The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-11

charred remains of two women, an-
Iarently clasped in each others arms,
were found. Their heads and lower
limbs were burned off In the dress
bosom of each was found a 1ady's gold
watch, upon one of which was in
scribed from Mother to Mamie
kilograms from all parts Of the
country inquiring for friends and
relatives are pouring in constantly.
Frank P. Nannix, a newspaper man
OF Victor, Colo, who was in the smoker
and escaped with painful burns and
bruises, says this afternoon:
HORRORS OF THE SCENE.
s'words cannot express the horror of
the scenes. The crash came unex-
pectedly Suddenly all was darkness.
The air was filed with cinders,
splinters and heated gases. Then the
flames darted upon either side. The
scene was simply indescril5able.
The names we're in q sense Cod
send. for with their aid the windows
were located, even though passengers
had 90 jump through burning flames"
The case of Engineer Ostrander, of
the freight engine is still in doubt.
Cha~red fragments OF limbs and bodies
of a number of persons have been
taken out of the ruins but II is not
likely that any more bodies will be
positively identified and it seems GER
tain that the number killed viii al
ways remain in doubt
The coroner found a shaving mug
with the name ~W- NICHOLSON" upon
81; also gold watch with the name of
Z. C. Potter engraved on the outside.
PASSENGERS CREMATED-
The first man to arrive at the wreck
was E. H. Strouse, who resides on his
ranch about 800 feet from the track.
Mr.. Strouse was awakened by the col
Iiston He hurried to the scene and as
sisted in reseuing the passengers in the
smoker and day coach. When he
reached the wreck, within d few min
utes after the collision, four of the cars
were all ablaZe and the heat was so
terrific that It was impossible for any
one to get near them. In a very few
minutes he thinks at least 10 or 20 were
cremated-
J. G. Young, one of the survivors,
SAYS he was in the smoker, at the rear
end, when the collision occurred the
front end Of the car and part of the
roof was thrown on him, pinning him
down in his seat. and he succeeded in
freeing himself and escaping through
a window with a few slight cuts on
his head. There were from g to %
more than eight got out alive, all the
remainder Being cremated. As to the
day coach immediately behind the
smoker. he thinks there were SO to 50
in if, and to his best knowledge only
two succe led in making their escape.
he says. Al who were in the chair car
got out safely before the fire reached
it, as did also those in the two Pull
mans.
Coroner DR.. Clark says that only ten
bodies have been taken from the burn
ing wreck These with keenan, and
Holland. Hines and Gordon. make II in
all but there is no doubt that these
are less than half Of those VINO per-
ished. The most conservative estimate
places the list Of dead at % to IS, The
remains of what is supposed to be ten
persons are confined in two caskets-
There is nothing by which to identify
them and it is expected they will be
buried here tomorrow or Sunday.
Fred Rockwell, stock agent of the
Burlington, who was on the Inflated
train, was seen by reporter. He said:
Il had just left the sleeper in COM
pany With a gentleman and passed
through the day coach into the next
car. We had barely seated ourselves
in the smoking compartment When we
were hurled violently from our seats
by the shock of the collision. We got
our sately- a moment later terrlfle
explosion of gas rent the air and after
il came q burst OF flames. After get
ting my bearing I was Mortified to dis
cover that the smoking car had ridden
over the day coach, cutting its way al
most to the seats and encasing the
car in q manner TO shut of all hope
Of escape. 1t was in this day coach
where the horrible harvest OF death
took place. I procured an ak and
with others managed to chop through
a window and get out two women and
three men who were badly hurt, and
another man who was struggling TO.
get his foot loose He was self
possessed ana told me he was not in
lured otherwise. He could not free
himself and was compelled to stand
heIpIessly by and see him consumed
by the flames. The five that we
rescued were the only ones who could
haVe. possibly escaped from the car 1t
was crowded with men, women and
children. 1 should say that fully so
adults were cremated %here aside from
the children"
Conductor William Hawthorne Of the
Inflated train does not place the loss
Of life at so many as generally sup
posed. On checking up his tickets as
nearly as he can tell, eight were killed
n the coaches.