St. Paul daily globe., 1891-07-05
EXCURSION TO DEATH
q Burned Trestle Causes a
FrightfuI Accident in
West Virginia.
Thirteen Killed Outright and
Many Are Fatally
Injured.
Ccenes Of Suffering That
Would Rend the Stout
est Heart.
One Han Killed and Four In
jured by a Collision in
Chicago.

CNIGa0O'
CHARLESTON, July 4.-The first fata
wreck to a passenger train in the his
tory of the Kanawha d Michigan rail
road occurred this morning, and there
by eclipsed everything that has oc-
cnrred in this state. 1t was the most
serious wreck ever known in the state.
RumOrs Of the wreck reached the city
early in the morning, and the reports
which everybody hoped and belieyed
were exaggerated proved only too true.
The train was Passenger Train No. 1,
which left Charleston at 7:30 this
morning for Columbus. 1t was
composed Of the engine, combination
mail. express and baggage car and two
day coaches. 1t being ah0liday, and eX-
eursion rates being given to all points on
the road, both cars were filed with pas
sengers. Probably eighty or ninety
persons were in the coaches, and out of
this number but one. John MOrvell, OF
the Charleston National bank, escaped
entirely uninjured. Among the pas
sengers were the Charleston lodge of
the Order of United American Work
men and their friends, who were going
to Poca to celebrate the Fourth. There
were also a large number of Kentucky
and Michigan wOrkmen aboard
Going TO Their Homes
TO spend the day with their families.
The train sped along with a merry
party of eXcursiOnists or board, laugh
ing and enjoying the occasion as only
such party can, when suddenly the
awful crash came which dealt out
death with such an unstinted hand, and
brought sorrow to so many homes. The
engine and combination car went safely
over the trestle, but the rails, which had
been lOOsened by fire on the treStle,
gave way under the coaches, and they
were thrown upon the cTOsStles on the
trestle. Reporters went early TO the
scene of the wreck in carriage at the
first report. Another lot followed on
the second relief train. They were met
by a scene the horrors of which cannot
be described. On every hand was
death ard destruction. The mOans Of
the injured and the wailing Of those
vino mad lost friends added to
the horror of the scene. Eight cOrpSeS
lay in the sun side by side, while others
were brought III IS fast as sOrr0Wful
hands could carry them. The funeral
train. which left the scene about l
o'clock, presented a gnaStly sight. In
one car were nine cOrpses living on cots
and ShrOuded in white linen. In every
car were numbers Cf injured, and in
many of them the long forms shrOuded
In white indicated only too plainly the
result of the wreck.
The Sas!Gest Feature
was the death Of Walter WelcheT and
his wife, who were killed III the same
seat. leaving 4 little baby which was
badly injured. 1t was taken care Of by
friends. What caused the burning Of
the trestle Is not known, but it IS sup
posed to have caught from clnders
dropped by an engine that passed up
after midnight. Only a few ties were
burned. The engineer saw the
smoke, but thinking it was fog
from the creek went on. Per
sons living in the neiEhboT-
hood saw the smoke, but thought it was
from a camp of some persons who had
been fishing there. The wreck was
fearful one, and the full horror of it
cannot be realized by one who was not
at the scene The dead and Injured
were all brought to Charleston. The
dead were taken in care by the hnder-
takers. The injured were taken to their
homes or to the Capitol house, where
surgeons attended them.
The railroad officials have done every
thing in their power to alleviate the
suffering Cf the wounded and care for
the dead and dying. 1t appears to be
one of the unfortunate accidents which
no human being could avoid. The city
is mourning tonight. WhatprOmised
to be one of the brightest days in
CharlestOn's history has resulted in
the greatest disaster it has ever known.
The Bead are:
col. " f. FIFE, Buffalo. ". Va.
r. y. WILSON. travels for Columbus
CHARLES HUFFMAN, Blue Creek, W
Va.
/. c. ROSE. Blue Creek.
Jasper DOUGHERTN, New Martinsville
WALTER WELCHER. Charleston.
MRS WALTER WELCHEB, Charleston.
ELLA OLEARY. Charleston.
AMOS COULTER. BednOuse, W Va.
ORNILLE ROBINSON, Midway, W. Va.
THOMAS THORNTON, X. u NJ. conduc-
Tor. Middleport. o.
POLLY SULLIVAN, Mason City; worked
ST. Charleston.
JAMES WHITE, Middleport,
Dying and TnJUred.
Will Ford, Elk City, and Mrs. r. S. TRU-
SLOW. Charleston, will probably die
j. ". SATTERTHwAIrE, Of this city, IS dam
ger0usly hurt.
VI. B. REED, Elk City.
JAMES BLACRwOOD, Athens O., crushed
about head; Is unconscious.
Fifty-eight persons have been counted
who are hurt. and a number walked
away before they could De counted Of
The eEtire number of passengers but
one. John NOryell. of this city. escaped
without a scratch. lie was in the mail
ear. Most of those injured are but
slightly hurt. Following IS partial
list of the other injured, many of whom
are dangerously hurt, and some will
probably die:
Loo Il. BLACK, Redhouse, spine hurt and
internally injured;
y. D. JOKES, Charleston, arm broken and
internally injured;
Mrs j. ID. JONES. head cut:
". II. SAUNDEEs, Charleston, head cut;
PETER SIMPSON, Charleston, head cut.
j. c. MARTIN, Leon, ". Va. back injured
!. B. COEBIN, bridge foreman Leon, back
and head cat;
MARY SHIEKEY. twelve years old, Charles
ton head cut and internally injured;
Mss JENNIE JACKSON, Charleston, head cut
ana shoulder bruised;
Miss Cora CART, Charleston, face and neck
bruised;
Miss MAGGIE CART. shoulder and head cut:
WELCHER, two-yeaT-old child OF Walter
Wecher and wife, who were killed out
right
+ l. MULLINS, Clendennin, W. Va, lee
and arm crushed.
G. A. GILLESPIE, Elk City, breast ana head
cut
JOHN WHITAKER, Elk Cily, side and head
cut and bruised.
JAMES CoPELY, Elk City, head ana arm
bruised.
MoILIE W1NsERE, Elk CITY, back and side
(. A. PRICE. proprietor of Prices floating
opera Martineyjlle, nervous shock anC
slightly hurt.
WHITE CARTERu. Null Grove, y. c., hip
head ard side slightly hurt.
MISS MINNIE DAVIS, Charleston, head anC
back hurt
ANDY RAYBURN. Elk City, shoulder, FAC
and collar bone smashed.
SALLIE COULTER, Bedhouse, head and sidl
hurt