The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-29
A Passenger Train on the Grand
Trunk Jumps the Track.
The Engine Runs Into Water
Tank and Smashes Things.
Tho porailed Coaches Take Fire
and Human Beings Burn
To Death Pinioned by the Crushed Tim
bors--one Man Has His Head Cut
Completely oG--other
Victims,

railroad accident occurred on the Grand
Trunk near here at O'Clock this morn
| ing. Tho st. Louis express jumped tho
track and the engine ran into water
tank. Two cars ran off and took fire. All
the dead, seventeen In number, have been
taken out. The only body identified is
that OF II. ;. Quincy, OF Brooklyn. An
! Italian, unknown, was also instantly killed.
| The other fifteen were burned beyond
Identification. About twenty persons were
injured. None OF the train hands were
! killed.
The unfortunate train was running at
full speed, when suddenly II left the track,
and the engine pitched into lar,r water
tank. Tho wreck took FIRE Immediately.
Seven out OF the ten coaches comprising
the train were burned. In the ruins OF
the smoking ear scarchcr discovered sew
cntecn charred bodies The accident was
! the worst which has occurred in this
/ region since the great Dos Jarling canal
disaster, which happened almos, at tho
same spot thirty years ago. When the
engine struck the tank the tender lcapcd
completely over both, % also did the bag
gage car. ThiHy-iyc people were in the
smoking car, and iu,t about half OF tho
number were roasted alive. The car was
almost instantly cnycloped IN flames from
the engine.
The trim WAS composed Of an engine,
/ two baggage ears, u smoker u Chicago <
/ Grand Trunk through passenger coach,
/ Wabash coach, a Wagner first class coach,
/ a Pullman car aud two Wagner sleeping
/ ears In the order named. Conductor
| Poole was In charge of the train, with j.
| Watson, Of London, fireman The acct
| dent occurred 40 the junction where
10y" N built This "I'' IL uscd 60 switch
! through trains for Toronto to the Toronto
/ branch from the main line. The train Is
said TO have been running ai a speed OF
| forty miles un hour or more, when directly
ON cruising the switch the engine jumped
the truck and plunged into a water tank,
| which stood In space between the ~"
| smashing the tank Into atoms aud turning
almost upside down. Tho baggage cifs
cnmc directly after the chginc, aud the
first ~ these was pitched over the engine
and thrown 81 the main tack, leaving It's
wheels bchigd L..
The other baggage car caught fire from
| the engine, aud the two were soon in
| flames. The coaches following, with tho
exception Of the Two Wagner ears Ia the
rear Of the train. were huldlcd together
| by the shock, and soon caught fire from
the baggage ears The passengers ON the
| train, numbering over $50 many OF whom
were asleep at Tire time. had terrible OK.
| pcrioncc. A majority OF thuc on board
the train were able 10 90, ont OF the
coaches before the iirc reached them, but
in the confusion that rcirncd IL Is not
known how many victims wcrr left To tho
mercy Of the flames, pcnncd In by the
material Of the Npck and unable 10 cxiri-
cato themselves
Il. 5. Quincy, Of Brook yn, y. V, had
his head completely severed rom his body
I bv u piece OF living debris.
Kuioph Dccfrr. whose addvs u not
known. WIS also instantly killed.
As so0u ~ the engine rolled over, after
I striking tie water tank, Engineer Watson
I aud Fireman Chapman CtuNlcd from un.
I lcrncath II, npilicr Of thom being much
\ hurt An auxiliary train was sent out
| ifum this city on receipt Of news OF the
accident, aud the passengers. including
| iho injured aud two 0f tlie killed, were
brought 10 this city Two Wagner ears in
the pnr Of the train wen, uncouplcd from
/ iho other aud wcr, saved from the flames.
4 large gang OF employees, under the
| direction Oi John Hall, locomotive fore
man., worked increasingly NJ the wreck,
| doing their utmost il rxtuIuish thc lire.
! There WIS great difficulty in securing
water. owing b. lho tank being smashed,
| and thc lire held sway Coz many hours be-
| ioru % thorough search could DO made
| through ihu debris Up 10 five o'clock the
| rhifui remains % eighteen victims had
/ Teen pXhumcd from tho wreck. In no
| case was there enough Of ,hc body left 10
/ identify the remains or b. tell whether the
| person was Of the male VI Of the female
I sex.
Tho names Of the wounded now In the
/ hospital are rs follows
James A. Palmer, Hon, y. "; head
cut, but not seriously hur.
Hamilton CLARK. so. ~ West Ohio
street, Chicago. double fracture Of the
right lcg, bruised badly, head cut, and
probably internally Injured. OF all the
Injured hc Is the worst, but VII probably
recover
Anthony Mliz, OF MaHz an Italian on
biz way from Wisconsin to Italy; head cut,
but not seriously
Edwin Chapman, fireman, head badly
cut over right eye, not seriously hurt.
Euoch kenyon. of London, Eng, min'
ing engineer, ribs broken, not seriously In
iufcd.
C. &. Arbcll, l3lvardspori, Ind, slightly
injured.
Wan. Lcipscy, No. 90 North sangamon
street, Chicago, ankle badly spmpcd.
4. 1. Dooncy. nanyIllc, Ill.,, cut on
bead, not seriously
George White q German, on bis way
from Illinois 10 Union Ill., right ear cut
OIL and scalp wound, not serious.
Andrew ]. Carpenter Naualon, OAK,
injured about bead. bat not seriously.
\, X. Young. No PSI North avenue,
Chicago, very slightly hurt
Joseph Morris, East Sioux Fails, ID. T.,
on bis way 10 Clarks Island, Me-, seals
wounds, bruised lex aud shoulders not
serious.
About ten others were slightly hurt, but
not 20 badly as 10 prevent them continu-
ing their journey Il was o'clock this
evening buiop jhc tracks wero cleared.
None ui the members Of the Detroit
Light Infantry we're injured, and not q
woman was In the least hurt Ihe
wo1ndcd In the hospital arc all doing
velL