Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-30
A BLOOD CURDLING SCENE.
Details of sundays Horrible Accident
MT Hamilton, Ont,

PITTsBURe, April 29.-[Spectal Telegram
to The BEE The story of the railroad
wreck, near Hamilton, Ont, yesterday, in
which twenty persons were killed and
number of bodies cremated, was related to
reporter to-day by an eyewitness, Mr. Cliff
ford, manager OF the theatrical company that
was on the train. Yesterday many lady
members of the company gave what assist
ance they could to alleviate the sufferings OF
the poor victims, as they breathed their last,
"In the coatch which was crushed and
burned, eighteen persons lost their lives"
said Clifford. "Some were killed outright,
but there were others so injured as to suffer
untold agonies, and who died horrible deaths.
One poor man was caught in the car in such
manner that he could not be rescued. The
fire was creeping upon him. His feet and
legs, partly crushed, were burning. He
called to Mr.. Marks, one of the members of
my company, to end his suffering. 'Oh, my
God said he, please shoot me, please kill
me, l can't stand this suffering. can only
live few moments, at best, Kill me- As
the last words left the mouth of the poor
man the tre had accomplished what the VIC
tim wished Marks to do, He threw his head
back and his pleading stopped. He was
dead This was only one of the soul-sicken-
ing incidents. Others Gried for help and
kept on pleading until their voices were
stllled by the flames.
"Fitteen or twenty of the injured who had
been rescued from the wreck were quickly
placed in a car and taken to Hamilton, only
a few miles distant. The station house was
converted into hospital and death chamber.
A large NUMBER of physicians were promptly
summoned, and We're assisted by scores OF
willing hands. Several persons died in the
station while the attempt was being made to
alleviate their sufferings- | saw one man
bn had lie nrfr, tnr from hn n
shoulder He lived for few moments after
reaching the station. The body of a nicely
dressed man was carried into the station; I;
his mead had been cut off as clean as though
he had been guillotincd. His head was laid
beside his body. Others had their heads
crushed in u mass, while others had their
legs cut off and arms mangled. In fact, the
victims were cut up in almost every con
ceivable manner: and, mingled with tue
dead, lay the dying and badly injured whom
the doctors were trying to save"
Only Two Bodies Identified.
HAMILTON, Ont, April 29.-Only two
bodies of persons killed in Yesterdays rail
way accident have been identified. They
are S. II. Gurney, of New York, who was on
his way home from Chicago, and Rudolph j.
Eierer, of Chicago, both Of whom were in
stantly killed. The twelve persons wounded
are all doing well, and it is thought they will
recover.
Andrew j. Carpenter, of Yankton, Oak,
lett the hospital for his home to-day.
Inquest opened this morning, and after
viewing the remains, those killed and the
scene of the wreck, the jury adjourned. Be-
fore the inquest is continued efforts will be
made to identify the bodies. william,
Phillips, of the Hamilton base bali club, sup
posed to have been killed, has been heard
from in Chicago
Workmen, in shifting the remains of the
wreck this afternoon. discovered what was,
without doubt the cause of the disaster, One
of the axles of the engine was found to be
broken. The axle, after the accident, had
been pitched into the mud and water and
had also been somewhat burned. The jury
seemed to be of the opinion that the broken
axle caused the accident but, in order to get
some more light upon the subject an expert
in iron and steel working was appointed to
make inspection.