The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-23
Heartrendlng Scenes at the Hospital Yester-
day Where Some of the Victims Begged
Piteously TO Be Put Out OF Misery.
Several Blistered and Charred Bodies
Found in the Woods and Roadway.
Big Four Company Held Responsible for One
Deatb--Flight of the Switchtender Who
Caused the Railway Collision.
VICTIMS OF BLAZING OIL.

Thirty Dead or Dying and Many Seriously
Burned-Scenes at the Hospital.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
ALTON, ILL.,, Jan. 22.-The results Of the
catastrophe at Alton junction yesterday
arc fully as appalling as indicated by your
correspondents last night. The number of
deaths Will reach thirty. Sixteen of the
victims are already dead and fourteen
more. the physicians say. cannot recover.
There are others who Will carry to their
graves the marks inflicted by the blazing
oil. The disaster was O terrible lesson to
that class of persons den0minated curiosity
seekers, but it is a lesson that will be
quickly forgotten. not probably by those
who have learned it. but by the Needless
people to be found in all communities who
rush in where angels fear to tread" re-
gardless of the advice of cooler heads.
The number of dead was augmented to-day
by several of the injured succumbing to
their wounds.
When your correspondent visited the
scene of the disaster to-day he saw on each
side of the railway track piles of wreck
age, rails twisted into all conceivable
oil and cars still burning. while several
wrecking crews were at work remov-
ing the string OF oil-tanks. The pas-
senger engine was wrecked almost bey0n
recognition. Next to IT was the gear of
the cafe car, around and through
which en- eager crowd was searching
for money and valuables from
the burned mail-pouches and baggage.
Several gold and silver coins and some
jewelry, partly molten. were found. An
other gruesome relic dug out or the ashes
was the metal lid of coffin, in which the
corpse of q young woman, en- route from
Texas to Boston. was burned. The most
sickening spectacle of the sad panorama
was the ashes and remnants of clothing
dropped from the bodies of victims as they
fled from the shower of burning OIL They
were lying everywhere. and sometimes
with them were PARTICLES of human flesh.
By the wagon road. in ditch filled with
snow, was found the entire cuticle of eight
hands with finger nails attached, as it
peeled from the bone as the sufferers in
tzejr frenzy dashed into the freezing sub
stance. In one pile of clothing ashes.
with the. flesh of the fingers, were found
four Stlve, half dollars melted to-
gether. Several gold and silver watches
were also found and returned to their own
ers or relatives. Grass in the neig b boring
fields was burned by particles of oil falling
two thousand feet from the scene of the ex-
plosion. Late last night and early this
morning several victims were found in a
fearful condition in the fields. where they
had fed and fallen from exhaustion. and it
is believed others are also missing. Every.
thing has been done for the relief of the
sufferers.
Timothy Houlihan. one of the Big Four
car repairers, who left East st. Louis for
the scene of the wreck yesterday, and who
was BROUGHT back in the evening horribly
burned, died last night The coroner's
Jury returned verdict in accordance with
tho facts, holding the railroad company
responsible, for the reason that it ordered
deceased. its servant. to work In q spot SO
dangerous to his life.
The dead at 10 P. NJ. adding those who
died at the hospital to those killed out
right. number sixteen. as follows.
WEBB ROSS, Matt0on, Ill.
HIRAM CORNELIUS, Iowa.
EDWARD MILLER, Alton Junction.
WILLIAM SHATTUCK, Upper Alton, Ill.
HENRY PENNING, Wann, III.
WILLIE MCCARTHY, Alton, Ill.
JOHN LOCKE, Alton.
EDWARD MAUPIN, Alton.
RANIEL pa = HARER, a fEEs Alton Eo.3rSnc Junction n
CHARLES UT. Alton.
W. II. MILLER. Alton.
CHARLES HARRIS, Alton.
JOHN WILKINSON, Alton.
Two unidentified men.
Ofthe injured. the hospital phys ysicians say
that fourteen cannot recover. They are:
OTTO HAGERMAN, Alton.
HENRY PILGRIM, Alton.
JOHN LUTTRELLE, Alton.
W. L. RICHARDSON, Alton.
DAVID RICHARDSON, Alton,
A. L. FRAZER st Louis.
FRANK BARTH, Branford, Ont.
FRANK SCULLIN, Alton.
JOHN BURKE, Alton.
WN. MILLER, Alton Junction.
- MURRAY, Upper Alton.
- ROToFF, Upper Alton.
Those who were seriously injured, but
who will robably recover, are:
Mrs. A. l.. WILLEN and child, Kansas City.
HENRY WIGGENs, Alton Junction.
GEORGE STAPLES, Alton Junction.
HERMAN NUsKE. Alton.
EVAN CALDWELL. Alton.
LOUIS DfNEAU, Montreal, Canada.
HENRY STABLES, UnionIown, KY.
- MONTGOMERY, Alton.
DANIEL HARRIS, Alton Junction.
FRANK BARTON, Stamford, Ontario.
LOUIS MCfNTosH Alton Junction.
WILLIAM MCINTOSU. Alton Junction.