The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-22
( THE MORNING NEWS. J
FsrABLIsHED 1850. INCORPORATED 1888. ;
], II. ESTILL, President.
DEATH IN BLAZING OIL.
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE FOLLOWS a
TRAIN wRECR AT ALTON.

A Big Crowd Watching the Burning
Cars When an Oh Tank Exploded.
Scores ofSpectators Hemmed in by
a Circle of the Burning Fluid-The
Victims Wild With Pain.
ALTON, ILL.,. Jan. 2l.-The Southwestern
limited express. west-bound on the Cleve-
land, Columbus. Cincinnati and st. Louis
railroad, due here at 9 O'Clock this morning
ran into an open switch at Wann, four
miles east of here. The passenger engine
smashed number Of freight cars and oil
tanks and set the wreck atire. Engineer
Ross of the passenger engine was caught in
the wreck and burned to death. Nobody
else was seriously hurt. Both trains were
burned up. The loss is 800, ,0O0.
AN EXPLOSION.
While great crowd stood watching the
burning wreck, an oil tank car exploded
with terrific force. enveloping the specta-
tors in a sheet of burning ell. Eight of
them were instantly killed and scores were
frightfully burned, dozen Of whom at
least will die. Six bodies were burned to
a crisp and have not been iden-
titled. Two were identified as
Hiram Cornelius, a student OF Shurtlieffe
College from Iowa. and Edward Miller of
Alton Junction. twenty-five other people
are so badly burned that a majority will
probably die. and the total list embraces
over 100. A large proportion of the killed
and injured are boys and young men,
students in educational institutions.
LEAPED HIGH INTO THE AIR.
An eyewitness says that the shock OF
the collision was such as to split two loaded
tanks wide open and the oil Immediately
caught fire, the flames shooting so feet into
the air. The locomotive and baggage cars
we're totally wrecked, but the remainder OF
thee passenger train was removed
beyond the reach Of the flames. In an in-
credibiy short time the freight train was a
mass OF flames. Fear Of an explosion pre-
vented any attempt to save It, A wreckiDg
train came up from East st. Louis at II
O'clock, but could do little, and half a
dozen switch engines were run out from
here to clear the yards.
Traffic on the two roads was entirely sus-
pended, and special train was made up
ON the Chicago ard Alton to carry the be-
lated passengers through to ST. Louis.
CROWD AT THE SCENE.
Hearing of the wreck, hundreds Of peo-
pie from tn g city and vicinity were at
tracted by curiosity to the scene. And
buSD OCCuEI6A Juo VI OIio A1iCob NlSoo-
ter5 ou record. A few minutes past IL
O'clock there was slight explo-
zion of one tank which scattered
dehris on all sides, setting fire to the stock
yards inolosure. This produced the i'm
preston that the danger of an explosion
was passed, aud a throng of oystanders
rushed in to save the stock yards from de-
struction. A minute later there was q
deafeniag report that shook the earth for
half a minute and spread sheet of sseth-
ing, burning oil in ell directions.
CAUGHT IN a CIRCLE OF FIRE.
For those within a circle of 100 yards there
was no escape. Their clothing was burned
and literally fell from their bodies In a
moment those who were not disabled began
running hither and thisher waving their
hands and screaming for help. Some went
to the nearest water and others ran into
the fields and are missing yet. A panic
reigned for "A short time until the uniOlured
recovered their presence of mind and cared
for the afflicted. Two barrels of linseed oil
we're taken from a grocery store and ap-
piled to the wounds by several physicians
who happened to be on the ground.
SENT TO a HOSPITAL.
As soon as possible train was made up and
twenty of the sufferers were brought here
to st. Joseph's hospital. Webo Ross, the
brave engineer who lost his life, leaves q
wife and six children at Nation. No at
tempt to fix the blame for the fatal wreck
has yet been made aud nothing further will
be known until after the investigation OF
the coroner's jury tomorrow.