The sun., 1891-06-16
ALL BASEL In MOURNING.
1eo PEOPLE KILLED nv THE TERRI
BLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT.

Hundreds OF Other~ ~Hart-AppaiiiuE Sights
at the scene efthe D,sa.te--HuntinE Tor
che Dead by the Light OF Fir-tree Fires
Dead ssd Dying Imprisoned In ths
Great Mass OF Ruins in the River.
BASIL. June l6.-The state OF terrible OK.
element into which tho Inhabitants OF this
city were plunged yesterday py the Noon
chsns,ein railroad disaster continues this af-
ternoou People are atill flocklng to the scene,
the majority on foot, others in all kinds OF
vehicles until 1t may be almost said that every
man and woman OF Basel and Its nelehborh ood
has visited the broken bridge. Two engines
and three carriages loaded with excursionists
fell into the stream.
Shortly after tho first horror OF the crashing
OF the engines and cars through the bridge
and into the swiftly running stream had died
away. tho survivors OF the accident saw 4
scene which must have rivalled In horror the
most heart. t.rending features 81 the Johnstown
disaster in the United statea Beneath the
bridge. or what remained OF 1t. was hiieous
macs OF broken cars car wheels. engines. up-
holstsry. seats, mats. axles broken glass and
twisted iron work. in'ermixed with etili-
ouivering heads bespattered with blood. pro-
truding arms and legs, bloody garments Of all
descriptions. hats and bonnets. umbrellas and
parasols, hands and feet. while floating down
tho stream were numbers Of dead bodies and
family struggling men. women and children, 4
few. now and then, uttering cries OF terror or
emitting moaning gasps, peculiar to the
drowning. After the first moment OF partial
paralysis which followed the horror. the sur
vivors did their utmost to rescue those whose
lives were IN danger. The work OF pulling
those who remained In tho two Suspended cars
from the perious position In which they were
~On - of Aan nA o,,it
and resulted in number OF instances OF heroic
conduct
In tho meanwhile messengers were de-
spstched ON all aides for medical relief. which
was most urgently needed by the hundreds Of
wounded people whose distressing cries for
help and prayers to God, asking Him to relieve
them OF their suffering were most hoart rend-
Ing. Though everything possible was done by
the survivors. some time. naturally. elapsed
before the physicians reached the spot
The troops and the fremen were the next to
arrive. and they did good service In many
Ways; SO much so that by nightfall about sixty
bodies had already been recovered from the
wreck and from tho mountain stream into
which the engine and cars OF the excursion
train had plunged
When tho relatives Of the dead and wounded
began to arrive aud identified some OF the
victims there was another most awful series OF
incidents. The Widest grief was expressed on
all sides. weeping aud moaning filed the alr
and several people were with difficulty re-
strained from casting themselves headlong
iuto tho stream as they were rendered half In
sane By grief.
country people and citizens OF Basel gathered
around the fatal spot, taxing the lower OF the
military to tho utmost In tho efforts OF these
people to get q nearer and closer view OF the
horror. piled beneath tho bridge To such an
extent did this desire prevail that crowds Of
!SsS asa ana tisoussIsd ior s5s aisSs near Z II
desd and d dsns % eaoursioes's aas but 70 s The
IN s
finding that some missing dear one had not
r. the dsslie 10 take his cr her body home and
The brid Q or. yiad duct. which collapsed and
caused the accident had only recentlS eoen
1usiailinR damaRs by tho ris ing OF the river.
Until The bridge Is rebuilt traffic over this road
eSsn'ssin are Using sis Ssdinsis ioo;e u
.sesg.The total number p e people y yho lost %
and Basal Railroad Is now pl laced at i20. with
hpndrsds more or less Injured.
aimee ihs COLLAPSE say that the Iron work, q
the structure alone gave way. and that the
sssnsi which were truly heart reuding were
witnessed In this city today when the bodies
enstsIn raliroaI .disastsr were brought here
from the plsce where the accident occurred. by
sth Or
mothers; or sisters; us the case might bs Rep.
s. !h' left EST. Of a,tsd the Oss :ss
masis festival. Wives brous6t nome tho
bodies Of their husbands. and husbands
sna Sue ehil drsn. ' several @ families we're prse.
tlcaliy wiped out OF existence BY the disaster,
this hour. Hazel is now truly city Of mourn.
lpg. place OF the dead. aud tho scene OF bitter
dssclatiGn and nd moSsnns S m NSary every every ham IAN.
touched BY the calamity. for those families
who haye Mt actually lost one OF their rem
hers have dear lends or 8cQuaintances either
among. the dead or among those who are
m9urning the loss OF relatives .,.,
cover thc dead or assist those who have been
men. prissts. ana physicians. a large force Of
troops und fremen. and scores OF yshicles to be
e. 81 %se Th
WIseksss. w Issoverins re bodies q .hs deed
and % mnisisis & n ci the GOSPEL Of sl don ominnions
the nsighborhood OF tue collapsed brldso.
Sstaass sas nisea sSs sitsr episodes q BATTLE
more 50 was this the case during the w99le 81
mated By huge Arss built up OF fir trees. Tho
Goops snd hfemsn worked increasingly. drag
ging the river for the dead. nursing the
Ioandsd. and keeping q, GORDON around the
spots whore IL was not thought advIsabls to
about the broken bridle from every village In
Other dsIachments Of troops were attending
the biyouacs o. their comrades M as II in actual actual
wanting to complete sgene which was most
sadly plcturesQue. Tho fitting here and there
81 soldiers holding torches on the river banks
and In boats or on rats. the warning cries sx-
changsd. the sharp word Of commend. ths
6oIFtbs Pile q NEseeass asont Wtieh W B. tho
Srs. the blazing lres. here. there and oycry-
where, the railroad men working on the rsdly
nshied track above, the arrival and departure
ofiYiepds Of the excu ysionis,s. all of which was
fspI up during tho night hours and through
out this incoming. furnished material Tor o
nost realistic battle picture
Tho work OF the soldiers dragging tho river
80 srsstiy impedsd By the fact that the
stream was consider ably swollen by the recent