Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-01-26
AN AWFUL SCENE.
Frightful Result of Railway Dis.
aster In Illinois.
OIL Cars Explode, Covering Bystanders
with Blazing On-sIxteen Persons Lose
Their Lives aad Many Others
Are Terribly Burned
IL FLAMING OIL

ALTON, H.. Jan. 2S.-As a result OF
the terrible accident at Alton Junction
Saturday nineteen dead bodies are lying
in the temporary morgue in this city,
fourteen people are so badly injured
that they are expected to die within q
few hours and thirty one others are
dangerously hurt
Alton Junction, or Wann, is located
miles east of this city. and is transfer
station for the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago & St Louis and Chicago, Bur
lington Il Quincy railroads. Tho latter
road joins the Big Four at this point,
running into ST. Louis over the
same track. The fast through train
known as the southwestern limited
was coming out from st. Louis at Q
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 he
threw on the air brakes and staid with
his engine, being buried in the wrecks
and burned to crisp.
The shock of tho 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 tho
wreck, hundreds Of people from this
city and vicinity were attracted by
curiosity to the scene. And then oc-
CURED ono of the most awful disasters
on record.
A few minutes past - o'clock there
was . light explosion of one tank
which scattered the debris on all sides,
setting FRO to the stock yards inclos-
ures. This one blow-up caused the inn
preston that the danger from exple-
sions was past, and tho throng of by
ISLANDERS rushed in to save the stock
yards from destruction. s.
A minute later there was a deafening
report that shook the earth for half
minute and spread a sheet of seething,
burning oil in all directions. For those
within the circle of hundred yards
there was no escape. Some of them
wero struck dead by pieces of
flying iron and scores of them
were knocked fat on tho
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, Ill; Hiram Cornelius,
Iowa; Edward Miller Alton Junction. Two
unidentified mem William Shattuek Upper
Alton H.. Henry Penning, wnnn. Ill: Willie
MCarty Alton; John Locke, Alton: Edward
Mauhin Alton, Daniel Harers, Alton Junction:
William Mantz, Fosterburg, Ill; Charles UT
Alton W. H. Miller, Alton: Charles Paris,
Alton; John Wilkinson, Alton; George ROTOR,
Upper Alton. J. NJ. Murray, Alton Charles
Haller Alton Junction.
OF the injured the hospital physician
said that fourteen cannot recover They
are
otto Hagwan, Alton; John Fred Alton:
Joseph Herman, Alton; Henry Pilgrim. Alton;
John Luttren, Alton; William B. Richardson
Alton. David Richardson Alton, A. Il Frazer
81 Louis. Frank Barth, Branford Can Frank
Scullin, Alton; John Burke, Alton William
Miller, Alton Junction.
ALroS, Ill, Jan. 24-Five more
deaths are reported as the result OF the
explosion at Wann Saturday and TWEEN
ty-fivc more are in a dangerous condi-
tion, many Of item without hope OF re-
covery The total number Of deaths is
now tweI ty-oue, the additions being;
William Edwards, wann, III Thomss Houli-
han East st. Louis Ill James n Murray,
county assessor, Upper Alton III Charles
staiter. Alton Junction, M. Henry Weigand,
Alton Junction, Ill