The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-21

Of the fated number was packed with east
ern people, the majority of whom taking
advantage OF the low rates were on their
way to take in the last week of the exposi-
tion. The Pacific express was In charge Of
Conductor John Bird and Engineer Gil
Cranshaw, both of whom had received Or
ders Mt Lansing to look out for the west
bound train on the double track, and were
accordingly on the alert.
After receiving orders at the Battle
Creek station Engineer Woolley proceeded
up the double track, but instead of stop
ping, in accordance with his instructions,
until the west bound express had passed,
he continued on and entered again on the
single track. He had hardly gone more
than an eighth of n mile when the head
light of the Pacific express was seen com
ing around the slight curve behind the
telegraph Office of the railroad yards,
speeding westward at a rate of forty miles
an hour There was no time to apply air
brakes or reverse levers The engineers
and firemen of both trains jumped for
their lives, and second later the giant
locomotives came together with crash
that could be heard half mile away
Cars Completely Telescopsd.
With fearful force the engine OF the
OF the express, driving it backwards into
the baggage car. and the latter in turn
into the day coaches behind The shock
was so terrific that the first four of these
were completely telescoped, the first coach
cutting the second and the second into the
third like fash of lightning, the roof of
each passing over the heads of the sleeping
passengers and sweeping in mass to the
north end of the car
To add to the horror the wreck took fire
from the stoves OF lamps, and as the
flames mounted upth Sroans and shrieks
of MANNED and injured were succeeded by
heartrending, agonizing cries and appeals
for help from the scores imprisoned by tho
heavy tiinbers or held down by the seats
and iron frame work. The travellers on the
special, nearly all of whom had been
shaken out Of their berths by the shock,
poured on of the cars, but before the fury
OF the flames they were almost powerless
to render any assistance except to the in
jured in the fourth car.
There WAS some delay in summoning
the ilremen, but they quickly responded to
the alarm. But rs the nearest hydrant
was acgQ feet away they were unable for
some time to secure Il sufficient pressure
to throw stream, and by the time spf-
coaches had been burned to fragments.
The .firemen were assisted in the work of
rescue by citizens and their wives, the
debris was thoroughly sorted over, and
now there is nothing in the railroad ygrds
but heap OF ashes to tell the story of one
of the most awful holocausts in the history
of railrOading.
"say Died Like Christian"
Not until tbair dvipr, will e,,p,, ~
the citizens who were early on the ground
forget the scenes that they were compelled
to witness and helpless to relieve. No pen
can describe the last moments of Mrs.
Charles Van Dusen. She Ind succeeded
in getting half way out OF the window,
but her limbs were pinioned by the heavy
| framework of the seat she had been occu-
pying with her husband, and this had
taken fire Thus held, roasting from the
! feet UP, she pleaded and begged for the
help that those outside were helpless To
give. In frantic endeavor to rescue her
Z, 4 man pulled off one Of her hands De-
spite her terrible agony she retained CON
! scioushess 10 the last, and as the flames
crept up and surrounded her she called out
her name and address and that of friends
to be notified: II am teacher in the
Methodist Sunday school at Sprout Brook,
N. "" she cried; say died like Chris
tian." Then the side of the car gave way
J and she fell back into the flames
Her husband had meanwhile been res
| cucd from the next car, into which lie had
been driven by the force of the collision.
/ He retained consciousness until his death,
but was kept in ignorance Of the fate of
his wife. In his last breath he asked Rev.
Dr. George B. Culp to send his love to the
ri Al hnt ba laFt
| Tears came into the eyes of the bystand
ers, and one father, in his sympathy, fed
from the place with groan as the form
of n boy was lifted and placed on the
table. The collision had evidently found
him doubled up on the seat asleep, for his
! little arms and legs were drawn up, and
death had made them so rigid that even
| the undertakers assistants could not
straighten them out. The entire top of
the head had been burned away, leaving
the brain exposed, little remaining of the
! outline OF the face. The little hands,
/ clenched tightly in death, were charred to
/ the bone. The feet were rs black as the
boots that had protected them, and the
little toes had fed the flames But when
the clothing on the trunk and the knee
pants had been ripped Off the flesh be.
meath, soft and white as that of newly
|
trast to the rest of the body. A fringe of
red hair about the base of the skull will
serve to reuder the Identification OF the
| child possible.
There were but two of the bodies TINT
were possible OF Identification, even by the
| most intimate friends of the victims.
These were m IN, both charred from head
to foot, but with the llneaments of the
features preserved to sufficient degree to
admit OF their being recognized.
Conductor and Engineer Arrested.
After the wreck Engineer Woolley re-
mained upon the spot and viewed the hor-
ror that had been caused by his neglect of
orders. After the last of the injured had
been taken away he went to his home
Warrants were subsequently sworn out
charging Woolley and Conductor Scott
with manslaughter. A search developed
the fact that Scott had suddenly gone to
Port Huron, and a telegram was sent TO
the police officials at that place requesting
his arrest. Woolley was found at his home
by Sheriff King and taken before Justice
Henry, who set the preliminary hearing
for Monday and fixed bail at $1,000. After
this had been done, Woolley, who was on
the verge of prostration, physically and
mentally, made a written statement, in
which he claims that Conductor Scott or
dered him to go ahead, and in response to
his query, Are you sure No 0 has gone
through" Scott replied in the affirmative
Conductor Scott returned to the city
late last night, and was at once arrested
He gave bonds In G., 900 to appear on Mon
day. He denied:W story, and says
he did not know the engineer had gone
over the siding and taken the double
track un til the collision occurred.