The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-23
DISTORTED FACES OF THE DEAD.
Eyeless Skulls and Calcined Bones
Side by Side in the Charnel House.
Cries OF the Dying Ringing Through
the Hospital Wards Eleven More
Corpses and Fourteen Persons on the

eHt. here, awaiting the undertaken were
the bodies of five of those who had died
during the night. The bandages had been
removed from the bodies and the fearful
ravages of the burning oil were plainly
apparent. Scarcely one of the five could
be recognized, even by relatives
The oil. wherever it had touched
the SKIN, burned deep into the
flesh, while such portions of the cuticle
as escaped entire destruction were
biistered, and IN many places blackened
by the intense heat. The lips were terri
bly, swollen and discolored and the ewes of
all five burned out entirely Every vestige
OF hair was burned off the face and head
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
that the distorted faces and forms before
them were all that remained of those so
dear to them.
The representative of the Associated
Press then visited the hospital. The
scenes IN the wards occupied by the in
Jured were even more heartrending than
yesterday. Lying on cots, wrapped in cot
ton bandages until they had almost lost
the semblance of human beings, and sur
rounded by weeping relatives and
sorrowing friends. they formed a
picture that brought tears to even
the eyes of the physicians. The
moaning Of the patients was piteous.
Every few minutes some tortured soul
writhing in agony would half rise from a
couch and then fall back suffering more
intense pain than before They would
Deg piteously to be relieved from pain.
Perhaps the most pitifuI sight of
all was that of 13-year-old Willie
Mccarthy. The boys flesh was cooked
from. head to foot, his eyes were
burned out. and the skin had peeled off
his face and head, taking with it large por-
tions of the flesh. The only response the
anxious mother received to the inquiry as
to how he felt, was: "Oh, my head. Doc
tor, can't [ die?" Some patients Law per-
fectly quiet, no signs or means escaping
from lips that will soon be beyond earthly
suffering.
When Mrs. William Mantz reported this
morning that her husband, who had
started for the scene of the accident, had
not yet returned, searching party was
organized and. after long time, the dead
over half mile from the place where the
explosion occurred. The supposition is
that he started to run in the direction of his
home as soon as the explosion took place
and was caught by shower of seethinc
fluid. He. however, must have run some
distance after he was burned, and prob
ably fell dead on reaching the spot where
his body was found. Reports about
others missing led to the finding of other
bodies. and parties are still out searching
for additional victims.
The coroner's inquest was held at the
hospital, having previously been in ses-
sion at Wann and Alton Junction. The
verdict in each case states that death was
caused by burning oil, which had accident
ally exploded and been thrown over them.
The funerals of number of the victims
will be held tomorrow morning and of the
others on Tuesday. Edward Miller was
buried this afternoon at Alton.
There is a rumor on the street this after
noon that eleven students from Shurtlef
college were missing since the accident.
All efforts to verify the rumor failed, how
ever, but the fact that bodies were found
this morning near the scene of the wreck
gives rise to the probability that there may
be yet more bodies which have not been
found.
Eleven additional deaths up to O'Clock
is the record of the catastrophe at Alton
junction since midnight. The additional
dead are as follows:
WILLIAM SHATTUCK. of Upper Alton.
HENRY PESING, of Wann.
DANIEL HARERs OF Alton Junction.
WILLIAM MANBE, OF FosterDurg. Ill
CHARLES UT.
WILLIE MCCARTHY,
W. ii. n MILLER,
JOHr LUCKE,
CHARLES PARRts.
EDWARD MASGLIN.
JOHN WILKINSON, OF Alton.
All these died at the hospital at Alton
except UT, L. IL. Miller and Manbe.
whose dead bodies were found near the
scene of the wreck this morning. OF the
injured. fourteen, the hospital physicians
say. cannot recover. They are:
Otto Hagwan, John Fred Joseph Herman
Henry Pilgrim. John Luttell, William B. Rich
arison and David Richardson, all OF Alton: A.
I Frazer. of ST. Louis; Frank Barth, OF Brant-
ford, Canada; Frank Schullin and John Burke
both of Alton Junction: Murray and Rotof,
both of Upper Alton.
Those who sustained serious injuries,
but who will probably recover, are:
MEs- A. L. hitien anu cHtAu, HeHty Virgins,
George staples, John McPike, Herman Nuske,
Ereu Caldwell, Louis Denesu. Henry staples, J.
Montgomery, Dan Harris, Frank Berton. Louis
Mcintosh William Mcintosh. John Henry, John
Mouahan. James Mullane. Charles Harris. W. G.
Harris, Hameline Valentine, Charles Hamilton.
b. Mcnhau,e, Pat O'Mera. L. b. JOB, John seis-
Ter. Ephrslfn Richardson, John Finley, John
McPike, Evan Caldwell, Pat Finlay aud Charles
Crow
Besides these are more than score who
sustained injuries OF more or less serious
nature whose names could not be learned.
OF The fatally injured all were more or less
seriously burned about the limbs and
body. but the worst injuries sustained
were fearfu!ly burned heads and faces A II
were also injured internally from inhaling
the flames. which sc0rched their throats
Their escape from instant death IS miracu-
ious. The others injured suffered burns
on various parts OF their heads, limbs and
bodies. The wreck and It's consequences
are the topic of conversation IN Alton to-
day.
The scene OF yesterdays catastrophe
was visited by hundreds today. Every
available vehicle in Alton was pressed
into service TO convey sightseers TO their
destination. Every tram running be-
tween the two places vas crowded, and
scores made the distance on foot. N0