The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-10-21

CITY, Engineer henry WOOlSy was
pulling it, and there appears to be no
doubt that Engineer Wooley's negli-
gence caused the accident.
The conductor and engineer received
orders here to meet the Pacific Ex-
press at Nichols. Engineer Wooley
GO. his orders at Battle Creek, and
getting beyond the stretch of double
track, kept right ahead at a rafting
pace. He met the Pacific Express
half a mile or less below the meeting
point made for him.
The Pacific Express was coming at
thirty miles an hour. From Nichols
a curve begins, so it is impossible Tor
either engineer to see the other until
the headlights appeared They had
scarcely time to reverse, apply the
air brakes and save themselves as best
they could. The head on engines came
together. The Raymond & Whltcomp
train stood the shock without more
than a shudder excepting the baggage
car at the head end, which had the
front stove in. None of the passengers
on this train were injured beyond
severe shaking up.
On the other train all the horror
was experienced. The frall day
coaches behind the baggage car went
to splinters. The train was made up
of thirteen coaches and the hrst Iour
Oh I0e1n were lclcSCOpCo.
The passengers were caught IN tnelr
seats and the general mass OF ruins,
and to aid to their misery, the burning
lamps exploded and in a moment the
four cars were a sheet of flame.
The Battle Creek fire department
did heroic work. They received the
alarm five minutes after the accident.
The horses could not be driven pc
tween the cars on account OF the
flames, so rope was hitched TO tne
chemical and hauled by hand into
position and the rear sleeper, Sabrina,
saved. The firemen took out every
body and practically cleared away the
debris. The third coach of the eX-
press left the trucks and ploWed
right through the second, scraping all
the seats and passengers along with
it and depositing them in heap IN
the north end of the car, where most
of the bodies were found The
bodies were loaded on fiat car and
taken to Battle Creek station and
then conveyed into undertaking rooms
where a morgue was eXtemporized.
while everything was done to relieve
the remains of their CHASTITY appear
ance. III
The scenN at the morgue appalled,
the stoutest heart.
The dead were ranged along the
side of the dark basement which was
Illuminated by a feeble Pickering.
Not shred of clothing was left
| upon them, and the remains were so
mangled and disfgured that they re-
sembled nothing but ancient mummies
that might have been disflgured be-
fore death. The best preserved corpse
was that of a boy about y years old.
A fringe of hair of a reddish hue
was left about the ears and the base
of the skull. The upper part of the
head was gone, consumed by the
| flames, and a portion of the brains
protruded and was of white, yellow
ish color They were literally cooked
Another of the best preserved bodies
was that of a man of powerful physi-
cal frame. The flames licked the vic
TINS faces, shoulders and body, but
the features and the contour of the
figure remain as in life, and might be
identified by those familiar with his
appearance.
These two were the least SCARED and
best preserved of that row of twenty
unrecognizable dead.
| Other remains were in parts some
| headless, some armless and all shriv-
elled and disfgured beyond resem-
blance Of human beings.
The twenty-seventh victim, F. H.
Smith, will be added to the death list
before morning.
Albert Bradley is the next most
seriously injured, but he is expected
to recover.
The rest of the patients are all re-
ported comfortable and out of danger
at midnight.
The friends and relatives of some of
the dead and injured arrived here to-
night and the remains of the unfortu-
mates Will be taken to their homes for
burial as soon as permission is given
by the coroner.
| w. E. CLARK, of Sarnia, Ontario,
arrived tonight and found his son-in-
law, Albert Bradley seriously injured
and his daughter, Mrs. Bradley, dead
Her body could be identified only by
shreds of clothing, the flesh being
burned into an unrecognizable mass
At the hospital lies her husband, cry
ling continually in his delirium: Have
you found my wife?"
The survivors tell vivid stories OF
their experiences.
H c. Crowley. of Port Huron, a
the time of the accident, had just left
his brother, w. H Crowley, in the
second coach. He couldn't find hin
after the wreck, and spent all the day
in the futile search. He fears now
he is among those so terribly burned.
John c. Stewart, of Dalton, H., hat
his body badly bruised and his daugh
ter, Jennie was also seriously injured
and had an arm broken. He had two
children with him, boy and a girl
The boy heroically rescued his sister
| pulling her out through the coach
window.
c. C. Van Dusen, of Sproutbrook
In. Y, was accompanied by his wife
on their way to the fair. He wa:
taken out of the wreck, crushed ant
bruised, and taken to the hospital
where he died in a short time. HI
was conscious to the last and calmly
arranged his business affairs. leaving
everything in the hands of his friend
Rev. George Culp. He did not know
of the awful fate of his wife.
Mrs. Van Dusen was pinned in thu
telescoped cars and at first had nC
doubt of escape AS she looked ou
of the window and awaited her res
cuers an alarm of fire was given.
..Hurrv UP, please" said she. 4
minute later, while strong men wer'
Istraining to extricate her, the flames
began to creep rapidly towards her
you shant burn; we'll get you out,
lcried the men as they wrestled iran
lticallN with the splintered timbers. Th'
lrescuers become giants in strength ant
madmen in desperation and struggled
wildly with the tangled mass of Woo
land iron. The woman was silent anC
gazed imploringly into the faces of tn
lfiremen.
MY God, o my Godr' suddenly burs
from the lips of one of the heroic work
Iers. and in that despairing cry the help
Hess woman read her death warrant
She gave one agonized wall and thel
her woman.s weakness gave way to
martyrs strength.
Il can die. Oh, yes. I can die if
must" she said soothingly to tn
strong men who We're weeping in thei