Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-30
BURNED AS THEY SLEPT.
a rnIuurruL RAILWAY HOLOCAUST,
SIXTY circus Men Imprisoned IN - FLAMING
Csr--SeNerai unfortunsteu Dead Auu
MANY HsuIy hoa.tsd

Many HsuIy Eoa,tsd,
Tho burning Of circus car uiuc mikes
north of Greeley on Thursday, was attended
with indescriblblc horrors Tho burned
car was next To the engine, In train of
seventeen cars, containing Ortou's Anglo.
American circus, which lett Port Collins
about midnight that night for Golden,
over the GruClvy, salt Lake n Pacific
IailrOad. Tho train WAS nearing Windsor,
a small station near Greeley, and was ruu.
ming at the rate Of about twenty five
miles an hour, whom Engineer Colleprist,
discovered the car to be On fire aud at
once reversed the engine and throw open
the whistle valve. There wern six
men in the car, arranged in three tiers of
buuks on either sidc. Tho forward side
door was closed and men in hunks sleep
ing against it. Tho rear siGo door was
closed and the men who awOkC discovered
tho lower uuUCCupied berth next to il,
containing rubbish, on fire, hlliug the car
with smoke aud cutting oil escape in that
direction. The only means of eErCSs was
through u small window between the car
and cugiuc. John PIuc EiErrlon, of Wis
c0usln. and Elmer Mlllct Or Iowa, crowded
through this opening aud tried to pass Ia
water from tho engine tank.
difficult to arouse the s,crpCrs and some
we're kicked aud bruised IN n shocking
manner and pitched uut Ut the window.
The screams Of those unable to get through
tho blockade IT, the aperture were terrify-
ing, The Mid glare of the lllmes and the
sight OF the burning viGtsms outside who
lay writhiUg 10 agony ON the cactus beds,
caused the wild beasts IN the adjoining
car tO become frantic with terror, making
the scene arpa hng. The performers who
occupied the rear ear, g1Iol with white
laJns on tho awful spectacle, In tue midst
of the confusion two or three heroic souls
Appeared Equal to tho occasion they
bravoIy cut their way to their companions
To dud thCm already IN the agony ui death.
Albert Lake, II charge of the animals and
his friend keut walked over cactus In their
bare feet, pouring buckets OF OIL on tho
bl stcred uulortuua'cs and wrapping them
in blankets. An old Pacific c0ls: soldier
named McDola'd, formerly Of Furrplu sL :
show, was terribly burned, his n ,sA hIu-
ing in Shreds.
The hcartrondiug cries ol the mon uu
the prairie, the smUthvred apItla OF the
dying within the car, the ruAT,ug flame,
aut tho hUwliuy Of the au'utls made the
situation terrible beyond c!iptlOu.
tho dor Of roasting flesh aud the distant
cry Of the coyote aided To the general
horror. The voices uf the dyug gre
fainter aud soon ceased. Tho uugiuc had
gone t. Greedy for assistance lud returned
with Ds. Jesse llnwcs, p-rsiIru. 1T the
State Medical association. Many Of the
rescued in being pulled through 'he smll
Windows OF the CIR hat thy.g limb,
broken aud Joints di.lDcatcd At daylight
ia; car carried the charred bodies into
Greedy for iutcrnCut.
Tho county commissioners bu,,ed tie
remains in a cotliu seven feet wide aud ten
feet long, III the Grcely cemetery. The
Rev. Mr.. Reed, a Presbyterian minister,
conducted the funeral services. The coroner
impauuelCd jury, but they were unable
tO learn tho cause Of the fire or any i'm
ppTta"t faCis, as the managers, with thI
remainder Of the company, left immediately
for Golden, To I'LL an engagement. IL d
impossible TO get a complete list of thl
| dead, as many were engaged but . day o
Two aud their names are unknown. TIT
names uf the dead as far as known arc Al
follows: Alexander Mcleod, Marinette
Wis. Thomas K"!ly, New York city, auc
! others known oily rs " SiiverthOrn,
ANDY" "Frencby," Frank" George
and Smithie," and ono unknown.
The following IL lis OF the sufferers
now NJ 81. hnke's hrsplsl, Denver Z
Z Fairbanks, aged ,Yrnty twJ, arms
legs and taro badly burned ; Albert Bor-
den, aged seventeen, I'll Detroit, Miah
very badly burned on iaco aud legs y
J Immrrman, aged eighteen, of ~
Louis, Mich, arms, legs, TACO and hacj
felriuily burned Frank King, Of Menom,
nee, Msch tally burned about bands au,
feet Michel Mc'ilun, aged twenty
eight, OF lIollon, Mich face and haud
badly burned Hugh O'DouuelI age,
nifty six, Of New O,lsaus, badly buIuc,
about the face, arms, hands and bAcl;
Will probably die. y number Of tA
rescued agrcD that in the cars wrro tw
barrels Of gasoline, which exploded eithc
from sparks fom tho engine or from III
naked torch with which the men wcr
accustomed TO light themselves to bed.