The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-11-17
CRUSHED AND BURNED
Freight Train on the Milwaukee
Telescoped at Highland Cen
ter with Appalling
Results.
Several Killed and Bodies Burned.
Jos. Thornloe of this City Among
the Dead.

dos, 1hofnlOe or this Clty Among
the Dead.
About seven o'clock Wednesday eve
ming, frightfm accident occurred at
the Milwaukee station at Highland
Center, four miles from Hedrick, which
resulted in the death of several persons,
the exact number not being known.
FREIGHT TRAIN
was standing on the main track, with
its red lights on the caboose as usual,
when another freight, stock train, came
running in at full speed and telescoped
the caboose and part of the car next.
Immediately the whole thing was a
mass of flames, and the
TERRIBLE CREMATION
of the human beings in the caboOse was
the work of but few minutes. They
were caught by the timbers in way to
be wedged in and held fast, and there
| amid
THEIR FRENZIED SCREAMS
and indescribable anguish their feet,
limbs, hands, arms, heads were literally
burned off. 1t was a scene too shock
ing for sight or even for the pen, and
beggars description. The engineer and
fireman of the incoming train jumped
and saved their lives, and on their heads,
or that of the station switchman. it
would appear that the blame of the
awful calamity rests. The red lights
were
VISIBLE FOR A MILE
and the presence of the train must have
been known. The place of the stock
train was to have run in on the switch,
and criminal negligence in one-or both
places will be found. 1t is not known
yet just how many lives were lost.
JOSEPH THoRNLOE,
of this city, was one of the unfortunate
passengers, and his face and head were
burned beyond recognition, his feet
burned off, and portion of his cloth
ing all that was left to identify him. A
young lady, Miss Lizzie BOttOrs, teach
ing in Ottumwa and on her way from
her home near Hedrick, was burned in
similar terrible manner, one of her
feet burned off, and the other being
caught in the timbers, left untouched
by the flames. One man was jostled
out of the car in the shock and was un-
scratched. The magnitude of the dis
aster cannot be fully known until the
wrecks cleared away, and it is feared
other bodies may be yet found. The
excitement at Highland Center was un-
paralleled, and the scene of the fatality
was one of indescribable horror and
confusion. g.: ,
In addition to the particulars given
Thursday of the awful accident on the
Milwaukee road, at Highland Center,
we give the following f, ON the Ottum-
wa Courier of Thursday evening:
HOW 1T HAPPENED.
Train No. 63, a through freight was
following train No. 19 into Ottumwa
and was close behind. None of the
train men could see the train and even
should they have given it. a thought,
they would have said that. No. 63-wouId
come in under control. But No, So
didn't. Soon her whistle was1heard and
she appeared not 200 yards distant and
was coming at an awful rate of speed.
Every one saw that she must strike and
no time was had to save the passengers
in the caboOSe of train No. 10. There
vas several agOnZied cries of warning.
barely enough time for those on the
platform TO get .0ut of the way, and the
engine OfaNO. 63craShed into the rear
end of N9s 10. Two or three cars and
the 'cabOose were piled UP and it seem
ed that flames spTsIng up almost instant
ly. Engineer Richardson, of train No.
63, Fireman Peck and the brakeman
both j. aed and Richardson was un-
hurt . Peck and the brakeman
weT ,erely bruised alb the head
and cnerwise Injured. n -
AN AMFIJL SIGHT.s .-. -.
Engineer Richardson wanted his e,
gine and backed. it off the debris and
wreckage. Then an effort was made to
quench the flames with the water from
the locom0tiVeshAt all to no avail. The
heartrending cries Of those imprisoned
in the, cabooses of the i'll fated train
mingled with the noise of the flames
and made the eye witnesses shudder and
sicken at the sight. A train was burn
ingla, Passengers imprisoned so that
any movement was impossible, held out
their hands and pleaded for help which
no human could give. Faces could be
dimly seen through the smoke and twi-
hight like spectres and one could almost
see the angel of death lowering over the
scene surrounded by the flames, his
agents of destruction. One lady. Mrs.
Jones, broke the window at her side
and began begging for help, but before
anyone could reach her she dropped
back into the flames and with shudder
of agony expired and her soul took its
flight from its temple or clay.
Miss Lizzie Bottorff was another
victim. She too succeeded in ting
her head thfoughthe window and ap-
pealed for aid, but 1t was impossible to
save her. =,
A A HERO APPEARS.
In very few accidents does no hero
appear. 1t is seldom that trying situa-
tions like this one takes place when
there is not some noble one, who for
getting self, bravely places himself in
the place of danger, and is instrument
al III saving the lives of others at the
risk, and too often the cost of his own.
So was it in this. Chas. Berdine, the
middle brakeman of train No. 10, kept
his presence of mind and while Others.
who were as willing as he, stood aghast
and uncertain what to do, Berdine
bravely put himself at the head and
with the assistance of the Others. saved
the lives of three perSons. These-two
ladies and gentleman--are earnest in
their praise of his noble action. But
no human power could have saved
those who perished. Pinned ia by
timbers, none of them killed by the
shock, all they could do was to lay and
watch the flames creep closer and closer,
leaping over each other In their eager
ness to destroy. Soon they could feel
the heat, at first endurable, and then at
last their eyes were blurred by them,