The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-05
A RAILROAD WRECK
An Excursion Train Goes Through
a Burning Bridge.
THE DEAD AND THE DYING
A Dozen Are Killed and a Score or More serf.
ously lnjuIed-scenes Of sutfering-it
Vas Pure Accident.

CHARLESTON, w. Va, July 4.-The worst
wreck ever known in this part of the state
occurred about o'clock this morning on
the hanewha II Michigan railway, eight
miles west of here. the passenger train
for Columbus pulled out from here with
two car loads of excursIonists. The wreck
occurred on high trestle. The cross ties
had caught fire during the night and
burned so the rails spread under the train.
The engine and baggage and mail car
passed over safely. but two coaches were
thrown from the track. After running
forty feet on the ties, the forward car top
pied to the left, the rear one to the right;
the forward car turned completely over
and landed right side up; the other fell
twenty feet, turning upside down, and one
set OF trucks fell on top of It, crushing the
car to splinters. Under this place most OF
the dead were found. Surgeons
and a relief train were sent at
once. The scenes among the dead and
dying were heart rending. One little baby
lost its father and mother; one mans head
was severed at the mouth and the re-
maiDder of the head was fished out from
under the wreck. Several hours after the
body was found. IL is feared there are one
dead, so far as known, are: w. E. Fife,
Buffalo, w. Va; L. n. Wilson, Gallipolis,
Ohio; Charles Huffman, Blue Creek W.
Va; Jasper Dougerty, New Martineville,
W. Va. w. Welcher, Charleston; Mrs. w.
Welcher, Charleston; Ella Cleary, Char
lesion; Amos Coulter, Red House, w. Va =
Orville Robinson, Midway, WA; Thomas5
Thornton, conductor, Middleport, o; Polly
Sullivan, Mason City, James White, Mid
dleport, o. Fifty-eight persons were
counted who are injured and a number
walked away before they could be seen. OF
the entire number of passengers but one,
John Norvell, OF this city escaped without
a scratch. He was in the mail car. Those
fatally injured are w. b. Reed, Elk City;
James Blackhand, Athens, Ohio; Mrs. r.
5. Truslow, Charleston; Will Ford, Elk
City.
Inc following is partial list of the other
injured, many of whom are dangerously
hurt: Leo n. E. Bllgh, RED House, WIS. ::
J. ID. Jones, Charleston; Mrs. j. ID. Jones,
Charleston; w. II. Saunders, Charleston;
Peter Simpson, Charleston; J. @. Martin,
Leon, w. Va; J. y. Gordon, Leon, W. Va;
Mary Shirley, Charleston; Miss Jennie
Jackson, Charleston; Miss Cora Cart,
Charleston; Miss Maggie Cart, Charleston,
john Welcher, a two year old child of Wall
ter Welcher and wife, who were killed out
right; 2. L. Mullins, Glendinning; j. A.
Gillespie, Elk City: John Whitaker, Elk
City; James Copely, Elk City; Mollie Win
free Elk City; E. y. Price and White Car
ter. Null Grove N. c.; Miss Minnie Davis,
Charleston; Andy Aayburn, Elk City;
Sallie C0ulton, Red House, w. Va; Miss
Eva Coultop, Red House: x. j. Satter-
thwaiI. Charleston: James III. Cod
dard, Jr., Charleston; Charles Robinson,
conductor, Midway, w. Va; w. 7. Niger
and son, Charleston; Postal Clerk Hayes,
Athens, Ohio: George w. StrIbbling, Point
Pleasant, w. Va; Sam Shue. Midway w,
Va. H. 4. Calhoun, Gallapolis. Ohio; Ross,
Elk City; George Mckee, Eliza Mckee.
Poca, w. Va; Raburn Blackburn, Elk
City,; +. w. Jennings, Columbus, Ohio;
George Eisele. Clarence Eisele, Charleston;
A e.. Wall, Lucinda Jones, Allie Spauld-
ing, Elk City: c. G. Long, Point Pleasant
w. Va ; Charles Conker, Ed Conker, A.
Archibald, Samuel Carpenter. POca, W.
Va: William Jones, Ella Henson, Elk
City, James Nicely, of Charleston, was
known to have been on the train but he has
not been seen or heard from since the
wreck. IL is believed he is under the
wrecked cars
What caused the burning of the trestle
is not known, but 1t is supposed to have
caught by cinders dropped by an engine.
The engineer of the excursion train saw
the smoke, but thinking it was foam rising
from the creek, went on. Persons in the
neighborhood saw the smoke, but thought
it was from the camp fires of persons who
had been fishing there. The wreck was 3
fearful one and the horrors of IL cannot be
realized by one who was not at the scene.
The city is practically in mourning to-
night What promised to be one of the
brightest days in its history has become the
saddest it has ever known.