The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-29
Only One Of Twenty Injured in a
Critical Condition.
FRIGHTFUL RESULTS OF THE
WRECK ON THE WABASH ROAD.
-FOUR MAIL CLERKS MET DEATH
INSTANTLY AND OTHERS DIED
A FEW MOMENTS AFTER BEING
RESCUED - THE CONDUCTOR
MAY RECOVER.

Kansas City, Mo, June 2S.-Seven
collins were forwarded to st. Louis to day
from Missouri City. They contained re-
mains ofthe victims oflast nights wreck
on the Wabash road.
A correct list of the dead is as follows:
| w. :. Mills, postal clerk, ST. Louis.
O. NJ. Smith, postal clerk, St. Louis.
GUSTAV A. Smith, postal clerk, St.
| Louis. :
+. w. Brink, postal clerk, St. Louis.
Edward Grinrod, baggageman, St.
Charles p. Greas,ey, brakeman. St.
Louis
The conductor Of the train, G. C. Cone
ianu, DIST Louis, who was reported last
night among the dead, is still alive. He
wss removed this morning to the railroad
hospltal at Moherly. With fractured
skull and several broken ribs he fingers
between life and death, but the surgeons
express hope that he will recover Con.
ductor Copeland was supposed to be dead
when taken from the wreck and his body,
with handkerchief down over the face,
was ranged in IA row with the seven dead.
a few minuCes later some one observed
sign OF life, and he was quickly trans
ferred to II stretcher and given every pos
sible attention.
Or the nineteen other Injured not one
is ina critical condition. Among them
all there is not one broken limb though
many of them were thrown three quar-
tiers of the length of the coaches in which
they were riding
Mrs. w II. Wilkinson, of kansas CITY,
Is the most seriously hurt. Two small
bones Of her left hand are broken, and
she suffered II severe liberation of the
thigh, as we'll as bruises about the face
and neck The wounds of most of the
others are trivial
! All indications are that death came to
at least four of the five unfortunate mail
clerksalmost Instantly. Their EAR pitched
end first through the break in tho trestle
and they must have been drowned in the
raging stream while in an unconscious
condition The remains of the four were
carried from thu wreck and were recoy-
ereh some distance down the stream.
There were signs of life in the BODY of
the fifth mail clerk, when rescuers
dragged him from the wreck, but he died
few minutes later on the bank of the
creek.
Last night it was feared there were
more bodies in the stream, but careful
search to-day proved that the fatalities
were limited to those already named.
To dav but II small stream was flowing
beneath the trestle where the wreck oc-
CURED. In ordinary weather it is n dry
creek he'd. The storm of last night,
winch was almost cloudburst, had
swollen the little stream to torrential
proportions. The-fiood carried away n
wagon bridge Il short distance above the
Wabash trestle. The wreck of this bridge
was hurled down upon the railroad tres
tie, and carried away row of wooden
| supports in the center
~ neighboring farmer noticed the per-
ilous condition Of the trestle and resolved
to flag the passenger train, which he
knew to be about due. For nearly an
hour he stood in the terrific downDour of
rain only to fail at last in his good inten.
lions, for when the Wabash Company's
New York fast mail came laundering on
the storm was almost binding, and the
engineer evidently could not see the sig.
nal which the farmer so frantically waved
across the track.
The locomotive struck the trestle: a
moment later the disaster was presented
in all its horrors. The engine passed over,
but the tender went through with the
tumbling bridge. The baggage car ton.
plea over on its side, while the mail car
which followed, pitched into the stream,
end first. Every life in this car was lost.
The smoker, next behind, followed. II
was in this car that Conductor Copeland
was riding. The other occupants escaped
serious injury. The chair car next lie.
hind.. also plunged in upon the rass OF
wreckage end first. and all its passengers
were thrown TO the forward end in an in.
descEibable heap. How they escaped
with no more serious injury is a mystery
which all the passengers in this coach are
| puzzled over. The front end of the
sleeper,next In the rear, jammed into the
protrudng end of the chair car, and was
thus prevented II ON following the others
into the chasm The two Excelsior spring
coaches, i'll the rear, remained on the
track.