The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-09-23


over the switch. The distance between
this point and the freight was so tritiins
that there was no time either to shut OF
steam or reverse the engine; and, almost
before they could realize that they had
been switched off the collision had occurred.
Mr.. S. A. Seavey. one of the passengers.
says: 81 was sitting In q chair In the third
car back. with my wife. doing. when sud-
denly heard q blast of the whistle and
felt the grinding Of the air brake. An in
slant later / felt myself being hurled
through the air. and, as L De-
lieve. going clear through the roof
of the car. and fell outside the
right. of way. AS soon as L regained
my senses l found myself uninjured and
went at once to the wreck to search for
my wife. whom l soon extrIcsted. some-
what injured. from under q pile of seats.
There was abso iutely no warning OF the
crash other than what have noted. and
that q single person escaped alive is mar
velous. In two of the coaches found the
seats swept clear of the car bottoms. The
cars were bumped MP in the middle. ana
the ends and sides crushed in. / can as
sure you that L am devoutly thankful to
be alive"
Attempts to secure q connected story of
the wreck from others who were on board
the train were futile. no one seeming to
have clear idea of how it occurred.
young married couple tell of a startling es-
cape. They were In the first day coach.
and Immediately after feeling the crash
they slid down on the floor which was the
only thing that saved their lives. as the tel
escoped end of the forward car was pushed
back, taking the top of the seat which they
had occupied. If they had remained in
their seats their heads would have been
taken from their bodies.
A display of true heroism was shown by
conductor Coulter on the passenger train.
who was pinned under the wreck. When
relief arrived he told the would be rescuers
to let him alone; he was all right. snd
wanted them to help get out the Others
He lived but short time after ne was re-
moved.
DR.. G. w. Sparhawk, of West Roxbury.
Mass, and Miss II. G. Fair banks were the
hero and heroine of che hour. The latter Is
trained nurse. and her knowledge of surg
cry came in good play. She followed ont the
directions OF the doctor, and rendered IN
dispensable assistance to their travelling
companions.
HIS COMPANION KILLED.
VIM. Seidel. of San Francisco, had q mar
row escape from Horrible death. He was
sitting near the middle of the smoker. and
in the same seat was bis friend. Charles
Birbe. The two have been in the East
nearly three months and were on their way
bome Mr.. Birbe having been visiting
relatives in Utica n. Y. Charlie and L
were about half ssleep," said Mr.. Seidel,
when the crash came. could not imsg gine
what had happened. felt myself thrown
high in the air. then struck the ground
fully SIXTY feet from where our
coach was and found myself badly
bruised, but not seriously hurt i 81 once
began to look for Birbe, and soon saw him
taken from under the rains, crushed fright
fully. He had been instantly killed. /
think l was thrown through the roof. My
clothing was torn and my face scratc he'd.
Will take Birbe's body home to San Fran
cisco to- morrow. He was dealer In horses,
and lived in California.
The iii.fated train contained gay party
OF London lads. known as the Orphan
singers and Beilringers." They had been
educated In London orphan asylums. and
were making an American tour. Tonight
the company was to have given an enter
tainment In Chicago. but sweet-voiced lit
tie Harry French lies in the improvised
morgue. and Edward Rush, Albert Mollen
and Willie Eames are OF Peru. ell danger
ously injured. Ont of the party of nine
but two escaped injury. The boys had
been lightheaIted and happy in anticipa-
ton of their visit to the worlds fair. The
passengers had been amused all the way
from Detroit by the gay and noisy troupe.
KinRsbury was TO have had q ball TO.
night and the country society for miles
around the little place has been eSpeotant
for days awaiting the social event of the
season. Many young men and women
from the country had heard nothing of the
| disaster and arrived tonight in their even
| ing costumes ready for a night of mIrth
and enjoyment When they reached the
| hall where the entertainment was to be
| given they found black streamers and an
| announcement of D p0stponement upon the
doors and were soon listening. horror
| stricken, to the story of the wreck. Some
| OF them returned to their homes, but by
| far the greater number remained TO render
| what assistance they could.
William Allen, of Charlestown, Mass,
was q passenger who had a narrow escape.
| Il was in the forward sleeper" said he. IL
had just awakened. and was about to turn
over for another nap. There was a sudden
| stop, which lasted O fraction of q second.
then an awful jump forward aud crash.
Then felt something strike my head. and
| then my berth gave way under me- Three
| feet more aud guess / would have been In
the happy hunting grounds. The thing
| that hit my head was O splinter. / jerked
| on my clothes, ana then found that two
ladies In the berth ahead of me- had been
killed by the shock. l don't believe they
| knew what struck them, as they must have
| died instantly"
81 would not take the worlds fair to pass
through another such experience" said
Miss Maggie English. of Maiden. Mase..
who. with Miss Emma Scuiiy and George
| A. Mccormick of the same place, was an
occupant of the first sleeper. 81 heard the
crash ana felt the oar quivering beneath
me- 1t was for an instant only. and then
| every thing about me seemed TO give way.
| was thrown from one side of the berth to
the other and then all was quiet. 1t was
| but a second or TWO. but is seemed an age.
| Then heard the cries OF the passengers.
| Most OF the people in our car were thrown
out OF their bertha. The passengers who
| were unhurt were soon outside the brok en-
| cars and hurried to tho wreck. | saw one
man the side of whose face was almost torn
away. who was the bravest one in all the
| crowd. He would not stop TO have his wound
| dressed. He said it was not dangerous
/ and others needed attention, and with that
bloody. mangled face be was the foremost
| of the rescuing party and worked until the
| last one had been drawn out and then he
fell exhausted. The saddest thing was the
agony of Miss Burbank. of New Orleans.
! who was bending over her mothers broken
was broken, her body cut and bruised in
broken. Her daughter was uniDjured. and
covering from the effects of the shook, she
sought her mother and found her piuioned
under the heavy iron washstand and water
tank of the ladlest dresaipQ room The