heat
became uncomfortable. knew at once that
we were passing through an Oil fire.
/ recognized the kissing of the burning oil
Turning to nay sister / said We are pass
ing through an oil fire. Be quiet, 1t will
soon be over. People began to JUMP
through the windows. On all sides was
heard the crashing of glass and the deafen
ing roar of the sea of flames. The car was
a regular hell in less than three minutes
after it caught fire. 1t seemed as if we were
all doomed to burn to death. The car was
filled with the cries of women and children
and the groans of the men. Women anC
children were picked up and thrown
through the windows. Those who jumped
out Jared better than the few awhC
dashed through the doors into the
flames which surged to and fro upon the
bed on the road, and all had their hands,
faces and clothing burned. l started dowr
the aisle. but the heat was so great that il
made my head swim. said: we mus
jump through the window l arranged my
sisters cloak about her head, picked her w
bodily, and dashed her head foremost
through the window. | next picked up
little girl who was crying and threw her ou
the same window. Then / made jumI
for life. landing in a snow-drift. My mus.
tache and hair were only slightly singed
My sister rolled down the snow-bank, but
escaped without a scratch"