New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-11
AWFUL WORK OF WRECKERS
TWELVE LIVES LOST IN THE ROCK
ISLAND DISASTER
THE TRAIN THROWN FROM A HIGH TREsTLE
INTO a CREEK CATCHES FIRE AND BURNs
rP-THE VICTIMS ROASTED ALIVE

rP-THE VICTIMS ROASTED ALIVE
DETECTIVES MAKE AN ARREST.
Lincoln. Neb.. Aug ia fearful wreck. involv.
ing the loss of twelve lives. one engine and two
cars. occurred the Chicago. Rock Island and
Pacific Railroad where II crosses a high trestle
the tracks Of the Union Pacific and the Burlington
and Missouri River railroads. shortly after Il
o'clock last night. All indications point to train
wreckers the cause. Following is the list OF
dead:
HEYER. J. ~. co,h.r. Of rawnce CITY. Neb
HRNEY. Dr. e y. Of Council E.uffs. iowa.
CRAIG. William. fireman. II Fairtrry. Neb.
DEIEW Isaac. engineer. of Council Bluffs.
EBEE. a. r.. Insurance agent. Of Pawnec Ciy. Nsb.
HAMBLE W o.. farmer. Of Jansen or Farbury. Neb
MATTHEW'S. j. D.. travelling man. Of omaha.
MlNGER Joseph farmer. Fairbury.
NORRIS. r. H.. '"lllng man. Of Kansas city.
PETERS Henry. of Omaha.
sTANNARD. g. y. conductor of st Joseph. Mo.
ZEiNECKE. r. H.. absractor. OF Lincoln
The Injured are as follows: Harry Foote brake
man. leg broken; G. II. Cherry. postal clerk. terri
bly, cut about the face and head Fred. Scott ex-
press messenger. back injured and cut the
head; o. 5. Bell. Lincoln. travelling man. injured
internally.
Train No. s, drawn by engine No. 2l3. - ac-
commodaton. called the Fort Worth accommodate
ton. and is due to arrive here at $40 p. m. Last
night II about minutes late and was
making up time when Il struck the trestle that
crosses Salt Lake Creek about four miles tho
city and two miles from the peuitcntiary. When
II struck the trestle the rails Immediately spread.
and the engine. drawing the TWO after 1t
went humping along over the croSstes for about
fifty feet and then with "A crash IL fell forty fee.
TO the bed OF the creek below. The engine burst
and glowing Goals spreading ignlt.d the wooden
supports and the coaches behind 1t. and a f"w
moments later the bridge. dry tnder from
It's long exposure to the sun. mass Of
flames The Goals falling the hes living
In the bitches set them ahre. and five minutes
after the first warning the entire of cars.
with their load OF human freight below. was one
sheet Of flames.
1t was an awful sight. The flames iro''ntel high
I'm the heavens. coorng the entire southern sky u
brilliant carmne. while the moonbeana fell upon
the glowing mass below from which morta! shreks
OF agony and pain were heard to issue Willing
hands there To help. but little could b" Ion"
The cngln. had fallen first then the combination
car-smOker and express-fell partially upon taat
and the rear coach falling behind It tel"scoped
that car. thus pnoning those unfortunates who
were in the smoker SO that 1t was impossible to
save them for them 20 escape. Colonel &. J
I.ilis and Jay Mcdowell. Fairbury passengers. and
the brakeman. Harry Foote. the first 10
trlcatc themselves from the car They immr-
lltcly started to work. ani after half hours
efforts the fourteen occupants ~ the rear coach
were saved /, was heroic work The flames were
scorching IN their Intensity. but those thre" men
struggled hard to save ther f"llow-sun"rerS.
Rapidly thr work of rescue Wen; on until tn"
were rescued and laid upon the bank beside the
hrlgc 49,. ....,. ,, -.....,. ,...,.,.., tho
rescued to atsis, them but ,hey were too fright,
.ncl and excited to % anything but Ii" on the
urea @ and and unable unable to help -
colonel nns and Jay Mcdowell the two unin.
telegraph ofice The nearest point Of connection
wreck and holocaust reached the
city The IRE department was notified. but II Was
Impossible to get n steamer over the rough coun
try roads and no IRE apparatus available
The only thinc - do was to let IN" whol" pile
prostra,e under The burn'nr mass Ther faces
~ere 'urnel out a"d S.annari wh,Sr lcF' werc
FOR holt he b"Fssd f@r som one 10 tcll 9is wlis
on" como" What VIII my WIZ ana Hitl" ones d''
ON. God. vii som" hciP come Iiarry Fooie
him back Thre" times he "Ssayed win ms b,"N"'
foot ana leg 10 extend some assistance. bat 20 20
soi, ,b. ,4st.r saw hin End cr.ed out
Harry. Harry Help. for Chrst's sake" tn"
burning piic Ne caught Scott lust as the flames
hgan TO n-k ~ his ,cFs burning hi. tron,rrt ,i,
fallen upon him with crushing forc" his back
terribly injured Harry pulled him out. how
minutes later he would have perishcd in the
flames
a. soon as Scott could breath he nnrmnred:
Cherry Is IN ther". save him NthoWh the
lex ho returned to his work Crawling up 10 the
PROSTATE coach he caught the h1n1 OF Cherry. tn"
messenger who was pinlonel by the fallen timbrrs
and Ly almost superhumln strength sucre"d"i IN
cxtricatlng him lust as N" flames commenced To
lap around his face ana head.
Harry Foote. the injured brakeman. advances
the theory that the train was mdl.ciouslv wrecked
According To his story rail removed on the
bridge and tho nshplat"s and n crowbar were
found In the grass nearby IN" "Nll"uccS We're
unrui-fakahlc. Marks made by wrench on
looscncl rail plainly visible and tn" marks
of IN. crowbir IN" crosstes wer" ther" SO
plain that lantern was r""dei 70 cNomln" them.
The wood II tn. ties deeply Grntc1 where the
crowhar had been Inserted and the rails llfted
clear of the ties. ana the snk"s which had been
pulled out were lying around loose on tn" bridge.
Aonthcr story told ia that thre" men Wer" seen IN
the vicinity Of the bridge In tn" early evening.
ThDy tally with the description Of thre" men seen
during the day who said they came from End
Okla. and II f. suspected that theN w"r" tho men
vho had u grievance aaginSt the Rock Island
company In the Territory. The loss 10 IN" railroad
company is not less than 10000. The road has
issued a reward of Sl.e0 for the discovery ~ IN"
perpetrators.
The police at midnight arrested a man supposed
70 h. the Rock Island irainwrerker. lbetectiv" Ma
lone says that there Is no doubt tfat he Is u" man