Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-01-26
DIRE DISASTER.
Double Accident on the Big -Four OF
Alton Junction.
ESyELOPED IN BLAZING OIL.
Numbers OF Persons witnessing Railway
Wreck Caught In = Terrible Ex-
piosion and Horribly
burned.

and nearly hundred more or less serl-
iously hurt was the appalling result OF
a series OF accidents at Alton junction
Saturday. An open switch on the Zig
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 a great crowd was
watching the spectacle an oil tank car
exploded with terrific force, envelopinR
the spectators In 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 a. Alton and Big Four railways
and is about four miles this side OF Al
ton There are no side tracks there,
but about half n mile beyond, at a small
village known as Alton Junction, are
several switches The tender OF these
switches, r. Grattan by name, Is also n
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,
"a 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 o o'clock Saturday morning,
thirty minutes late, and making up lost
time at q forty-seven mile per hour
spe =, when IL ran into the switch and
collided with a ing freight train, con-
sisting mostly of loaded tank cars.
Engineer Webb Ross, of Nation, saw
the danger too late, but he threw on
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 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 locomotives and
baggage car were totally wrecked but
the remainder of the passenger train
was moved beyond the reach OF the
flames.
In an incredibly short time the train
was mass of flames Fear OF an ex-
plosion prevented any attempt to save
IT, The wrcclting train came up from
II \ t.. ~ al -
dozen switch engines were rui out from
here to clear the yards Traffic ON the
two roads was entirely suspended and
n special train was made up on the
| Alton 10 carry belated passe lgcrs
through 10 ST. Louis.
Hearing OF the wreck hundreds of
| people of this city and vicinity were at
tractcd 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
| yards A minute later there was n
dcafening report that shook the earth
for half a minute and spread one sheet
OF sccthing, burning oil in all direc-
tions. For those within a circle of 100
/ yards there was no escape. Their cloth
ing was burned and literally fell from
their bodies.
In u moment those who were not dis.
abled began running hithcr and thithcr,
waving their hands and screaming for
help Some went 10 the nearest water
and others ran into the fields and are
missing yet Panic reigned for a short
time, until the uninjlrcd recovered
their presence of mind to care for the
| afflicted Two barrels of linsccd oil
were taken from grocery store and
applied to the wounds by several physi-
clans who happened 10 be ON the ground.
| Every house in the little village wn-
turned into II hospital, aud every doctor
in Alton and its vicinity was summoned.
As soon as possible train was made
up, and many of the sufferers were
brought here TO St Joseph's hospital
The total list Of dead is as follows.
Webb Ross, Mattoon, Ill.
Hiram Cornelius, Iowa.
Edward Miller, Alton Junction.
Two unidentified men.
William ShattuelS, Upper Alton, Ill
Henry Pcnning, Wann, ILL.,
William McCarty, Alton, III.
John Locke, Alton.
Edward Maupin, Alton.
| Daniel llarcrs, Alton junction.
| William Mautz, Fosterburg, III.
Charles Ut, Alton.
| W. II. Miller, Alton
Charles Harris, Alton.
| John Wilkinson, Alton.
OF these all but the first six died o
their injuries after being removed /,
the hospital a. Alton, except UT, w
II. Miller and Mantz, whose dead bodice
were found near the scene Of the WRECK
yesterday morning. OF the injured
fourteen, the hospital authorities said
at o'clock last evening, cannot re
cover
They are Otto Hageman, Alton; Johl
F,edd, Joseph Hermann, Alton; Henri,
Pilgrim, Alton; John Lattrelle, Alton
w. H. Richardson, Alton; David Rich
ardson, Alton; A. 7. Fraser, st. Louis
Frank Barth, Bradford. Canada; Franl
scuin. Alton; John Burke, Alton; VA
liam Miller, Alton Junction; jaime
Murray, Upper Alton; Herman ROTOR
Upper Alton; Evan Caldwell, Alton.
Great Fire at Severance.
ST. JosEPH, Mo Jan, % Early thi'
morning FIRE destroyed s95, 600 worth o.
property at Severance, Kan. IL starlct