Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-01-26

Followed soon after the other disaster.
The total list Of dead Is as follows:
WEBB Ross, Mattoon, III.
HIRAM CORNELIUS. Iowa.
EDWARD MILLER. Alton Junction.
Two UNIDENTIFIED MEN.
WILLIAM sHATTUcK, Upper Alton, Ill
HENRY PENNING, Wann, Ill.
WILLIE MCCARTHY, Alton, Ill.
JOHN LOCKE, Alton.
EDWARD MAUHIN, Alton.
DANIEL HARERs, Alton Junction.
WILLIAM MANTz, Fosterburg, Ill.
w. II. MILLER. Alton.
CHARLES PARRrs, Alton.
JOHN WILKINSON, Alton.
or these all but the first six died OF
their injuries after being removed to the
hospital at Alton, except UT, W. II.
Miller and Mantz, whose dead bodies
were found near the scene OF the wreck
the following morning.
The fatally injured are:
OTTO HAGwAN, Alton.
JOHN FRED, Alton.
JOSEPH Hermann. Alton.
HENRY PILGRIM, Alton.
JOHN LUTTRELL, Alton.
WILLIAM b. RICHARDSON, Alton.
DAVID RICHARDSON, Alton.
A. Z. FRAZER, st. Louis.
FRANK BARTH, Brantford Ont.
FRANK SCULLIN, Alton.
JOHN BURKE, Alton.
WILLIAM MILLER, Alton Junction.
MURRAY, Upper Alien.
CppcE AllOns
How the Disaster Came.
The accident Is the most disastrous
known in railroad history in the part of
the country in which it occurred. An
open switch was the original cause of
the great sacrifice OF life. The limited
passenger ran through it, crashed into
the freight and the wreck caught fire.
In an incredibly short time the freight
train was a mass Of flames. Fear of
an explosion from the oil tanks pre-
vented any attempt to save them. The
wrecking train came up from East st.
Louis, but could do little or nothing.
Half dozen switch engines were run
out from Alton to clear the yards.
Traffic on both the Big Four and Bur-
lington was entirely suspended and a
special train was made up on the Chi
cago and Alton to carry the belated
passengers to st Louis.
A few minutes past IL o'clock there
was a light explosion of one tank which
scattered the debris on all sides, setting
fire to the stock yards Enclosures. This
one blow-up caused the impression that
the danger from explosions was passed.
and the throng Of by-standers rushed
in to save the stock yards from destruc-
ton. minute later there was a deaf
ening report that shook the earth for
half a minute and spread sheet OF
seething, burning oil in all directions
For those within the circle of a hundred
yards there was no escape. Some OF
them were struck dead by pieces
OF flying iron and scores of them were
knocked fiat on the ground. Their
clothing caught fire from the spreading
flames and was burned from their bod
les. Those who could rise did so and
ran hither and tither making frantic APP
peals for help. Some Of the sufferers
ran to the nearest water and plunged
in. Others ran through the fields, and
a few OF them were still missing at last
reports.
An utter panic followed for time
after the explosion. and those who were
not seriously or fatally injured could do
nothing to help the less fortunate.
When they finally recovered their senses
they set about with will to relieve the
sufferlngs of the men whose flesh was
cooking on their bones. Two barrels Of
linseed oil were taken from a. grocery
store and applied to the wounds by sew
eral physicians who were summoned to
the scene. Every house in the little
village was turned into a temporary
hospital, and every doctor in Alton and
its vicinity was summoned.
Ross Was Boiled to Death.
The burns and bruises OF all of the
injured were treated as fast as the
physicians could attend to them and the
bodies of those who were buried in the
wreck were extricated as fast as they
could be reached in safety. Webb Ross,
the brave engineer who lost his life,
leaves widow aud six children at Mat
toon. The fireman jumped from the
cab Just in time to save himself from
the crash. The crew of the freight
train also saw the passenger engine in
time to escape from the caboose, which
was driven to splinters. Ross body
when found was pinned in between the
boiler and tender and covered with oil
from the burning tank. He was literal
ly boiled to DEATH
The Southwestern limited, which
crashed into the freight. was running
out OF st. Louis about thirteen minutes
behind time. To make this up she was
going at speed OF nearly fifty miles
an hour. The passengers were fearfully
jolted when the collision came, but none
OF them we're seriously hurt. The force
of the collision split two oil barrels wide
open and the oil Immediately caught
fire. An eye witness says that the
flames shot fully fifty feet in the air.
The passenger engine, the freight ca
boose and several OF the cars were COM
pletely destroyed. The passenger cars,
however, were beyond the reach OF the
flames, and were not injured except by
the wrecking they received In the col
llsion. No accurate estimate of the
financial loss can now be given, but IL