Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-14

I damaged out none was completely nlleQ
and none Of the passengers in them
: killed.
With the exception Of the engine and
baggage car the second section OF the
train was not much DAMAGED. The
baggage car jumped the track and was
I dashed against some empty cars on
siding. IL was reduced 10 kindling
wood, but the two occupants OF the car
| craWled out OF the wreck having sus-
/ tsined only slight scratches
The locomotive was badly wrecked.
Steam escaped from the punctured
sides OF the boiler and added TO the suf-
ferlng of the victims pinned in the
wreck and 70 the horrors Of the scene.
Ten thousand inhabitants of Jackson
we're gathered at the scene OF the wreck
/ In a very few minutes and at once be-
gan the work ofremOving from the tel
escoped coaches the killed and wound
ed, whom they tenderly placed In rows
on the green sward near 0y.
| Many physicians were quickly In at
| tendance and attended the injured, who
we're removed TO the hospitals and ho-
tells as rapidly as possible, while the
dead were cRrted of TO the morgue.
When the collision occurred the
\ shriekS that rent the air were heard for
/ blocks. Many women in the thronR on
\ the depot platform who witnessed the
/ accident tainted and men were un-
/ nerved.
In FIVE minutes hundreds of men were
working with axes TO rescue the
\ wounded. The groans of the dying
/ h. oN- v,,fp nd n e
each new corpse was dragged from the
/ shattered coaches, a heartrending cry
went up from thousands. Lord have
mercV on my poor soul, cried one lit
| tie fellow whose life was ebbing out.
/ Good Jesus care for Tommy" ejacu-
/ lated a woman, who was dying with
child at her breast.
A woman, whose name Is not known,
I lay on the side OF the track suffering
untold mental and physical agony. She
was the mother OF child Of two years
and implored the bystanders TO save
| her child. "Only let me see my babs
before I die" she exclaimed. You
who know a mothers love, get my
child, beseech you"
Her child was dead.
The work of removing the dead and
wounded was pushed with all possible
haste and was finished by noon. Wreck
ers began clearing the track promptly
and at o'clock the road was clear.
Trains were not much delayed, being
able TO pass the wreck on side tracks.
The uninjured coaches OF the first train
and the second train with all the pass
engers who were unhurt and wished TO
continue the journey, and some whose
injuries we're slight, were sent on TO
Chicago after a short delay.
Mayor c. II. Bennett and Sheriff Peek
took charge OF the work OF the towns
people at the wreck, and credit is due
90 them aud to the citizens generally as
we'll for their efficient services as for
the attentions bestowed upon the suf-
ierers.
Prosecutor Elmer Kirkly made a per-
sOnal examination OF the wreck, and
satisfied himself that all the bodies had
been removed before he allowed the
railroad to have the cars dragged away.
Though thousands of splinters from
the teescoped cars were scattered for
rods about. but few remained on the
ground. They have been carried
away as relics of the catastrophe.
Cushions bespattered with the blood
OF the killed have been torn
20 shreds and carried away by women
and men. Splinters hanging to the
coaches have also been borne away.
The accident had scarcely happened
before the news was flashed over the
wires to the cOmpany's general office at
Detroit. President h. B. Ledyard at
once ordered out his special car and was
soon On his way.
With him were Henry Russell, gen
eral attorney Of the Michigan Central,
George l.. Nadolleck, assistant sttor
ney; A. M. Dale; DR.. A. B. Tibballs, as
sstant surgeon, and J. II. DeSsiers,
special agent. The car was run as
special train nearly all the way
and was picked up by the
passenger train which arrived
here 40 1880 this morning. The car
was Sidetracked and the officials Joined
the people who surrounded the wreck.
DR.. TibOals was active in assisting the
local physicians in caring for the
wounded. President Ledyard did not
remain in Jackson long. After learning
the extent Of the wreck this afternoon
he left for Detroit.
The officers Of the road are here look
ing after the interests OF the company.
The blame, II any attaches TO the &C
tive agents Of the railroad company,
belongs 10 Engineer Whalen, who was
hauling the rear train. None Of the
officials will say that he can be fairly
held responsible for the accident. 1t IS
one OF those occurrences which offers
a field for scientific speculation.
The air brakes would not work, aud no
body feels competent 20 explain why
they would not. The two trains were
delivered to the Michigan Central rail-
road at Buffalo. One came from the
New York Central and the other from
the Delaware and Lackawanna road.
They were both excursions. The pas
sengers were picked up at local points
i'm New York and Pennsylvania. Both
trains were running as specials over the
Michigan Central. The second train
was in charge OF Conductor Webb, and
according to o. A. Jordan, the Division
Superintendent at Jackson, IL wss held
az Grass Lake, station ten miles east
OF jackson, until the first train was re-
ported as having arrived at Jackson.
The same authority states that the
record shows that the second section
left Grass Lake forty minutes behind
the first section, and that the latter had
been standing in front Of the Jackson
station protected by the semSfore, or
block signal, when il was struck.
Master Mechanic Smart, who is locat-
ed at Jackson, jumped on one and one
half miles east aud reports that
Whalen's train was running about %
miles an hour when 1t passed his office.
This was not considered an excessive
rate Of speed at this point. From there
in the unwrittep rules of the com papV