The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-07-14
THE KANAWHA DISASTER.

Thrilling Experience OF Ensi-
neer OCOnnOr of the Fated
Train.
Charleston, w. Va, July 6.-Hun-
dreds Of people yesterday drove down
to the scene Of Satur-
dy's accident on the Kama
wha and Michigan railroad, and
saw the place where thirteen lives
were crushed out and half hundred
bodies MANNED and dis6gured in the
space Of a couple of seconds. Moth
ing thst has ever occurred has cast
such deep gloom ever the city, or
none such deep sorrow to so many
homes. In the churches yesterday
morning mention was made Of the
horrible catastrophe, and prayers were
offered for the wounded and the be-
re,ved. On every street corner and
in every household almost the sole
topic Of conversation i, the wreck,
and the greatest surprise is manifested
hat any escaped alive. No more
deaths have yet occurred. The
wounded are all receiving every at
ten,ion that it is possible to give them.
Five Of the most seriously hurt have
at various times been. in the excite
ment, reported dead, and half a
dozen are now in q critical condition
and not expected to live. They are /:
Mrs. r. 8. Truslow, OF Charleston.
J. D. Jones. president of the Order
OF United American Mechanics in this
city.
VIM. Ford.
Mrs. Wall and d. b. Reen, of Elk
City, which is just across the river
from here.
James Black wood, a ksnavha and
Michigan employe from Athens, o.
Yesterday afternoon the Order of
United American Mechanics and
hundreds Of other Borrowing friends
followed the remains IF Walter
Welcher and his wife to the grave.
The other funerals will be held today
and Tuesday. The body Of T. N.
Wilson was sent to Gallipolis yester-
day.
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Engineer OConnor tells thrilling
story. The trestle is at the end Of
. curve, around which the train was
dashing along at . moderate speed.
1t being early in the morning. the fog
had not risen. and it was impossible
to see very distinctly very far ahead
Of the train. Through the fog he
caught . glimpse Of the smoke
curling up from the smoldering limb
ers. For an instant he thought it
was fog from the water below; then
getting closer saw it was smoke.
The thought at once flashed in biz
mind that he should stop, and to at
tempt it was probably to carry the
whole train through the trestle to the
creek, so feet below. The only hope
was that the tim5ers were not burnt
through, and he could get safely over.
In less time than it takes to tell it he
opened the throttle and pulled open
the sand boz. The engine leaped
forward and passed in safety, but the
tender jumped the track. Then fol-
lowed the others. Fireman Wyatt
looked back just a. the coaches went
down and exclaimed: GOOD God,
look ct those coaches" but it was too
late; the fatal work was done. The
engine was stopped and every person
taken from the wreck before the en-
gineer went on to the next station for
help.
PROvIDENTIALLY PRESERVED.
OConnOr was not the regular en-
gineer, nor was the conductor, Robin
son, who was hurt and who lost .
brother. Both regular men were of
Tor a holiday. Conductor Brobeck,
whose regular run it was, says he usu-
lily, after going through his train, sits
in the rear car, vel back, to count
his tickets, and stays there from Lock
Six to Sattes. 1t was between these
'tstions the wreck occurred, and in
he rear csr, well back, where al were
killed. He regards his escape a.
providential. He was conductor Of
he relief train, and worked hard
among the injured.
General Manager j. N. Ferris, of
he Toledo and Ohio Central and
Kankakee and Michigan Railway, are
rom Toledo to investigate. There
viii probably be several large damage
'uits agsinst the road.
Missouri Cheap Landa.