The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-11
WORK OF TRAIN WRECKERs
Spikes Drawn and Rail LOosened
with the Aid Of Crowbar.
Oklahoma Enemies of the Rock Island
Road and Strikers, Who Thought
Militia Aboard, Suspected.

LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. lO.--It was nearly
dark this evening before the mass of debris
occupying the ravine where the Rock
Island express was wrecked and burned.
a few miles south of this city. last night.
had cooled sufficiently TO enable the largs
crowd gathered at the place. in the hope
of learning something of the fate OF friends
or relatives, TO inspect the charred mass
in detail, but any hope they may have ems
tertained Of securing from the great ash
pile information as to the identity OF those
who lost their lives in the holocaust was
soon blasted. The tons OF water thrown on
the twisted relics Of the train and the bed
of embers had been insufficient to prevent
every vestige of combustble matter being
destroyed. Occasionally a charred skull or
a partially burned human bone was raked
from the bed of the furnace. but nothing
more remained TO tell the tale Of those
who went down with the ill-fated train.
and time will be required to determine just
how many persons were lost in the wreck.
The list OF killed and injured. as fur
nished by the coroner tonight. swells the
fatalities to twenty-four. The dead are:
DIR. C. II. PINNEY, Council Bluffs
WILLIAM j. MATTHEW'S, commercial
HARRY MORSE, Kansas City.
IKE DETEW, engineer. Council Bluffs.
w. o. HAMBELL, lawyer, Fairbury,
c. ID. STANNARD conductor. St Joseph.
JOHN MUNGER, grain dealer. Omaha
e. H. zERNIKE, lawyer. Lincoln, Neb.
CHARLES UNRUHE, mother and son.
A. b. EIDE. merchant. Pawnee. Neb.
ii Fiv EEANES NSoWS WeSchFh FARMERs MERE two Me be-
ing from Jansen, Neb.
FIVE UNKNOWN MEN.
Those marked as unknown are those pas
sengers known to have been on the train
by the brakeman and unaccounted for.
The injured are:
COL. c. J. BILLS, Second Regiment Ne
braska National Guards, FairDury. deep -
fesh wounds in left leg;
HENRY c. FOoTE. brakeman. Council
JAY M6oWELi. Fairbury legs cut and
G. ii. CHERRY. mail clerk. Kearney.
F. F. SCOTT, express messenger. injured
MRS. FISH, wife of b. g. NJ. engineer.
internal injuries
o. S: BELL. travelling man. Lincoln.
J: E, .PUETZ. travelling man. Lincoln.
Neb., internal injuries.
A passenger named SoMREl- nurt ABOUT
MRS. FRITZ and sister-in-law. Lincoln.
The body of Dr. Pinney, OF Council
Bluffs. was found in the wreckage this art,
ernoon' and, although iearfuily Durnea eri.ad ana
by papers which escaped entire destruction
He was prominent Iowa physician.
DETAILS OF THE WRECK.
The accident occurred where the road
crosses on a high trestle the tracks OF the
Union Pacific and the Burlington a. Mis-
souri, River railroads. at 10 O'Clock last
night. All the indications point 10 train
wreckers as the cause. The train was
called the Fort Worth accommodation, and
was due to arrive here at $40. Last night
il was about ten minutes late and was
making up time when il struck the trestle
that crosses Salt creek. about four miles
from the city, and three from the peniten-
tiary. When il struck the trestle the rails
spread, and the engine. drawing the two
cars after IL, went humping over the cross
ties for about fifty feet. and then with q
crash fell forty feet TO the bed below.
The boiler burst and Goals from the fur
ignited the wooden supports of the
trestle and the coaches behind II, and in
few moments the trestle. dry as tinder.
was one mass OF flames. The Goals falling
upon the coaches lying in the bitches set
them afire. and five minutes afterward the
cars. with their human freight, were a
mass of flame. Willing hands were there
to help but little could be done. The en-
CINE had fallen first then the combina-
tion car and express coach fell partially
upon that, and the rear coach falling be-
hind il telescoped that car. thus pinioning
those unfortunates who were In the smoker
so that IL was impossible TO save them
THEORIES AS TO THE CAUSE.
There are two theories as TO the wreck
ing Of the train. II being conceded that
the train was derailed by the removal OF
the rails for a part OF the way across the
trestle There is plenty OF evidence TO
prove this as a fact fish plate and the
bar with which IL had been wreached loose
were found near the trestle after the wreck
occurred. One theory is that strikers from
South Omaha did the work. believing
that company OF state troops. which was
TO have boarded the train at Fairbury, was
aboard. The company missed connection.
however. This Is not generally credited.
as the belief that the people who have
been causing so much trouble in Oklahoma,
who are bitter against the Rock Island,
did the JOB. though why they should come
this distance TO wreck train that might
have been wrecked near home Is not known.
Three well-dressed men are known 10 have
left a north-bound freight near the bridge
late Thursday afternoon and take south
bound train late In the afternoon the last
train that passed the bridge safely being
the one which they boarded Detectives are
looking for them
Harry Foote. the injured brakeman. Is
the one who advances the theory that the
train was maliolous'y Nreckt& AceoydAaG