The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-10-21

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an hour. There was no time to apply air
brakes or reverse levers. The engineers
and firemen Of both trains jumped for
their lives, and a second later the giant
locomotives came together with a crash
that could be heard half mile away.
Oars Completely Telesooped.
With fearful force the engine of the
special ploughed nearly half way into that
of the express, driving tt backwards into
the baggage car, and the latter in turn
into the day coaches behind. The shock
was so terrific that the first four of these
we're completely teescopcd the first coach
cutting the second and the second into the
third like a fash of lightning, the roof Of
each passing over the heads Of the sleeping
passengers and sweeping in u mass to the
north end Of the car
To add to the horror the wreck took fire
from the stoves or lamps and as the
flames mounted up the Rroans and sbrieks
Of manned and injured were succeeded by
heartrendiug, agonizing cries and appeals
for help from the scores imprisoned by the
heavy timbers or held down by the seats
and iron frame work The travellers on the
special, nearly all of whom had been
shaken out Of their berths by the shock,
poured on of the cars, but before the fury
Of the flames they were almost powerless
to render any assistance except to the in
jured in the fourth car.
There was some delay in summoning
the firemen, but they quickly responded TO
the alarm. But as the nearest hydrant
was g, 900 feet away they were unable for
some time to secure a sufficient pressure
to throw n stream, and by the time a suf-
fcient water supply was available the
coaches had been burned to fragments.
The hremen were assisted in the work of
rescue by citizens aud their wives, the
debris was thoroughly sorted over, and
now there is nothing in the railroad yards
but heap of ashes to tell the story of one
of the most awful holooHusts in the history
of railroading.
'say 1 Died Like a Christian"
Not until their dying day will some of
the citizens who were early on the ground
forget the scenes that they were compelled
TO witness and helpless to relieve. No pen
can describe the last moments of Mrs.
Charles Van Dusen. She had succeeded
in getting half way out Of the window,
but her limbs were pinioned by the heavy
framework Of the seat she had been occU-
pying with her husband, and this had
taken fire, Thus held, roasting from the
help that those outside were helpless to
give. In frantic endeavor to rescue her
a man pulled off one of her hands De-
spite her terrible agony she retained con
sciousness to the last, and as the flames
crept up and surrounded hers called out
her name and address and that of friends
to be notified: 81 am teacher in the
Methodist Sunday school at Sprout Brook,
n y" she cried; say died like a Chris.
tian." Then the side Of the car gave way
and she fell back into the flames
Her husband had meanwhile been res
cued from the next car, into which he had
been driven by the force Of the collision.
He retained consciousness until his death,
but was kept in ignorance of the fate of
his wife. In his last breath he asked Rev.
DR.. George b. Culp to send his love to the
two children that he had left at home.
Tears came into the eyes of the bystand-
ers, and one father, in his sympathy, fed
from the place with groan as the form
of a boy was lifted and placed on the
table. The collision had evidently found
him doubled up on the seat asleep, for his
little arms and legs We're drawn up, and
death had made them so rigid that even
the undertakers' assistants could not
straighten them out. The entire top of
the head had been burned away, leaving
the brain exposed, little remaining of the
outline of the face. The little hands,
clenched tigh ly in death, were charred to
the bone The feet were rs black as the
boots that had protected them, and the
little toes had fed the flames. But when
the clothing on the trunk and the knee
pants had been ripped off the flesh be-
neathi soft and white as that of a newly
h.1rs l.,1. Ii
trast to the rest of the body. fringe Of
red hair about the base of the skull will
serve to re1der the identification of the
child possible
There were but two of the bodies that
were possible of Identification, even by the
most intimate friends of the victims.
These were men, both charred from head
to foot, but with the lineaments of the
features preserved to a sufficient degree to
admit of their being recognized.
Conductor and Engineer Arrested.
After the wreck Engineer Woolley re-
manned upon the spot and viewed the hor-
ror that had been caused by his neglect of
orders After the last of the injured had
been taken away he went to his home.
Warrants were subsequently, sworn out
charging Woolley and Conductor Scott
with manslaughter. A search developed
the fact that Scott had suddenly gone to
Port Huron, and a telegram was sent to
the police officials at that place requesting
his arrest. Woolley was found at his home
by Sheriff King and taken before Justice
Henry, who set the preliminary hearing
for Monday and fixed bail at $1,000 After
this had been done Woolley who was on
the verge Of prosTation, physically and
mentally, made written statement, in
which he claims that Conductor Scott or
dered him to go ahead, and in response to
his query, Are you sure No. 9 has gone
through?' Scott replied in the affirmative.
Conductor Scott returned to the city
late last night, and was at once arrested
He gave bonds in s3, 900 to appear on Mon
day. He denied. w oolsey's story, and says
he did not know the engineer had gone
over the siding and taken the double
track un til the collision occurred.