The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-27
DRAGGED FROM THE RIVER
Work of Hosting the N 2. Central
Wreck Witnessed by Depew.

Garrisons, N. Y, Oct. 27-Twenty
lives are now known to have been lost
in Sundays accident on the New York
Central, and Is bodies have been found
The body of an unknown man was re-
covered yesterday as we'll as that of
the fireman. The day coach of the ill
fated train was raised and in it was
found a victim not included in the list
of dead. The engine was also brought
up and with it the body of the fire
man. John c. ThOmpkins.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the large der
rick brought up the day coach from the
bottom of the river. When the water
had drained out of the car. those watch
ing the operations saw at one of the
windows a human hand, Just beyond
the feet sticking out from under one
of the seat tops. The Wreckers tore
aside the debris and soon had the body
out. No more bodies We're found.
The body recovered the 18th since
the wreck, and the goth known victim
was that of man 35 years of age with
a dark, short mOustache. In one of
the pockets of the vest was a wallet
containing six ten dollar bills and a cas-
uaIty ticket. 1t was made out for the
sum of s., 500 in the case of death, but
very curiOusly the name, or rather the
last names of both payer and benefic-
larry were missing. The card read, so
far as could be deciphered: Ike r. -
as the purchasers name and Mrs. T.
F. Stern" as the payee. This man
boarded the train at Rochester. The
contents of the car showed that the
people occupying the car had made a
rush for their lives. There were wom-
ems shoes, women's and mems coats
and packa ges of all kinds.
When the express car came to the
top it was seen that it was the worst
dana ged of any that had been taken
up. AS soon as possible the car was
searched by inventory, and then Mr.
Van Valkenburg gave out this state
ment:
None of the valua bles in the car was
lost. The big dynamite proof safe was
intact and fastened to the wall in its
proper place. The small safe, which it
was thought dropped out of the broken
car. was found in a corner, and the on
Iy thing of value found to be missing
is small package of jewelry.
The engine was dragged out Of the
river just before dark. and President
Chauncey NJ. Depew and the railroad
commissioners with Secretary Edward
McEnlOe, saw the operation. The div
erS had located the tender early in the
afternoon and brought it up without
its trucks. When shortly after 3 o'clock
the engine came up, it was seen that
the trucks were missing and that the
front of the boiler and the guards were
smashed into an unrecOgnizable mass.
The man on the lighter saw clothes
dangling from the front, and when the
lanterns could be brought to bear it
was found that the rags covered a hui
man body. The body was wedged in
number plate is, and had to be dragged
out. There is much speculation as to
how ThOmpl1ins came to be on the front
of the engine. The finding of the fire
mans body in this position has led to
the belief that the engineers body is
somewhere in the locality. The front
trucks of the engine, which are still in
the river, precludes the possibility of
determining whether the accident was
caused by broken trucks or not.
Cleveland, O., Oct 2I--The name of
the man whose body was taken from
the New York Central wreck yesterday
was Isaac Gutenberg He lived in
this city.