Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-29
APPALLING FIGURES
1t il Pretty Definitely Aseertained
That Near a Hundred Lives We're
Sacrificed to Error.
So Many Bodies We're Completely
Ineinerate That Loss May
\ yer Be Known.


been investigating the awful calamity
which occurred on the Wabash rail-
way Wednesday evening, when the
Continental Limited crashed head-on
into an emigrant train. creating a
scene of indescribable havoc. have
found nothing to alter the estimate.
of about S5 lives lost as a result of
the collision. Superintendent George
NJ Burns of the division on which the
wreck occurred, insists that the esti-
mates are too hign. Il don't consid-
er" said he, that the total death list
will exceed 90" However. in sup
port of the larger estimates. ii is
pointed out that there are now IA pas
sengers known to be dead The bod
les of eight of these have been recoy-
cred. and it is considered that the
fragments of other bodies now in the
morgue at Adrian will account for
many more than the y dead necessary
to make up Superintendent Burns es-
innate of 20. In addition to the COM
paratively few fragments recovered
and sent to the morgue. those who
were early on the scene say that many
more pieces were discovered which
being removed.
Superintendent Burns said that he
was unable to tell the exact number of
Italian immigrants aboard Train No.
13, but thought there were not more
than so. Passengers on the train and
a number of those who were early on
the scene dispute this and say the
number was nearer so. Superintend-
ent Burns has received no report as
yet from Ticket Collector Eames of
Train No. IS, who probably knows
nearer than anyone else the number
of Italians IN the ears.
C1ronrsr tsssrallton Of Adrian frTpan-
eled a jury and began an inquest
into the disaster this morning All
the jurors are prominent in the busi-
ness affairs of Adrian. No steps have
been taken as vet toward the arrest
of Engineer Strong, whom Superin-
tendent Burns says is responsible for
the collision. Engineer Strong stated
in positive terms that his order di-
recsed him to pass trains Nos. IS and
8 (the latter closely followed No. Is
from Detroit) at Sand Creek. Said
Strong: Il saw the headlight of No
1S four or five miles before the col
Hsion occurred. but / supposed the
train was sidetracked at Sand Creek.
waiting for us to pass. The glare of
the powerful electric headlight made
1t impossible to see the exact location
of the other train. The fireman and l
both jumped from the right hand
gangway. Strong and the fireman
were both hurled 80 feet but although
scratched. cut and terribly Jared,
they were not seriously injured.
Immediately after the collision six
of the ears of the westbound train
crowded with immigrants. burst into
flames The unfortunates fought mad
ly in their attempt to crawl out of
doors and windows. thus hindering
each other so that the bulk of them
were unable to escape There was
absolutely no means at hand TO fight
the fire and the agonized shrieks OF
the unfortunates were appalling
1T was a veritable hell of fire.
said Victor c. Greenbaum of New
York city. who escaped with slight in,
juries. People who came hurrying
to the scene from farmhouses in that
locality stood about the wreckage
helplessly and held their hands TO
their ears to shut out the frightful
screams. and turned their eyes away
The immigrants who were lucky
enough 10 get out alive from the last
one or two immigrants cars were un-
able TO speak English. and could give
no idea of the number of people that
were in each car The conductor of
this train could not be found but rail
road doctors and others agreed that
the number of dead must approach
100.
The official list of the dead given to
the local papers shows the names of
but 10 dead and IS injured but De
troit newspaper men who were at the
scene of the wreck and talked with
survivors of both trains. say that the
official list does not bear out the state
ments OF the passengers nor evidence
of the horrible loss of life which they
witnessed at the spot where the acci-
dent occurred The Free Press today
saws that the loss of life was in round
numbers loo and that the statements
made by the Italian immigrants on
one of the wrecked trains bear cut
this claim. These immigrants say
there were about 125 of their nation
ality on the train and that only absat
% of them escaped. While there are
only 10 of them known to be dead, it
Il asserted that the other % were