The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-10-25

il was the switching engine, but I saw
she was coming too fast / shut the
throttle and reversed my engine My
train came TO a stop and was standing
still when No. 8 struck my engine. 1
went to get off, but before 1 could do
so 1 was thrown against the tank and
my side was hurt. 1 asked my fireman
after the wreck If he remembered what
the conductor said to me. He said he
did. He told me that No. had gone
through. 1 saw Conductor Scott after
the wreck. He was much excited. I
asked him in regard to the order again.
He muttered out something and said
that he thought No. 9 had gone"
Railroad men say, however, that even
if Scott had made the statement at
tributed to him by Wooley this would
not have justified the engineer in DISC
beying his orders. The coroner's jury
day.
From Nicholas curve be-
gins which forms a semi-circle
between there and the point where
the train collided, so it was inn
possible for either to see the other until
their headlights were near enough to-
gether to blind the engineers. They had
/ scarcely time to reverse, apply the air
| brakes and save themselves as best they
could The Raymond and Whitcomb
train stood the shock without more than
a shudder, excepting the baggage car at
| the head. and which had it's front end
/ stove in None of the passengers on the
train were injured beyond severe shak-
| ing up. On the other train all the hor-
! ror was experienced. The frail day
coaches behind the baggage car went to
/ splinters The train was made up Of
| thirteen coaches and the first four of
them telescoped. The passengers were
caught in seats and the general mass OF
| ruins, and to add to their misery the
burning lamps exploded and in moment
the four cars were a sheet Of flame. The
| two engines were a total wreck.
Firemen's Heroic Work.
The Battle Creek fire department did
| heroic work They received the alarm at
AIS. local time. The accident happened
at 10 minutes to four, railroad time. so
that only five minutes was lost in get
ting the alarm When the chemical ar
rived on the ground the horses could not
be driven between the cars on account
Of the flames. A rope was hitched to the
| chemical and 1t was hauled by hand in
position so that the rear sleeper Sabina
was saved The firemen worked hard on
the wreck and took out every body and
practically cleared away the debris. The
second coach of the express left Its
trucks and plowed through the third
coach. scraped all the seats and passen-
gers along with It, and deposited them IN
a heap i'm the north end of the car, where
most of the bodies were found. Inc
bodies were loaded on a fat car at the
| scene Of the wreck and taken to the
Rattle Creek station of the Grand Trunk
railroad thence they were conveyed IN
wagons to Ranger & Farley's undertake
ing rooms where a morgIe had been eX-
temporized.
At the MOrgue.
| While everything was done that ex'
perienced hands could do to relieve the
remains of their CHASTITY appearance, the
scene at the morgue after the dead were
taken out appalled, the stoutest hearts
The dead were ranged along the side OF
the dark basement which was illumin
ated bv a faint, Pickering jet. They
rested on sheets of canvass and cover
ing of the same material was over them
No one. after careful examination o
the bodies. could say which was male Of
which was female. Not a shred o.
clothing was left upon them. The re
mains were so mangled and disfigure'
that they resembled nothing but an an
cient mummy that might have been dis
/, figured before death. The best pre-
served corpse was that OF boy abou
twelve years of age; fringe of the hair
which was of a reddish hue. was lef
. about the ears and the base Of the skull
The upper part Of the head was gone
II had been consumed by the flames.
portion of the brain protruded and wa
of a white yellowish color. They ha'
been literally cooked. The boys bod
| was free from any bruises or cuts. tn
upper portion Of the body and legs wer
: | not badly burned. and an examination
| would lead to the belief that the poo
> | Oft oh IN re
{ ceive any blow severe enough to caus
: death and must have persisted by fire 4
I. ! fun consciousness of his fate.
7 Another Of the best preserved bodie
was that OF man Of powerful physlcs
2 | frame some of the underclothing tina
5 covered the lower portion OF the bod
!. and shoes being untouched by the flame
z that had licked the victims face, shou
{ ders and body. These parts were blac
r as ebony. The body had no articles LEI
s upon II that might lead TO identification
5 but the features and contour of the fis
/; ure remained as In life, and might b
identified by those familiar with his al
e pearance.
1 And these two were the least SCARE
!: and best preserved of that row OF twenty
I five unrecognzed dead. The other r,
mains were those only in parts, some
{ the bodies headless, some armless, an
! all We're shriveled and dishgured beyon
e resemblance of human beings.
q Many Inquiries.
The undertakers received several II
: quiries from eastern people today r
garding the disposition OF the remain
of those known TO be among the kille
c. A. Vandusen, supposed TO be a sc
OF the two dead Of that name, TELEGRAPH
that the bodies be Immediately prepare
and sent on to FIT Plains. N. Y. Dozei
Of other kilograms are being receive
tonight making inquiries about frien,
by the railroad and city officials. Fro
l.. r. Magoon OF Providence. r. l., o
dering that the remains of c. j. MagoS
be cared for and held for orders OF
was from j. O.. Sheldon. Woonsockt
r. l.. instructing that the body OF '
w. Henry be held and properly car,
for and sent TO him. The twent
seventh yictim will be added to Il
death list before morning. This will
f. III. Smith, a lad OF seventeen year
One OF his legs was amputated early
the evening and both legs were horrib
crushed. He Is falling very rapidly II
sister his mother and father are al
severely but not fatally injured.
Albert Bradley is the next Of the mo
seriously injured. One OF his legs w
amputated. The res. OF the patien
, were all reported comfortable and out
! danger at midnight.
Conductor scott'r Denial.
: Conductor Bertram N. Scott deni
the statement OF Engineer wooley Will
duplicates Scott He said: 81 got n
| -. t3ottI~ H.colr a., ...ncf NJ a