The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-11
TWESTY-FOUR DEAD.
Horrors Of the Rock Island
Wreck in Nebraska
coapsEs ALL TORN AMP BURNED
a Ran Mad Bsen Lffted, Perhaps ~
Strikers. Hors. Probably ~ Ann-
Easirssz Men Frsn okfsasms-

Of deOris occupying the rasfne NhSfV -.
Rock Island express was wrecked hhu
burned few miles south Of this city isss
night had cooled sufficiently 10 enable me
large crowd gathered atothe plaes IN the
hope Of learning something Of the fate Of
friends or relatives 70 inspect ths eharrsa
mass in detail, bot any hope that may
have been entertained Of securing frosn
thu great ssh pile information - 70
the identity Of whose lives were
loaf was soon blasted The tons OF
water thrown on the twisted relies OF the
trsin ana the bed Of en- bsrs had been IN
sufficient TO prevent every vessige oil com
bustgbls matter being destroyed ocea-
slouaiiy a charred skull or partially
burned human bone Was raked frOmShs
bed Of the furnace. bat nothing more re-
rnaspsd to tell sho sals Of those who went
down with tho Inflated train. and time
viii be required 20 tell Just how many per-
sons we're lost In the wreck.
The list of killed and injured. ss fur
nished by the coroner tonight. swells inc
fatalities 10 twenty -four and IL IS follows:
KIlisd-Dr. c. III. Pinney. Council
Bluffs: J. ID. Matthews. commercaai man.
Omaha; Harry Morse, Kansas City; he
Depew, engineer. Council Bluissg w. y.
Handle. lawyer, Fsirbury; Z. d. stan
nard. conductor, st.. joe, No.: Andrew
Hansen. farmer. Mcpherson county, Seb. !;
JOAN Munger. grain dealer. Omaha: II.
II. Peters. merchant, Council Bluffs; T. H.
Zsrpeke, lawyer. Lsncoln; two unknown
farmers: Eve unknown rnen: Charles IN
ruh. mother and son. Jansen. Neb-; A. 3.
Edle. merchant, Pawnse, Neb.; NJ. Beaver.
Pasnes; two unknown farmers, from Jer-
zen. Those marked 80 unknown were
passengers known 70 be on the train and
unaccounfed for.
Iniured-Col. J. c. Bills. Second regi-
ment Nebraska National Guard, Fairbury;
Deppe, hesh wound, left leg; Henry e.
Foote, brakeman. Council Bluffs. leg bro
ken: jay Mcdowell. Fairbury, legs cut;
C, II. Cherry. mail clerk. Kearney, Neb.,
badly bruised and cut: +. +. Scott, ex-
press messenger. injured internally; Mrs
Fish. badly bruised: o. 8. Bett. travelling
man, Lincoln, internal injuries; j. Il.
Puets. travelling man. Lincoln, internal
injuries, q passenger named somereli.
hurt about the head; Mrs. Fritz and sister
in-iaw, Lancoln. bruised.
The body Of DR.. Pinney was found In
The wreckags. this afternoon and. al
mass OF flesh, IL was recognized by papers
which escaped entire destruction. lie was
prominent physician. Late tonight the
remains of Andrew Hanson. farmer OF
Mcpherson county. Neb., were Identified
by watch found lying In the midst of the
human bones. AL or pat Of those mem
toned by name in the hss of killed have
been recovered. From the confused
tangle OF conflicting stories told by ex-
cited eye-witnessss. IL has been definitely
ascertained that only one man met
death In the flames. The low moaning
which has been heard I'm the ruins
of the smoker had ceased before
the flames reached Ii. and the
presumption IL that all its unfortunate
occupants we're dead. One victim, whose
name Will never be known. lay under the
tender, the upper end OF which lay across
his thighs, crushing themp into the hard
gravel. As. Col. Bills approached him be
begged piteously 10 be released and saved
from the flames. Col. Bills 10 = man of
nerve and decision, but he was confronted
by a terrible alternative. ITO move the
tender was an utter impossibiiity, and the
long tongues Of hungry flames were reach
ing out greedlly for their victims. For
an instant he thought that only one OF the
mans legs Was pinned and thought about
ampntating H. Then he saw that both
we're fast, and while he hesitated and
paused for . moment gust of wind drove
the flames and smoke con him. blistering
his face sid scorehing his clothes. Before
he could recover himself the tongues of
fiery flames bad wrapped themselves about
the victim and stillsd his screams.
Col. J. c. Bills. treasurer Of the National
Guard ASSOCIATION OF 8the United States,
was one Of the fortunate passengers. and
his story Is IS follows:
"Jay Mcdowell and myself 5were seated
On the middle of the car, and as We dis
covered that the train was likely to 80
over the treatle Mcdowell started down
the aisle. | called 10 him TO sit down.
and thsznext instant the crash came. The
engine went over FIRST and the smoker
GA top OF IL and the rear car.
ia which Ne wers09 seated. TANNED
down on the other. THE car vas
crowded with passengers aud We
were forced along the backs of seats In
front of 6us, ana alt hut Mcdowell and
myself were harrfbly mangied. As soon
as possible we climbed through windoS,
and In nfteen minutes succeeded in exerl-
eating nine persons who Hers iammed in
the debris. Hearing the shrieks and cries
for help on all sides. I 0left Mcdowell and
ran three mites across the 1coantFy to the
pet stantiAFy without making a stop. I
has Warden Beefne- telephone the poIiss.
department.. snd they responded promptly
and noely with pstrei carriages and ply
slcians-" o0o0
Col Bills says that two men in The front
OF the chair car we're KILLED. eefng burned
horribly. lie thinks 81 would he lmpos.
siele Ter single man 20 have escaped frors
the smoking cars IL fell head foremost on
the engine, and the chair car, which FOL.
lowed. nattened it. 70
As the Rock Island has offered reward
Of 1900 for the apprehension Of the wreck.
ers. the oqnnty7sad state will be asked "a
adj 60 the reward dhere are two sheorie,
as to the wrecking OF shs train, IL belne
conceded that the train was Deliberately
deraalsd ~ the removal OF the rssis for 4
part Of abe say across the trestle. Their,
is plenty Of evidence 80 prove this A, a
fact. A ashplate and the bar with which
it had been wrenehed loose were found
near the tFessls after sAe wreck o..
engred. one theory Is that strik.
ers from South Omaha e{d ths
work, believing that the tgoop.
who we're to have boAsdea the train a,
FAirbnry were aboard The oora1..nv
missed the connection. however. MS i,
not ~ generally credited as the o;Aer
that the element shai has caused so rsuch
trouble in Oklahoma, and Who are pArsica,
larry bitter against thu Reck Island. aid
the lob. though Why they should have
come such q distance 10 wreek q train thai
might have been wrecked nearer home !.
not explained. Tnres well-dressed meu
are known 10 have lets a aorth-honud
freight train near the bssase late THURSDAY