The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-01-25
APPALLING ACCIDENT.
a Dual Catastrophe on the Big
-Four Railroad at Alton, Ill.
Sixteen Dead, Fourteen Fatally Injured
and Nearly One Hundred More
or Less Hurt is the Result.
The Southwestern Limited Crashes Into
Train of OIL Tank Cars-A Terrific
Explosion Follows, Scattering
Burnilg oil Over Crowd
of Spectators.

ALTON, Ill, Jan. ~. --olxteen persons
killed fourteen others fatlly injured
and nearly hundred more or less
seriously hurt is the result of
dual catastrophe at Alton Junction,
Saturday noon. An open switch on the
Big Four main track was the prime
cause of the disasters. The southwest
ern limited ran through the switch into
freight train standing on the siding
and Engineer Webb Ross, of the linn
tied, was instantly killed. The wreck
took fire and while great crowd was
watching the spectacle an oil tank 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, thirty
of whom at leasy will die.
Alton junction, or Wann, is located
two miles cast of this city, and is a
watering, transfer and feeding station
for the Cleveland, Cincinnati Chicago
g. St Louis and the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy railroads. The. 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 com
ing out from St Louis at 0 o'clock Satur-
day morning, thirteen minutes late and
making up time at a forty-seyen mile
per hour speed, when it ran into
switch and collided with long freight
train consisting mostly of loaded tank
cars Engineer Webb Ross, OF Matoon,
saw the danger too late, but he threw
on the air brakes and staid with his
machine, being buried in the wreck and
burned TO n crisp Fireman White
jumped and escaped uninjured. The
passengers were fearfully shaken up
but none were seriously hurt Ar eye
witness says that the shock of the col
lision was such as to split two loaded
tanks wide open and the oil immediate
ly caught fire, the flames shooting fifty
feet into the air. The locomotive and
baggage cars were totally wrecked but
the remainder OF the passenger train
was removed beyond the reach Of the
flames.
In an incredibly short time the freight
train was a mass Of flames. Fear Of an
explosion prevented any attempt tosave
It. Traffic on the two roads was entire
ly suspended and special train was
made up on the Chicago & Alton to
carry belated passengers through to ST
Louis Hearing of the wreck hundreds
Of people from this city and vicinity
were attracted by curiosity to the scene.
And then occurred one of the most aw'
full disasters on record. A few minutes
past 10 o'clock there was 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 past and the throng OF
bystanders rushed In 10 save the, stock
yards from destruction. Aminute later
there was deafening report that shook
the earth for half minute after and
spread one sheet OF seething, burning
oil In all directions For those within
the circle Of hundred yards there waa
no escape. Their clothing was burned
and literally fell from their bodies
In n moment those who were not dis
abled began running hither and thither'
moving their hands and screaming for
help Some went for the nearest water
and others ran into the fields and are
missing yet Panic reigned for short
time until the uninjured recovered the
presence Of mind to care for the af-
fllcted. Two barrels Of linseed oil were
taken from grocery store and applied
TO the wounds by several physicians
who happened TO be on the ground.
Every house In the little village was
turned into temporary hospital and
every doctor in Alton and Its vicinity
was summoned As soon as possible a
train was mado up and twenty Of the
sufferers were brought here TO ST. Jo-
seph's hospital
Fully fourteen people are fatally In
jured and there are not less than thirty
more or less severely scalded, who will
be laid up for weeks The total loss, 30
far as can be ascertained, includes the
engine Of the limited, cafe and baggage
car seven tank cars full OF oil, eight
box cars and half dozen fiat cars, all
Of these being completely destroyed.
No accurate estimate Of the loss can be
made at present but II will reach at
least 500, 900.
Webb Ross, the bravo engineer who
lost his life, leaves q wife and six chill