Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-06-01
DRIVEN TO DEATH
TaIly.Ho Coach Load Of Young
Pleasure Seekers.
GO ON An OUTING.

Five Arc Brought Home Dead and Fright.
fully Mangled ana Fifteen Wounded,
Several Of Them NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Gets i'm Front of Moving Train and
Tragedy Results-One of the Victims
Ground to Pieces-Horrible Details.
New York, June Five young peo-
pie were killed and a number of others
injured in an accident which occurred
yesterday afternoon at Valley stream,
Long Island. A tally-ho with a party
OF twenty-one excursionists from the
Greene Avenue Baptist church, Brook
Ign, which started out for a days out
ing through Long Island, was struck by
train on the Long Island railroad at the
Merrick boulevard crossing, and these
were instantly killed: George F. Fash
fey, Jr., William Gilchrist, Jr., Winslow
Lewis, Lester w. Roberts, and Miss
Dora Burtsch-au of Brooklyn.
List of the Fifteen Injured.
The injured were: Emma BRUCE,
skull fractured; Clara Stuart, skull
fractured; Mrs. Annie Andrews, both
legs broken: Lawrence Barnes, scalp
wound; Walter Wellbrock, both thighs
fractured; John Lewis, bruises; Edward
Mccormick, driver of the coach, badly
injured; Earl Barnes, slightly injured;
Miss Pashley, back broken; Tillie Horn,
severe shock; Edna Bulger, severe
shock; Richard Bates, scalp wound;
Bessie Gilsen, scalp wound; Miss De-
belts, leg broken and head injured; Miss
Ray Stillman. badly injured.
One Body Ground TO Pieces.
Some OF the dead were frightfully
mangled. The body of Lester w. Rob-
erts was ground to pieces. The body
of'A1iss Buttsch was also badly mangled.
Winslow Lewis had his neck broken,
both legs broken, his head badly gashed
and he was severely cut about the body.
The crash came almost without warn
ing, and the occupants of the coach had
no time to make any effort to escape
Before the most of them knew Of the i'm
pending danger the train was upon
them, the coach was upset and the en-
CINE pushing it along the rails, the
dead and injured being cut and mangled
beneath it.
Responsibility Is in Some Doubt.
The train that struck the tally-ho was
bound east from Mineola. It was not
running fast when the accident hap
pened, and accounts differ as to whether
the white was blown. 1t is also a mat
ter of dispute whether the bell was
being rung. 1t is claimed by some that
it was. and that the merry party on
the coach was making SO much noise
that the driver could not hear the bell
The double team of the tally-ho had
crossed the track and had the front
wheels of the coach upon the rails when
the pilot to the engine was seen by the
driver. He gave the horses a cut with
the whip. but it was too late, and a
moment later the crash came.
Screams of Agony Followed.
The heavy engine, driven forward by
the momentum, raised the coach and
its load of passengers from the ground
and hurled it forward. AS the engine
came into sight the women of the party
uttered screams which were ended by
the crash, and then followed screams of
agony. When the engine struck the
coach the occupants were in all posi-
tons, as they had started to jump to
their feet upon realizing their danger.
Some had gained their feet, while 9TH
ers had made an effort to reach the side
steps. Others, too frightened to move,
had clutched the seats or the side rail
and waited for the crash.