The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-01-27
DIRE DISASTER.
Double Accident on the Big -Four at
Alton Junction.
Numbers of Persons Witnessing Railway
Wreck Caught In Terrible Ex-
plosion and Horribly
Burned.

ALTON, Ill, Jan. 24.-Nine persons
killed outright, twelve fatally injured
and nearly hundred more or less seri-
iously hurt was the appalling result of
a series of accidents at Alton Junction
Saturday. An open switch on the Big
Four main track was the prime cause
of the disasters. The Southwestern
limited ran through the switch into a
freight train standing on the siding
and Engineer Webb Ross. of the limit
ed, was instantly killed. The wreck
took fire, and while great crowd was
watching the spectacle an oil tanl; car
exploded with terrific force, enveloping
the spectators in a sheet of burning Oil.
Eight of them were instantly killed and
scores were frightfully burned, dozen
of whom at least will die.
The Southwestern limited leaves st.
Louis at sos and is due at Wann
at s:4S. Wann is flag station of the
Chicago & Alton and Big Four railways
ana is about four miles this side of AL
ton. There are no side tracks there,
but about half mile beyond, alta small
village known as Alton Junction, are
several switches The tender of these
switches, r. Grattau by name, is also ii
| barber, and combines his tonSorial
duties with those of attending to the
numerous switches at that point. Upon
him is laid the blame by the railway
/ officials and trainmen for the accident
and it's frightful after consequences,
and officers are now searching for him,
as he fed during the excitement follow
ing the dual accident.
The limited train, consisting of an
/ engine and tender, a combination and
buffet car and three coaches left ST
! Louis at 9 o'clock Saturday morning
| thirty minutes late, and making up los
| time at a forty-seven mile per hOua
! speed, when it ran into the switch and
collided with long freight train, con-
sisting mostly of loaded tank cars.
| Engineer WebO Ross, of Mattoon. saw
| the danger too late, but he threw o
| the air brakes and stayed with his ma
| chine, being buried in the wreck and
burned to a crisp Fireman White
| jumped and escaped uninjured. The
passengers were fearfully shaken up
! but none were seriously hurt. An eve
witness says that the shock of the col
| lisiOn was such IA to split two loaded
ta@lks wide open and the oil Immediate
| ly caught fire, the flames shooting fifty
feet into the air. The locomotives and
baggage car were totally wrecked but
the remainder OF the passenger train
was moved beyond the reach of the
| flames.
| In au incredibly short time the train
was IA mass of flames. Fear of an ex-
plosion prevented any attempt to save
| it The wreclling train came up from
East st. Louis at IL o'clock and half
dozen switch engines were run out from
| here to clear the yards Traffic on the
two roads was entirely suspended and
special train was made up on the
Alton to carry belated passengers
through to St Louis.
Hearing of the wreck hundreds of
people of this city and vicinity were at
tracted by curiosity to the scene. And
| then occurred one OF the most awful
disasters on record A few minutes
past - o'clock there was a light explo-
sion of one tank which scattered the
debris on all sides, setting fire to the
stock yards Enclosures. This produced
| the impression that the danger of ex-
plosions was at hand and the throng of
strangers rushed for safety to the stock
wards A minute later there was "a
deafening report that shook the earth
for half minute and spread one sheet
of seethiug, burning oil in all direc-
tions. For those within circle of 100
yards there was no escape. Their cloth.
! ing was burned and literally fell from
their bodies.
In moment those who were not dis
| abled began running hither aud thithcr,
waving their hands and screaming for
help. Some went to the nearest water
and others ran into the fields and are
missing yet. Panic reigned for a short
| time. uatil the uninjured recovered
their presence of mind to care for the
afflicted. Two barrels of linsecd oil
| were taken from grocery store and
| applied to the wounds by several phvsi
clans who happened to be on the ground.
Every house in the little village was
| turned into a hospital, and every doctor
1 III hiJDu anu iJS NiCiuttN Wis summoned.
As soon as possible a train was made
up, and many of the sufferers We're
brought here to St Joscph's hospital
The total list OF dead is as follow
Webb Ross. MattOon, Ill.
Hiram Cornelius. Iowa.
Edward Miller, Alton Junction.
Two unidentified men.
William Shattucll, Upper Alton, III
Henry Pennlng, Wann, III.
William McCarty, Alton, Ill.
John Locke, Alton.
Edward Maupin, Alton.
Daniel Harers, Alton junction.
William Mantz, FosterbUrg. III.
Charles Utt. Alton
w. ii. Miller, Alton.
Charles Harris, Alton.
John Wilkinson, Alton.
OF these all but the iirsu six died OF
their injuries after being removed to
the hospital at Alton, except Utt. ".
II. Miller and Man;z whose dead bodies
were found near the scene of the wreck
yesterday morning.