The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-23
The Death Roll Of the Alton June
tion Horror Is Growing
Steadily
Some Awful Scenes Witnessed In
the Hospital and in the
Morgue.
The Body OF One Man Found Hair . Mile
From the scsne-Ths Inquest
- and the Verdict.

L
deaths MP to six o'clock is the record Of the
horror At Alton junction since midnight.
The additional dead are as follows: VIM.
shattuck, Upper Alton; Henry PenninR
Wann; Dsnisl Harofs. Alton Junction; VIM
Manbs, FostsrburR. Ill; Charlie. UT, Willie
Mccarthy, w. H. N. Miller. John Lucke.
Charlss Paris. Edward MauRh!in and
John Wiikinson, all Of Alton. All Of those
died at the hospital at Alton except UT,
Miller and Manbe. whose dead bodies we're
found near the scene of tho wreck this
morning. OF the injured. thirteen, the
hospital physicians say, cannot recover.
tney are: Otto HoRwap, John Fred, Joseph
Herman. Henry Pilgrim, John Luttell.
VIM. B. Richardson. David Richardson, all
Of Alton; A. T. Frazsr. st. Louis; Frank
Barsh. BIantford, Canada; Fraak Schullin,
Joha Burke. both Of Alton junction; Mur-
ray and Totof, both Of Upper Alton. Those
VINO sustained serious injury but who will
probably recover are: Mrs. A. L. Willsn
and child, Henry Virgins. George
stnples. John MoPike. Herman
Nuske, Ersn McCaldwell. Louis
Deneau. Henry Staples Montgomery;
Dan Harris. Frank Burton. Louis NJ McIntosh,
william Mcintosh. John Henry, John Mon-
shan. James Mullane. Charles Harris. w.
9. Harris. Hameline Valentine, Chas. Ham
llton. Il. Menhaus, Pat O'Meara, q. B. Job,
John Seister, Ephraim Richardson, John
Finley, John AcPike. Evan Caldwell, Pat
Finlay and Chas. Crow. Besides these
there ere moro than q score who sustained
injuries Of a moro or less serious nature
whose names could not be learned. OF the
fatally injured all were more or less ssri-
ously burned about the limbs and body.
but the worst injuries sustained were fear
fully burned heads and faces. They were
also injured internally from inhalinR the
busninR flames. which seorchsd and parched
thoir throats to an extent that their escape
from instant death was almost miraculous.
The other injured suffer from burns on
varions parts OF the head. limbs and body.
The wreck and its consequences were the
topic Of conversation in Alton to-day.
Representatives OF the Associated press ar
rived in the CITY early this morning and
visited the hospitals. The scenes in the
wards occupied by the injured were even
more heartrendinR than Yesterday. Lying
on cots. wrapped in cotton bandages until
they almost lost the semblance Of human
beings, and surrounded by weeping rela-
tives and sorrowinR friends, they formed a
picture that brought tea,s to the eyes of
even the physicians. The meanings of the
patients were piteous. Every few minutes
some tortured soul writhing in agony would
half rise from couch and then fail back.
suffering more intense pain than before.
They would beg piteously to be relieved
from pain. Perhaps the most pitiful sight
Of oil was that of 13-year-old Willie Nc
Carthy. The boys flesh was cooked from
head to foot. and his eyes burned out. The
off FaO
with it large portions OF flesh. The only
response the anxious mother received to the
inquiry as to how he felt was "Oh my head.
doctor. can't dis?" Some patients lay
perfectly quiet, no signs or moans escaping
from lips that would soon be beyond
earthly suffering.
Not until visit was made to the morpue
did the horrible reality Of the accident be-
como more apparent. Here. awaiting the
undertaken, we're the bodies of five of those
who died during the night. The bandages
had been removed from the bodies and the
fearful damages Of the burning oil were
plainly seen. Scarcely one in the i've could
be recognized. even by relatives. The oil,
wherever il touched the skin, burned deer
into the flesh. while such portions of the
cntiole as escaped entire destruction were
blistered and in many places blackened by
the intense heat. Tho lips were terribly !
swollen and discelorcd and the eyes OF ali
1--WE burned cut entirely. Every vestiRe of
hair was burned off the faces and heads. |
and in many places the skull and cheek
bones were exposed. Wives and mothers,
sisters and daughters, on being shown the |
bodies of their beloved dead. shrank back
in horror and could scarcely be convinced |
the distorted faces before them were all |
that remained of those SO dear to them.
The coroner's inquest was held at the
hospital. having previously been in session
at Wann and Alton junction. The YER
dict in each case, states that death was
caused by burning oil. accidently exploded
number of the victims will take place to-
morrow morning. and others Tuesday.
Edward miller WAS buried this afternoon.
There was rumor on the street this
afternoon that eleven students from Shurt.
left college had been missing since the acc-
dent. All efforts to verify the rumor failed
however. but the fact that some bodies we're
found this morning near the scene of the
wreck. gives rise to n probability that there
may be yet moro bodies which have not
been found. When Mrs. William Mantz re-
ported this morning that her husband, who
not yet returned. n searching party was or
Ranized. and after long time the dead
body Of Mantz was found near Wood River,
over half = mile from the place whore ths
explosion occurred. Tho supposition ia that
he started TO run in the direction Of his
Aone - soou ns tuo eAplosion took place
and was caught by shower Of the seething
duid. He however, must have run some
distance after he was burned, and probably
Iell dead on reaching the spot whore his
body WAS found. Reports about others
being missing. led to the finding of other
bodies, aud whom the Associated press re-
porter left the CITY. parties wore still out
searching for additional victims.
Tho soene of the horror was visited by
nrndrsds to-day. Every available vehicle
n Alton was pressed into service to oon-
roy siQhtseers to their destination. Every
rain running between the two places was
provided and scores made the distance OF