The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-08-13

piS Camille, Lupus AgoStlno, Arlce
Cialone, Joseph Miscarelli, Mile. Co.
darolla, Giouanni Rosso, Runce Ages
truO, Tomaso ConZosino.
SOME TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES.
VIM. X. Wilsey, dealer in securi-
ties of San Bernardino, Cal, was
among the injured taken to the House
of the Good Shepherd in this city. He
was on his way home from Boston
and expected to meet his wife and two
children at Detroit, where they had
been visiting. He was injured about
the knees and hips and has a severe
wound in the groin. He said:
~ was in the rear end of the smoker
when the crash occurred. L had time
to know what was happening, and
as the baggage car crashed through
the smoker l could see it bowling
down men like ten pins. L just turned
my back and waited to be crushed. In
an instant / was up to my back in
debris and felt that / was hurt, but
managed to eXtricate myself and
crawl out en- top of the wreck.
1 found a travelling acquaintance,
John f. Bowdish, a brush manu-
facturer of Boston, pinned down in a
narrow space at the end of the coach
unable to move. He was so tightly
wedged in if the car had gone one
foot further he would have been
crushed to ajelly. By this time the
wreck was on fire and before we had
chopped away the timbers that
held Bowdish the flames were
right upon us. Then we
crawled back into the Pullman, where
the porters were all standing idle. If
it had not been for the heroic work of
the passengers themselves many of
the injured would have been roasted
alive. A member Of an opera COM
pany that was on the train did splen-
did work. II saw" said Wilsey, "a
brakeman of the freight train, stand
ing by the side of the track crazy with
excitement. 1 asked him, For Gods
sake, man, how did this happen?
ooh, my God,' he fairly shouted, Il
told them to go back
"What do you mean? Back where?"
"Back from the freight"
asked him then if he meant that
the freight did not send back man,
but he would not say anything more.
I think that there may be a clue to
the cause of the accident.
Wrecking gangs were at work
clearing the debris. The collision oc-
Cured about one-eighth of mile
from the switch. The track for dis
lance of twenty rods was torn up.
Coroner Stewart of Cayuga county,
empanelled a jury this morning,
which will commence investigation
this afternoon.
John f. Bowdish of Boston was on
his way to Detroit. The accident &C.
Cured between 2 and o'clock. Bow
dish SAYS he had been riding in the
smoking car and had been in doZe,
but was fully awake when the crash
came.
"The first thing that attracted my
attention was the working Of the air
brake. 1t flashed through my mind
that something terrible was about to
happen. Quicker than | could take a
second thought there was crash,
shrieks and all was darkness and con-
fusion. L felt myself pushed down
by great weight. could look below
me and see broken boards and car
wheels, but was unable to move. Soon
| heard a cracking of flames. You
can imagine the horror that
crept over me as l thought in the next
moment the flames would be upon me
and [ would be slowly cremated alive.
My God, help me-! | cried. Hurry
Hurry!' Just then L heard voice !:
Here's man alive; let's get him out
Then | heard a sound of axes, and
pleasanter noises never greeted my
ears. | can assure you it was hope,
not unmixed with fear, however, for
there frequently came the
thought that the roaring flame
would drive away the workers before
they reached me and | would be left
to my fate. 1 suppose it was only
few minutes but it seemed an age
when daylight broke in from above
and tr,.o hnrlu trainmRn handnd mo