The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-29
SEARCHING FOR THE DEAD


The Passenger Coach and Engine Of the
Wrecked Train Raised From the Hudson
River-Two Bodies Raised With Them.
Two More In the River
G~arrisons, N. Y, October 26.-Twenty
lives are now known to have been lost
in Sundays accident on the New York
Central railroad, and eighteen bodies
have been ound. The body Of an I'M
known man was recovered today, as
well as that Of the fireman. The day
coach OF the i'll fated train was raised
today and in 1t was found a victim n
included in the list of dead. The en-
CINE was also brought to the surface
n with it the body of Fireman John
Q. Tompkins tightly wedged between
W masses of iron in front.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the large der
rick brought up the day coach from
the bottom of the river, where it had
lain completely submerged since the
day Of the wreck. When the water had
drained out OF the car, those watching
the operation saw at one of the win
dOws a human hand, and just beyond,
the feet tickin out from under one
of the seat tops. The wreckers tore
aside the debris and soon had the body
j IA ANo iOI OOulcS were IOuHu III
that car. The body removed, the sew
enteenth one since the wreck and the
twentieth known victim, was that Of a
man, 50 years Of age, dark, with q dark,
short moustache. In one of the pock-
cts OF the vest was q wallet. containing
5000, and a casualty insurance COM
| pany ticket, such as is sold at railroad
stations. This tickle was made out for
the usual sum Of 81, 500 in case Of death,
but very curiously the NAME, Or rather
i the last name OF both payer n ben
eficiary was missing. The card reads,
SO far as could be deciphered, like
R." as the purchasers name Inc Mrs.
| E." as the person to whom it was to
be paid. The railroad officials are of
the opinion that the man boarded the
train at Rochester. The body vas
taken to the %coroncr's office at Cold
Springs.
Another interesting event of the day
was the raising of the express "a
from which it was alleged that a large
sum Of money had been lost by the
dropping to the river bottom of a
small safe. Genera Superintendent
Van V~alkenburg, Of the American Elk
press Company, was present when the
care came up. When the car came to
the surface it was seen that 1t was the
most badly damaged Of any that had
yet been taken out. One-half of the
car had been entirely demolished and
washed away. AS soon as possible the
car was searched by inventory and
then Mr.. Van Valkenburg gave out a
statement to the effect that no valua-
bles except a small package Of jewelry
had been lost. Both safes were recOv-
cred with their contents.
The engine was dragged out of the
river tonight just before dark. The
divers had located the tender early in
the afternoon. When shortly after !
o'clock it came to the surface of the
river, it was seen that the trucks
were missing and that the front of
the boiler and the guards were smash
ed into ar unrecOgniZable mass. As
the great machine came in sight one
of the men on the lighter saw cloth
dangling from the front and when the
lanterns could be brought to bear. il
was found that the rage covered a hui.
man body, that of Firemen Tompkins
The body was wedged in front Of the
boiler. where the engine number plate
is and had to be dragged out. It was
taken to a train at Once n sent tc
Cold Springs to the corOnor's office.
The fact of the finding of the fire
mans body tonight in the position in
which it lay has led to the belief that
the engineers body is somewhere ir
the locality, probably nder the en-
CINE. If the raising Of the trucks OF
the engine and of the tender in the
morning do not bring to light the
bodies Of Engineer Foyle and another
young Mckay, dredges will be put tt
work in the vicinity to see whether
they are buried in the mud.