The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-01-23
DEADLY CARELESSkESS.
It Causes a Terrible Disaster on
the Big Four Road,
SIXTEEN DEAD, THIRTEEN DYING.

8 Train Rushes Into an Open Switch, and
Fire Which Follows Throws Eurning
Oil over Hundreds of spectators-B Brave
Engineer Ross. ..E
ALTON, Ills, Jan %. = Nine persons
killed outright, twelve fatally injured and
nearly a hundred more or less seriously
hurt, is the appalling result of II series of
accidents at Alton junction An open
switch on the Big -Four main track was
the cause OF the disaster. The southwest
ern limited ran into the freight train
standing on the siding, and Engineer
Webb Ross of the limited, was instantly
Killed. The wreck took fire, and while
great crowd was watching the spectacle
an oil tank car exploded with terrific force,
euvcloping the spectators in II sheet of
burning oil Eight of them We're instantly
killed, seven have since died and scores
were fri9htfnlly burned, a dozen of whom
at least will die.
The death list follows: Webb Ross, Mat
toon, His; Hiram Cornelius, Iowa Edward
Miller, Alton Junction; two unidentified
men; William Shattuck, Upper Alton, HIS;
Henry Penning, Wann, Ills; Willie Me
Garty, Alton, His; John Locke, Alton;
Edward Mauhin, Alton; Daniel IIarers,
.N't'' ',,"o'iVii' " liiiaiii .hahthe, nos'ei
nt't.s' n,us' iii9' .naties ~, Aito,' w -,
Wilkinson, Alton.
OF these all but the first nine died OF
their injuries after being remaEed to the
hospital at Alton.
VI t"c inJuita io"itee'i S'''""' p"S,'oiS
John Fred, Alton; John Herman, Alton;
Henry Pilgrim, Alton; John Lutsrell Al
toH' u h'cnai"soh, Niton, ~ T.
Tf""ui' ~, LOUIS Il taiih bartn' bfa.ioiu'
,nt'"u'' Trans 7cui'y' Anon 'oh,l i'u!N''
N''''',' lliialii Hilie,' Ai'oh '',lc'iol.' :,
murray upper Alloh' 'o.'"h,
'pper Ai'oh.
ne last tnFouR,l tialh hi'e"' as 'ile
'''''mo o'toih i,'i'ie" ""H oo'ii,"S "'',
H",ii ~ LOUIS thltteth minutes ia'e anu
n''hihs up ioSt tli,ie a' nlSu speed Wneh
i"'' nn'9 swl'ch ana f"illa'a "l'h u
,ens ,[eiehV ti"'i' consisting mostly o'
N''' '''''.s e"'
draws n"s'''eer MOSS
fhStl'eef "epp hesa' oi Mht'"ol saw
Tue ahhger ZOO late hllt ne threw on me
All pfaNe aiu S'aSea WIN MS hlaehlit' ne
ing buried III tne wreck ana burned :" a
cf'Sl fireman ~ " ilte Jumped ana eaeal,Ga
uhi'l"t"a ne passengers were iratlullS
Sn'ne'i e., "'' ~ none mtte Setloh7'S 'iI''Fea
"e H''"cn " the eotl,siou sph. '"o io'ata
'a""H VIZ" upe'i 'ii' '''', Oh l''ihi,e'lo,'lS
n"'snt Hie' 'ho names shoo'ils my iee'
'"," ~, '''n"f
ne locomotive ana baggage cars were
t"a''N "Ftek."' nnt tlt remainder oi the
pfNseAEer 'fall was removed beyond the
refsh % me haihes
hcarlhE ol the wreck hu1nredS oi peo-
PIE from ms chy ana vicinity were ut
tta'hed ny curiosity 10 the scene. Ahu
thea oecurrea one o., OF the most aWlul 'is-
s,tet9 on record mere was tilght eN-
p1oNlhh VI one lalik Whlch schiltfeu lhe
oehrlS on all sides, seltlhS llle 10 tht STOCK
Jafh enclosures. ms Prnduced the IN
pfeSSinh that me oalSef OF explosions was
PASSED hhd the thfohG OF pystahdefs
rushed III 10 save the stock Yards from de
ssFut''ph' minhte later there Whs a
deaienlhS report that shonk the earth f'r
mar y minute ana sPteau '"le sheet OF
Setthths, burning on III all d'recil"is'
s'tncs of Horror.
For those within the circle Of 100 yards
ti,err was no escape Their clothing was
btfrned and literally fell from their bodies.
In u moment those who were not disabled
began running hither and thither, waving
~. '. 80 Il { l.. ~. .