Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-01-27
FATAL Sheets OF FLAME.
A Terrible Explosion Follows a
Railroad Collision.
Nine Persons Killed And Nearly a
Hundred Injured.

Nine persons killed outright, twelve fatal
ly injured, and nearly hundred more or
less seriously hurt, is the appalling result OF
a s,ries of accidents at Alton Junction, LII.
Ansopen switch on the Big Four main track
was the cause of the disaster. The South
western limited ran through the switch into
a freight train standing on the siding, and
Engineer Webb Ross, Of the limited, was in
stantly killed. The wreck took fire, AMI,
while great crowd was watching the spec
tacle an oil tank car exploded with terrific
force, enveloping the spectators in sheet tt
burning oil. Eight of them were instantly
killed, and scores were frightfully burned,
dozen Of whom, at least, will die.
THE COLLISION.
Alton Junction, or Wanu, is locate l two
miles east of Alton, and is a watering, trans
fer and feeding station for thu Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago and st. Louis and the
Chicago, Burlington and QuincT Railroads.
The latter road Ms the Big Four at this
roint. running into st. Louis over the anne
trace. The fist through train, known as the
Southwe tern limited, was )mlng out from
ST Louis at nine O'Clock, thirteen minutes
late. and making up lost time OF fo' ty-seven-
mile ner hour soe d, when it ran into a
switch and co lidel with long freight train
cous suing mostly Of loaded tank cars En-
gineer Webb r ss of Mat Don, saw the
danger too late, but he threw ON the ar
bake and remained with bis machine, be-
inz buried in tie wroc and Turned 10 crisp.
Fireman White jumped and escaped unln-
iured. Th passengers were fearilly shaker
Ilp. but none were seriously hurt
AFoUNTAIN OF BLAZING OIL.
An eyewitn SIS says tuat the shock of the
colIi ion was such as to split two loaded
tanks wide open, an 1 the oil Immediately
eau hit fl e. the fla nes sh sotiny fifty feet into
the air The locomotive and baggage cars
were totally wrecked, but the remainder OF
the passen Ser train was removed beyond the
reacn of the hlmSs
In an incredibly short time the freight
ira n WIS mss of flames Fear Of an ex-
plosion prevented any attempt to save it..
The wreck ng Il ain came up from East st.
Louis at eleven c.ock, but could do little,
an half a dozen swift engines were lun
out to clear the yards. The traffic on the
two roads was entirely suspe dei, and a
special train was ma lie up on the chicago
through to st. Louis. Hearing OF the wreck,
hundre. of people from the city and vicin-
ity were o traced by curiosity to the scene
THE TANKS EXPLODE.
And then occurred one of the most awful
d sasters on record A few minu es past
twelve o'clock there was a sli hit explosion
of one tank, which scattered tho debris on
all sides, setting fire to the stock yards en-
cosures. This produced the impression
that the dangers of explosion was passed,
and tn, throng of bystanders rushed IN to
save the stock yard from destruction A
minute later tnere was deafenlng report
that shook thu earth for half minute and
snrsad one sh let Of seething, burning oil in
ali directions. For those within a circle of
one hundred yards there was no escape.
Their clothing was burned and fell from
their bodies. In moment those who were
not d sabed began running hither and
tbitl err waving their hands and creamlng
for help.
Some went to tie nearest water, and
others ran into the field AMI are missing yet.
a manic reigned for short time until the
unipiured recovered their presence OF mind
70 care for the afflicted. Two barrels OK lin-
seed oil were taken from grocery store and
! applied to the wounds by seVerai pnyslcians
WHO happened to be on the ground. Every
house in the little village was turned into a
temporary hospital, ald every doctor IN Al
ton and its vicinity was summoned.
Ths total loss, 80 far as can be ascertained
includes the engine No 109 Of the limi ed,
and baggage car No. 502 seven tank cars
full of oil, eight box cars and half-a-dozen
fat cars, all of THESE being comp etely de-
stroyed. No accurate estimate of the loss
can be made at present, but 1t will reach at
least 100000.
Webb Ross, the brave engineer who lost
his life, leaves wife and Fix children at
Mattoon. No a tempt to fix the blame for
the fatal wreck has yet been made.