The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-05
An Excursion Train Wrecked
Near Charleston, W. Va.
THIRTEEN KILLED OUTRIGHT.
A Car Turns Upside Down and the
Heavy Trucks Crush Through.
Joyous Fourth Of July Becomes Day
of Asurnfng-HardIy Passenger Es-
capped Injury-A Baby Saved, While
Its Parents Were Slain.

CHARLESTON, IT. Va, July z--The worst
wreck ever known in this part OF the state
occurred about O'Clock this morning on
the kanasha & Michigan railway eight
miles west Of here. A passenger train for
Columbus pulled ont from here with two
car loads OF excursioniStS The wreck
occurred On high trestle. The crossties
had caught tire during the night and
burned, so that the rails spread under the
train. The engine and baggage and mail
cars passed over safely, bus two coaches
were thrown from the track. After rum
ming about forty feet on the ties the for
ward car toppied 70 the left and the rear
one 10 the right. The forward car turned
completely over, ana landed right side up.
The other fell twenty feet, turning up
side down, and one set OF trucks fell on
top OF II, crushing the car 20 splinterz
Under this place most Of the dead we're
found Surgeons and q relief train were
sent at once The scenes among the dead
and dying were heart-rending. One little
baby lost father and mother One mans
head was severed at the month, and the
remainder OF the head was flshed out from
under the wreck several hours after the
body was found. Il is feared that there
are one or two bcdies yet under the
wreck The dead, as far as known, are:
CoboSEL ". E. FsFE. OF BsEaEo. ". Va
J. y. WILSON, OF EiziIiop0lis. @.
CHAELEs HUFFMAN. OF Blue Greek, w. Va
Ia Ross, OF E. ue Greek. ". Va
JOSEPH DoUGHEETy, ol EsE NzEfiasyiIle, ".
Va
WALTEs wELcHER, Of Charleston.
MES NALTEE NELcHER- OF Char .eston-
Ella % LEAEY, o. ChafiestoH
AMOS cDCLEE2. OF Red House, W. Va
oEsIIIE RoB1SsoS, OF Midway, W Vs.
THOMAS THogSToS, conductor OF Eiddlspo-f
o.
PELLT SULLIVAN, OF Mason City.
JAMES WHITE, 0. Middleport. o.
James Nicely, Of Charleston, was known
10 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
Fiffy-eight persons were counted who
are injured and number walked away be-
fore they could be seen. OF the entire
number OF passengers but one, John Nor
veil OF this city, escaped without scratch.
He was in tie mail car. Those fatally
injured are:
". B. REED, of Elk City.
JAMES BLacKwooD, o. Athos, o.
MIS-. r :. TEusLow, Charleston, W. va
WILL FoRD, Elk City.
Following is q partial list of the other
injured, many Of whom are dangerously
hurt:
steca = Bltgh. Red bcrse, W. yz:ss. D.
Jones. Charleston. W. Va Mrs. J. D. Jones,
Charleston. W. Va; ". B. Saunders, Charleston:
Peter simpson, Charleston; J. c. Martin. Leon.
" Va: Mary Shirley, Charleston; Miss Jennie
Jackson. Charleston; Miss Cora Carl, CHARLES
ton; Miss Maggie Carl, Charleston; John
Weleher, L-year-oid child OF Walter Welcheraud
wife, who were killed outright: p L Mullins.
C.enGennin. W. Va; 6. A Gillespie Elk CITY.
John Whitaker, Elk City: James Copely. Elk
City; Mollie Winfree. Elk City; z. A Price aad
White Carter, MGligrove, y. c.: Miss Minnie
DAVIS, Charleston; Andy Hsyburn, Elk CITY:
s&ile Coulter, Redhouse, " Va; Miss Eva
Coulter. Redhouse; z. J. sGtterthvstre.
Charleston; James 81. Goddard. l., Charles
ton: Charles Robinson, conductor, Mid
wav, ". Va; ". I. Kiger and son.
Charleston; Postal Cserk Hsyes, Athens. O.:
George " sgribling, Point Pleasant. ". Va;
sam saul. Midway: Il. T. Calhoun, Galliopo,.s.
o.; Ross. Xix City: George Mckee, Pocs. W. Va:
Eliza Mckee, Pocs: Ra1hburn Blackburn. Flk
City; Z. ". Jennings, Columbus, O.: George
Fizle. Charleston; Clarence Flxie Charleston.
NJ c. Wall, Elk City; Lucinda Jones. Elk Ctr
Allie >praallng, Elk City; C. C Long. PoInt
Pleasant ". Va; Charles Cozker. Poes: FL
CorkeE, POc&: =. Archibald, Poea; samuel Car.
penter, Poca: William jones, Elk Civ: Eli.
Benson, Elk City: J. & Gordon, Leon. W. Va
What caused the burning of the trestle;s
not known, but IL is supposed tn have
caught IRE from cinders dropped by an
engine. The engineer OF the excursion,
train saw the smoke, bui. thinking il fog
arising from the creek, went On. Persons
living in the neighborhood saw the smoke.
but thought II was from camp fires OF per
sons who mad been hshing there.
The wreck was a fearful one. and the
horrors OF il cannot be realized BY any one
who was not st the scene. Tie CITY i
practically IN mourning tonight. What
promised 10 be one Of the brightest daxs
IN igs history became the szcdest II has
ever known.
When the crash came the front OF the
coach toppled over 70 the left side towan;
the river, and the rear car jumped OF the
trestle on the night side. /, fell
twenty feet and t1rned conrletalx
over. This was bad enough ard
many were killed by the fall
bat 10 make the destruction mora con-
plete, the trucks on which the end of the
car had rested crashed down on TOD OF the
car, smashing II TO sp.inters, and killing
almost every person II range.
John NoTveI, the only passenger who
escaped unhurt, had gone into The mail
car 10 speak with the mzil agent when
the shock came. He seized ro6 and
hung on. In an instant the nail car
was jerked back OF the track and
then with crash the cosches
broke loose and swung Of over the edge Of
the IreS,le. There were 50 many in the
train ani so few 70 help them tbatit
seemed almost impossible 70 co ANYTHING;
nor vas there anything 70 bind IN the
wounds with. Newell went o the county
poor house near by and got bandages and
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