The record-union., 1891-07-04

roasting to death before the eyes
Oh the spectators, who would but
could not aid them. These were after
ward tlshed out piecemeal by the fire.
mems hooks and covered with sheeting.
Ala Tor the wounded was soon at hand,
but for the dead there was nothing but to
hide them from sight as soon as possible.
me 4ftna building was transformed into
morgue, and as the masses of burned
flesh were hooked out they were hastily
removed there and either stretched at full
length or huddled in little heaps.
An enormous crowd had gathered at
the Morgue, but the doors were closed.
Some morbidly curious crept up to the
windows, only to fall back aghast at
what they had seen-nineteen remains of
what had been human, covered with
sheeting, through which a bare, black
ened limb now. and then protruded,
while blood soaked through the white
cloth and puddled on the floor.
Coroner Sherman, with his assistants,
stepped from one to the other, searching
for letter or some means Of identifying
one mass from the other. This was diff
cult. In half-doZen instances
THE ENTIRE HEAD HAD BEEN BURNED
OFF,
Leaving only the blackened trunk. grim
and ghastly, defying all efforts of identi-
ticat1on. The names and other data could
only be secured from surviving friends
No one could tell one trunk from another
among the entire nineteen beheaded
bodies, and but two had retained any
thing resembling the features Of human
beings.
1t was here in the morgue that the most
touching and awful discovery of the night
was made. The Coroner tenderly removed
from one form clotted sheet, to find be-
meath it the unmistakable form of a
woman, ana. worst of all, clasped in her
arms, as if to shield its young limbs from
the flames that evidently consumed both,
was an infant child. She had shielded
the babe until the last. Even in death
her blacSened arms were unwilling to be
separated from their charge.
The Coroner has been so busy all day
gathering means of identification that
nothing was done toward an inquest. A
searching examination is being made of
the survivors.
CONDUCTORS VERSION OF THE AFFAIR.
w. II. Young of Meadville, Pa, con-
ductor on the freight train, giving his
version of the affair, said: 1--WE were
running at moderate rate of speed, but
the grade was steep and we had very
heavy train. The flagman was not far
enough out, and we could not see him in
blLlAC W Slpl). All bIdlLulGn SOb OH Ill
time to escape injury"
AN EXPENSIVE WRECK.
The two sleepers were the Warsaw and
AscOh. The rear car was a special. in
which was party OF glass blowers. This
car and the Warsaw, next to it, We're
completely destroyed. The wreck will
be an expensive one from a financial
standpoint, as the loss will foot up in the
neighborhood Of 100000. BY 8 O'Clock a
wrecking car had the debris nearly
! cleared, and the wounded were being
cared for. Trainmaster Corbin was also
on the scene.
superintendent Matson would give no
opinion nor make any statement in re-
gard to the wreck, but the case will
| be fully investigated and the strict rule OF
the Erie system will be enforced. Many
wild rumors are atloat, but none worthy
of credence, and only close investiga-
ton can place the blame where it belongs.
PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE.
Albert Smith of Corning. n. Y, who
escaped with a broken leg, tells his ex-
perience as follows: Il was in the rear
coach sleeping. l awole and heard the
roaring OF the train, and had Just raised
The window TO look out to see what was
the matter, when | was thrown through
the window, landed twenty feet from the
car, alighting on my leg and dislocating
come intense. When [ came to / was at
the LEtna House and the surgeon had just
finished setting my leg. Willie kain of
Brooklyn was sitting III the seat in front
OF me, and it was in answer to his ques-
ton of What's the matter?' that / raised
| the window, which act probably saved
my life, rs he was caught in the car and
burned to DEATH"
Mary Magill. another survivor, saws:
~ was sitting in the front day coach and
suddenly felt an awful jar. Some one
said it was the air. brake, and everything
would be all right soon. Just then my
brother came in, all covered with blood
and his clothes torn. He told me that we
were all right, but that the rear coach
was destroyed, and all the boys were
hurt or killed. l could hear the groans
of those who We're burning. 1t was
awful"
THE INQUEST.
Of the forty blowers who occupied
the rear coach, seventeen were killed and
all the others more or less injured, two
fatally.
This afternoon an inquest was held in
the Rayenna Courthouse, the object be-
ing to find out who was responsible fOl
the wreck. About twelve witnesses
were present, but only two testified, when
the inquest adjourned.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
PITTsBURG, July 3.-A special from
Ravenna, o., says: 1t is asserted by Su-
perintendent Pattison, who is investi-
eating the disaster, that the accident was
due to the carelesSness of the passenger
crew. The train was in charge of Con
ductor Boynton, and his son was the real
| tlagman, who, instead of going back
leaned against the. rear coach until the
train was in sight, and then it was toe
late 10 stop it,"
On the person of Willie Kane of Corn
ing, y. y, a glass blower, was found
$500. The boy had been saving his
money TO surprise his widowed mother
and death stopped his journey.
INCREASING THEIR LEAD.