River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-26
LIVES LOST aY FIRE.

An Awful Catastrophe at Alton Janc-
tion, Iii.-CoiIision Between Big -Four
Trains by VIII ch Engineer Was
hilied-The Ruins Take Iire-Hh lille
Hundreds of spectators Are viewing
the Scene, Tank Cars Explode. Breneh-
Ing Bystanders with blazing OiI-Iif-
teen die OF Their Burns and scores
Were Seriously Hurt.
ALI. y, H.. Ian. GAS a result of
a terrible accident at Alton Junction
Saturday sixteen dead bodies are lying
in the temporary morgue in this city,
fourteen people are so badly injured
that they are expected to die within a
few hours and thirty one others are
dangerously hurt
Alton Junction, or Wann, is located 2
miles east Of this city. and is a transfer
station for the Cleveland, Cincinnati
Chicago Il st. Louis and Chicago Bur
lington & Quincy railroads. The latter
road joins the Big Four at this point,
running into 81. Louis over the
same track. The fast through train
KIN wn as the southwestern limited
was coming out from ST. Louis at 2
o'clock, thirteen minutes late, and
making up lost time at AZ mile an hour
speed, when it ran into an
open switch and collided with
a long freight train consist
ing mostly of loaded Union Tank line
cars. Engineer Webb Ross. of Mat
toon, saw the danger. too late, but ne
threw on the air brakes and staid with
his engine, being buried in the wreck
and burned to crisp.
The shock of the collision was such
as To split two loaded tanks wide open
and the oil Immediately caught fire,
the flames shooting so feet into the
air. The locomotive and baggage
car were totally wrecked. but
the remainder of the passenger
train was removed beyond the
reach of the flames. Hearing of the
wreck, hundreds of people from this
city and vicinity were attracted by
curiosity to the scene. And then oc-
Cured one of the most awful disasters
on record.
A few minutes past 70 o'clock there
was a light explosion of one tank
which scattered the de bris on all sides,
setting fire to the stock yards inclos-
ures. This one blow-up caused the inn
preston that the danger from explo-
sions was past. aud the throng of by
ISLANDERS rushed in to save the stock
yards from destruction.
A minute la1er there was deafening
report thai shook the earth for half a
min ate and spread a sheet OF seething,
burning oll in all directions. For those
within the circle of hundred yards
81 Of lnf
were struck dead by pieces of
flyi q iron and scores of them
were knocked fat on the
ground. Their clothing caught fire
from the spreading flames and was
burned from their bodies. Those who
could rise did so and ran hither and
thither making frantic appeals for help.
Some of the sufferers ran to the near
est water and plunged in Others ran
through the fields, and few of them
are missing yet.
OF the following list of dead all but
the first six and UT, Miller and MONTE
died of their injuries after being re-
moved to the hospital. The dead
bodies of the last-named were found
near the scene Of the wreck Sunday
morning. The deaths were as follows:
Webb Ross, NATION, III; Hiram Cornelius,
Iowa; Edward Miller, Alton Junction: two
unidentified men; William Shattuck, Upper
Alton. H.; Henry Penning, Wann. H.; " lille
NJ Carty, Alton; John Locke, Alton Edward
Mauhin, Alton Daniel Harers, Alton Junction:
William Mantz. Fosterburg, H.; Charles UT,
Alton; w. IL Miller, Alton Charles Paris,
Alton: John Wilkinson, Alton
OF the injured the hospital physician
4 Al
art:
Otto Hagwan Alton; John Fred. Alton;
Joseph Herman, Alton; Henry Pilgrim Alton;
John LuttTell, Alton William h. Richardson,
Alton: David Richardson. Alton; A. 4. Frazer.
St Louis: Frank Barth, Branfort. Can; Frank
Scullin, Alton; John Burke, Alton; William
Miller, Alton Junction; - Murray, Upper Al
ton; ROTOR; Upper Alton.
Probably forty others received Sc
we're injuries but will likely recover.
All the dead were burned to death by
flaming oil. OF the fatally injured all
are more or less seriously burned about
the limbs and body. All are also in
jured internally from inhaling the
burning flames. which scorehed and
parched their throats 20 such an extent
that their escape from instant death is
almost miraculous.
The scenes in the wards at st.
Joseph's hospital occupied by the in
iured were even more heartrending
than Saturday. Lying on cots,
wrapped and swathed in cotton and
bandages until they almost lost SEM
blauce TO human beings, and surround
ed by weeping relatives and sorrowing
friends, the injured people formed
a picture that brought tears to
the eyes of even the physicians, ac-
customed as they are to such sights.
1t was not until visit was made to
the morgue back of the hospital that
the horrible reality of the accident be-
came apparent Here awaiting the I'M
dertaker were the bodies of five
of those who died during the
night The bandages bad been
removed from the bodies and the
fearful ravages of the burning oil were
plainly apparent Scarcely one of the
five could be recognized by relatives.
The oil wherever it had touched the skin
had burned deep into the flesh, while
such portions of the cuticle as escaped
entire destruction were blistered and
in many places blackened by the in
tense heat. The lips were terribly
swollen and discolored and the eyes of
all were burned out Every vestige
of hair was burned off face and head
and in many places the skulls and
cheek bones were exposed.