The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-25

with those of attending to the
numerous switches at this point. Upon
him is laid the blame by the raj way
officials and trainmen for the accident
and its frightful after-consequences. and
officers are now searching for him, as he
fed during the excitement following the
dual accident. The limited train. con-
sisting OF an engine AMI tender, a com.
bination baggage and buffet car and three
late. 1t reached Alton Junction running
at the rate of forty miles an hour, the en-
gineer being DESTROYS of making up the
lost time as soon as possible. A switch
was turned so as 10 send the flying train
into one Of the side tracks On this track
only few yards distant from the switch
were seven tank cars filed with refined
lubricating oil consigned from Beardstown
TO the Waters-Pieree oil company of this
city.
Too Late.
As soon as he saw the danger Engineer
Ross called to the fireman, Dick White, to
jump for his life. He then reversed his
engine and applied the air brakes.
But be was too late. The engine crashed
entirely through two of the tank cars,
splitting them in bali, and was then
forced on entirely over the others. The
oil from the wrecked tanks at once caught
fire and sea of flame instantly surround
ed the engineer, who had jumped just as
the pilot of the engine struck the first
tank Throwing his hands to his face the
brave man struggled to the embankmeut
at one side of the track, but IS
soon as he reached il be sank to the earth
a crisp and blackened corpse. The fireman.
who jumped from the cab the instant the
engine struck the switch, escaped with .
few slight bruises. The engineers action
in reversing his engine and applying the
brakes slackened the speed of the train
sufficiently to prevent any serious injury
to the passengers, of whom there were
about sixty Several were bruised by
being thrown violently against seats or
the sides of the coaches, but none were
seriously hurt
Corpse Cremated.
In the baggage department. of the fret
car were the mails, eleven pieces OF bag
gage and a corpse, and these was all
burned in a few moments. The corpse
was that of Mrs Morrison. and was be-
ing forwarded from the Southwest TO Bos-
ton, Mass. The flames spread to the
other coaches, and sll were soon in ruins.
Three OF the oil tanks, which were broken
open by the engine crashing over them.
were also consumed in a brief space OF
time, together with the engine and ten
der. The passengers and villagers crowded
around the burning wreck. anxious 10 as
sist, if possible, any unfortunates who
might be in need of help. Crowds from
Wann and Upper Alton also began to ar
rive as soon as the news spread.
The Fatal Explosion.
Il was at this time III o'clock when .
great crowd was watching the rapid de-
struction of the railroad property that the
elimination of the horrible affair occurred.
Two of the tank cars were left uninjured
by the engine The heating of burning oil
all around them generated from their con-
tents gas, the pressure of which became
too great for the huge iron casks TO with
stand. simultaneously and with fearful
force they exploded, throwing pieces of
their iron sides far out into the adjacent
fields, and showering upon the assembled
crowd of sightseers a mass Of flaming
liquid. For the first second after the
noise of the explosion there was no sound
save the swish of the burning oil as II was
forced through the air. Then there arose
a confusion of a0onizing appeals for help
and cries OF terror to which no tongue nor
pen can do justice.
Panic Indescribable.
For several minutes the panic was indie
scribable. Those touched by the burning
oil CROPPED about wildly, seeking in vain
for relief for their torture. Almost with
out exception the injured were burned
about the face and had their eYesighi
temporarily. ii not permanently, destroyed.
Those who were uninjured were so terror
stricken as to be unable to assist their less
fortunate companions for some time
Gradually the horror of the holocaust gave
way to a realization of the necessity for
quick relief Tor the wounded Hastily inn
provised filters were formed of doors and
shutters from neighboring cottages. viii.
ing hands tenderly carried the dead and
injured to Wsnn, where they were placed
in the depot until a relief train could be
brought to the scene. Word was dis
patched to Alton by fast courier (ths
heat from the burning oil had melted all
the telegraph wires), and while a train
VAS being made up and sent for the
wounded preparations were made for their
reception at St. Joseph's hospital.
Before the hospital door another i'm
a.