The farmers' union., 1893-10-26

crushed like cgg-shells. To ;sdd 10 the
horror. the wrecked cars immcdlatcly
caught fire. and, with their mangle,l
occupants. were burned TO ashes.
The scene Cf the wreck Immediately
after the collision was most appalling.
The grcans of the injured! and dying
rent the cold morning air. through
which a drizzling lain fell. and dense
darkness prevailed. The frantic cries
of those who escaped Eere almost
Us terrible to hear as the cream
of the suffering. Wla1,re the wreck
occurred the country is only thinlE.
pc populated by farmers. and those
who We're around hastened to the spot
and did whatever they eouli to assist ia
recovering the dead ard wounded II, III
the burning mass OF wreckage AMI to
alleviate the suffering OF the injured.
As soon AS the news reached Battle
Creek the fire department and a corps
of surgeons was dispatched to Nichols,
| where they did heroic service. When
they arrived there this is what they
saw:
The two front cars were telescoTcl
! and lay in big. shattered pieces within
| the length of one car. The other two
| had iammca tightly together. Men
and women We're crawling out through
| broken windows. Some OF them were
| breaking away the glass with their
bare hands. while othe: frantic men
ard We men behind them were fighting
| to get past them and crawl out ", m
! en- We're screaming and men wore
| shouting. Some who had lcaVcd
thr,ugh the windows lay helpless on
the e und while others were falling
on them. Men with bloody hands and
| Il
hcutcd the names of missing friends.
These are the old incidents Of raj
way horror.
! Passengers Roasted to Death.
Then smOke began to curl up from
the mass of w:eckage where the two
cas- wcre tclescopcd. Within five
| minutes the smoke was followed hy
| ltaping flames. Men who stood there
ana watched ttc wreck burn say that
they h, ard shrirkS ard cries coming
from the interior OF the oven. 1t
would be pc,sante" t. think that the
tWcnty-tivc lay SeneeleSS or pe"haus
dead and d q n,t sutler the torture OF
suilocation and slow burning one at
lea: died 4 horrible death i'll full view
Of !'' helNlc-~ men. She was = " man
VINO had c-awled halfway out of the
window. Her dress wa, torn ir N hcr
shoulders and her hair had fallen
about her face She was !. hands II,
wonan. n t more than :tn years Old
,, When the Iescue:s first saw her
they clmted up and 1:icd u draw
, her through the window. They :oUl.G
that heavy timber lay across hey
Hurry up: please hurry up. She said
q the fear crossed her mind that per
= haYs >he Was possibly IN danger o.
3 burning. y minute later. while strong
u.ea were straining 10 ext. ica:c hel
J thi, possibility became q probabilit,
and The flames crept rapidly toward tn,
), !, | imprisoned woman. "Hou -han't buzz.
We i ret you out. c: led the men. he
rcjcallv. Il. they w,e-tled fv;.ct "a i
\ with the splintered ti:aterS. The,
was :. lrl Of speech for five minutes
! The rcsIuers raj become giants i,
strength and ,aadmer II desperation
: and they Struggled wildly with IN,
tangled wood and irSE. The wcmal
! | was silent, ana gaee.i implorinsly an,
| inQuiringly into the faces OF the tire
ncn. My Cod Oh. my Gcd." sud
: denly burst from :he lips OF one o
c | the heroic workers. and in that &c
: >pai-in- hcart-cry the helpless wolna.
read her death warrant. She gave a.