, 1888-01-10
THE WORST YET.
Fatal Railway Accident.Near Edison
Yesterday Morning.
Two Children Killed and Thirteen
Persons Injured.
Rescuing Emigrants From the
Flames in a Terrible Blizzard.

nightmare of the operative and calamity
to the management, the most dreaded and
fatal of all casualties, the telescoping of a
train loaded with human freight, occurred
at Edison station, thirty five miles east
of this point, at 2 o'clock this morning.
Train No. l, in charge of Conductor
Scott Vermillion and drawn by engine
No. 765, whichlpassed through Cheyenne
last evening, was delayed about an hour
when within a mile and a half of Edison
by a trifing accident to the locomotive.
The damage repaired, the . journey was
continued. The ll-fated train had pro-
ceeded about a mile and had not yet at
tanned full speed, when an extra freight
train, bound west, crashed into its
rear, telescoping two cmigrant
cars. The latter were Immediately
ignited by the ov~erturning of the
stoves and burned fercely, being entirely
consumed by the flames in a short time.
One end of the sleeper Delhi was m
what charred, but was saved by being
uncoupled and removed from the confla-
grafton.
BURNED TO A CRISP.
The scene was a terrible one. The pos
sibility of a veritable holocaust was immi-
nent and only averted by the heroic efforts
of the trainmen, who labored with a
strength and will born of desperation.
They successfully accomplished the hercu-
lean task of rescuing all from the debris
with one exception. The victim was the
3-year-old child of Mrs. Jennie Street of
London, England. The little one was
thrown under a seat when the conclusion
took place, and all efforts to extricate it
were fruitless. The remains of the child
were consumed by the merciless flames.
The lifeless body, burned to a crisp, was
recovered this morning. 1t is a most
nauseating and pitiable spectacle.
ALMOST FROZEN.
The thermometer registered 20o below
zero and the sufferings of the ~unsheltered
were terrible and work greatly retarded.
Everything was frosty and those exposed to
the air any length Of time felt the keen
frost and experienced all the hardships of
one lost in a blizzard. The clothing of a
number of emigrants was consumed in
their cars the forced flight and flames
rendering removal of their effects impos-
sible. These panic stricken travellers
could scarcely be induced to take refuge in
the comfortable cars which remained in
tact, preferring. quite naturally, to search
for friends or relatives. In this way
many of them were quite badly frozen,
almost without knowing it.
TO THE RESCUE.
A wrecking outfit and a sufficient corps
of physicians and surgeons, with plenti.
full supplies of bandages, medicines, etc.
were dispatched from Rawlins so soon as
news Of the accident reached that point.
Without delay they were landed at the
wreck, being carried with all pos
sible speed. They ministered to the
wounded and alleviated the sufferings of
many u hapless wretch. By their timely
arrival order was restored and work look
ing to the righting of matters prosecuted
with increased vigor.
COMFORTABLY CHARTERED.
At 1920 O'Clock, a. IN, the track was
cleared for the passage of trains. The
injured were at once taken to Rawlins,
placed in suitable quarters and properly
cared for. Those persons losing their
clothes were provided with raiment at the
expense of the company.
THE VICTIMS.
Appended is a list OF the dead and in
iured:
VIM. r. Johnston, chest injured.
Mrs. VIM. R. Johnston, back injured.
An infant child of Mr.. and Mrs. John
ston, aged 5 months, died after reaching
Rawlins. Exposure to the cold causedits
demise.
Brakeman Geo. Shcrer, well known in
Cheyenne, right leg and thigh cut in sew
eral places.
NbiSo Aua guy sHPIlIS luluTeu aDOuJ
back and abdomen.
Jas. Price, right ankle and hip injured.
Mrs. Jas. Price, back injured.
Mrs. Jennie Street, right thigh cut.
The child Of Mrs. Street was consumed
in the flames as stated above.
Mrs. d. b. Kretzcr, injured about alb
domen and chest.
Mr.. d. B. Kretzer, rib broken and in
ternal injuries sustained.
A son of the Kretzers was slightly in
jured.
SCOTT VERMILLIoN DISAPPEARS.
Shortly after the occurrence Of the &C.
cident, Mr.. Scott Vermillion of Cheyenne,
conductor of the wrecked train, was
missed. A search was at once instituted,
but the man had vanished as completely
as if borne away by the cutting breezes.
AT first it was feared hat he had in some
way fallen into the flames and been Gre
mated, but a careful investigation ex-
ploded this theory. 1t then developed