Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-10-26
note, written in German. from Charles Z.
Wenzel to DIR. Howard L. Vance.

Z. man. apparently WelRneu ABOUT lou
pounds Clothing destroyed. Burnt be-
yond possibility Of identification.
s. Women, burned; hands clenched and
horrible expression of anguish on the face;
had in pocket of skirt letters addressed to
Mrs. h. r. Kenzie and signed by Mrs. NJ.
Parker; envelope postmarked Stamford.
Conn. together with s25 in money. In
another pocket was q handkerchief with
name of Il. II. Mckenzie. In red plush
coat, taken out of the debris with the re-
mains, was gold watch, i'll leather case,
and pair of rnbbers in paper, marked
"Middletown, Conn"
o. Woman, burned beyond identification:
no clothing remaining.
TO- Man, supposed to be I, A. McGarvey
of 0ntarioi gold open-faced watch in vest
pocket.
IL. Mrs. Charles Van Dusen of Sprout
Brook, N. Y; burned to crisp.
12. Charles Van Dusen, husband OF above;
died of injuries this afternoon.
13. Baby; burned beyond recognition.
IA. Man; too badly burned for identifica-
ton.
10. Man. weight about $50 pounds; silk
| handkerchief in hand; clothing destroyed;
no Identification.
III. Woman; burned to crisp; no identi-
| lication.
II. Man; about lbs pounds no papers;
| silver watch, with engraved initials ''W.
| A."
IS. Woman; weight about 14o pounds;
chain bracelet, with key lock, oil right
| wrist, burnt to crisp.
10. Woman; weight about 100 pounds;
no identification.
| 20 Woman. Burnt beyond identifica-
| ton, portion of black silk dress and blue
striped underskiIt remaining, Also chain
bracelet on right wrist.
81. Woman. Burnt to crisp.
t1,A g.. a l.
| G.. W. Beardsley OF Watkins, n. Y. In
pockets $50 in currency and two checks,
one for 500 and the other for 800.
%. Charred trunk; limbs and head miss
ing medical examination necessary to
determine sex.
"a. The same.
25. The same.
26. Man, apparently about $50 pounds;
open face watch of Illinois make. No
means of Identification.
One of the female bodies is believed to
be that of Mrs. w. w. Henry OF Woon'
socket, II. L.
One of the man victims is believed TO be
William Lewis Wilson, of No. S32 Sherl'
dan road, Evanston, Ill. A Salise, with
his visiting cards and other pieces, was
found in the wreck.
TwEHTY-FouR BADLY HURT.
Twenty-four persons were badly hurt
|
dents of New York State.
CAUSED BY DIsoBEDIENoE OF ORDERS.
Direct disobedience of orders on the par
of Chicago & Grand Trunk engineer ant
conductor, both of whom had seen lonl
service with the company, and were re
garded as model employees. was the caus
/ of the tragedy. A Ray mond Il Whitcoml
special train of eight palace cars, tillet
with eastern folk who had been taking il
the sights of the Worlds Fair. left tn
Sixtieth street depot of the road at Chicag
at S.l5 as the first section of the night ex
press, known as No. q.
The train was in charge of Conducto
Burt N. Scott and Engineer Harry Woolley
both residents of this place. All went wei
until the Battle Creek depot was reached
J This was at 1886. From here to the rail
road yards. distance of mile and a-hali
there is double track. r"
Q When the Whitcomb special came to
( full stop in the depot the night operate
handed to Conductor Scott two copies o
t | an order for the train to proceed to th
double track east of Main street, about
. half mile distant, and there await the pas:
ing of the west-bound Pacific expires
known as No. 0.
q THE ILL-FATED PACIFIC EXPRESS.
4 This train, which was nearly three houi
G late, was composed of l3 day coaches an
U
d had seen many years service and were i
|, poor condition to withstand collision
Every one of the fated number was packe
with eastern people. the majority {
whom, taking advantage of the low rate
= were on their way to take in the last wee
of the Exposition.
:, The Pacific express was in charge
u Conductor John Bird and Engineer g
/, Cranshaw, both of whom had receive
a orders at Lansingto look out for the ives
!, bound train on the double track and wei
,f accordingly on the alert.
:, - After receiving orders at the Battle Cree
n station Engineer Woolley proceeded L
" the double track, but instead of stoppin
in accordance with his instructions, unit
the westbound express had passed, he CO.
e tinued ON and entered again ON the sing
ID track. He had hardly gone more than q
a. eighth of an mile when the headlight
ID the Pacific express was seen comiI
II around the slight curve behind the tel
ID graph office of the railroad yards. 1t W
speeding westward at rate OF 40 miles
hour.
e. NO TINE TO APPLY AIR BRAKES.
rt There was no time to apply air brakes
ig reverse levers. The engineers and tirem'
ss of both trains jumped for their lives, al
's- q second later the giant locomotives car
as together with crash that could be hea
ne a half mile away. With fearful force t
ne engine of the special plowed nearly hi
Sc way into that of the express driving
backwards into the baggage car, and +
70, latter in turn into the day coaches benin
n The shock was so terrific that the HI
iy four of these were completely telescope
TN the first coach cutting through the seco
o. and second into third like flash of ligl
IL ming, the roof of each passing over t
heads of the sleeping passengers a
sweeping in a mass to the north end OF
ed car.
lat FLAMES ADD THEIR HORROR TO THE wREt
gs To add to the horror the wreck took
to from the stoves or lamps, and as the Han
es, mounted up the groans and shrieks of I
he MANNED and injured were succeeded
he heart-rending, agonizing cries and appe
for help from the scores imprisoned by
ky- heavy timbers or held down by the SCI
all and iron framework.
lrs The travellers on the special, nearly
in of whom had been shaken out of tn
nj berths by the shock, poured out of
ed cars, but before tho fury of the fan
ire they were almost powerless to render a
assistance, except to the injured i'll
q q fourth car.
It'll MRS. VAN DUsEN's AWFUL FATE.
to Not until their dying day will some
u the citizens who were early on the grou
is ferget the scenes that they were compel
or to y.itnass and helnless to relieve. No I
IN can describe the last moments of NJ
Charles Van Dusen. She had succeeded
s. getting half way out of the window,
til here limbs were pinioned by the hef
framework of the scat she had been
It'll cupying with her husband, and this !
ler taken fire.
th- Thus held, roasting from the feet
,ad she pleaded and begged for the help .
)n- those outside were helpless 10 give.
eah | snitn har tarrihla aUOnV abe retained c