The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-01-23
SHOCKING ACCIDENT.
"A Big Four" Passenger Train Crashes
Into Some TANK Cars.
CAUSED BY AN OPEN SWITCH
AnExplOsion Follows the Week. Many
Killed and Injured.

Killed and Injured.
A BRAVE ENGINEERS LAST ACT.
The Careless Switch Tender who Caused
The Frightfal Disaster Made His
Escape.
ST.. LOUIS, No., Jan. 21.-A wreck,
which in its consequences was one of
the most appalling and disasters that
has occurred in years, took place be-
tween Wann and Alton junction, ILL.,,
this morning. The Cleveland, Cincin-
natl, Columbus & st. Louis southwestern
limited passenger train, consisting of an
engine and four coaches, which left here
this morning for the east, ran into a
switch half mile north of Wann and
crashed into train consisting of seven
tank-cars standing thereon. The re-
suit was a fire, and aftsrward an explo-
sion, which has already cost six persons
their lives, fatally injured 10 others,
seriously hurt fully 30 more and caused
great property loss to the company.
The tender of these switches was p.
Gratten, also barber. Upon him is
laid the blame by the railway officials
and trainmen for the accident, and the
officers are now searching for him, as he
fed during the excitement following the
dual accident.
| The train reached Wann twelve min
utes late. At Alton junction, running
at the rate of forty dniles an hour, the
engineer being desirous of making up
lost time, the switch was so turned as
to send the flying train on to one of the
side tracks. On the track were seven
tank cars filed with refined lubricating
oil. The engineer called to the fireman,
Dick White, to jump for his life. He
then reversed the engine and applied
the air brake, but he was too late. The
engine crashed entirely through two
tanks, splitting them in half, and was
then forced entirely over another. The
| oil from the wrecked tanks at once
caught, and sea of flames instantly
surrounded the engineer, who jumped
Just as the pilot of the engine struck the
the first tank. The brave man strug-
gled to the embankment at one side oil
the track, but SO soon as he reached it
he sank to the earth, crisp and black
ened corpse. The fireman escaped with
slight bruises. The engineers action
in reversing the engine and applying
the brakes slackened the speed of the
train sufficiently TO prevent any serious
Injury to the passengers, of whom there
were sixty. In the baggage-car the
mails, eleven pieces of baggage and q
corpse were all burned ina few minutes.
The flames spread to the other coaches,
and all were soon in ruins. Three oil
tanks, together with the engine and
tender. were also consumed.
The passengers and villagers crowded
around the burning wreck, anxious to
lassist, if posi- BILE, any unfortunates who
might be in need of help At this time
a elimination of the horrible affair oc-
Cured. Two tank cars left uninjured
by the engine, simultaneously and with
fearful force exploded, throwing pieces
of iron out into the fields and shower
! ing upon the assembled crowd of sight
seers mass of flaming liquid. For o
second after the noise of the explosion,
there was no sound save the whish oil
| the seething oil as it was forced, through
the air. Then there arose q confusion oi
iagonizing appeals for help and cries OF
terror, to which no tongue nor pen car
do Justice. For several minutes the
panic was understandable. Those touched
i by the blazing oil CROPPED about wildly,
seeking in vain for relief from torture.
Almost without exception the injured
were burned about the face and had
their eyesight temporarily, if not per.
manently, destroyed. Those who were
uninjured were SO terror stricken as tc
be unable to assist their less fortunate
tcompanions for some time.
Scenes in the hospital roomsswhere
the wounded were removed were most
pathetic. Dirty oil-soaked rags were
cut away from the bodies and laid bare
the horrible work of the burning oil
Hands and faces were all scorched ano
bleeding; lips and noses swollen anc
distorted; eyes either burned out ol
Eeaten by the flames and incrusted with
blood and dust. The hands of many
were burned to a crust, fingers missing
and arms broken. Several victims
when uncovered, were found to be with
out any cuticle, the flames having
cooked and burned it until it either
clung to the clothing in removal or fel
away of its own accord. Several little
iboys were among the victims. and the1