The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-29
BEST REPORTS OF WABASH DIS
AsTER SAY EIGHTY WERE
KILLED
sUpT. BURNS QUESTIONS THIS
Contends That Dead Will Not Ex-
ceed Twenty-TicISet Collector
Has Not Yet Been Heard
From
ENGINEER STRONG IS BLAMED

DETROIT, Mich, Nov. 2S.-When night
;ell over the scene of yesterday even
ng's awful calamity on the Wabash rail-
road, near Seneca, Mich, those who had
been investigating the disaster had found
nothing to alter the estimate of about
eighty lives lost as a result of the coils
lon Supt. George M. Burns, of the di-
vision on which the wreck occurred, in
sists that the estimates are too high
"I do not consider" he said, that the
total death list will exceed twenty"
However, in support of the larger eStl-
mate, it is pointed out that there are
now fourteen passengers known to be
dead. The bodies of eight OF these have
been recovered, and it is considered that
the fragments of other bodies now in the
morgue at Adrian will account for many
more than the twelve dead necessary to
make up Supt. Burns estimate of twenty
In addition TO the comparatively few
fragments recovered and sent to the
morgue, those who We're early on the
scene say that many more pieces We're
discovered which crumbled to powder
While they We're being removed.
Supt. Burns Contention.
Supt Burns said to the Associated Press
tonight that he was not in possession of
the number of Italian immigrants aboard
Train No. 13, but thought there were not
more than fifty. Passengers on the train
and a number of those who We're early
on the scene, dispute this and say the
number was nearer eighty. Supt Burns
has received no report as yet from Ticket
Collector Eames, of Train No. 13, who
probably knows nearer than anyone else
the number of Italians in the cars
Coroner Hamilton, of Adrian, this aft
ernoon impaneled a jury and will begin
an inquest into the disaster tomorrow
morning. ALI the Jurors are prominent in
the business affairs of the city of Adrian.
No steps have been taken as yet toward
the arrest of Engineer Strong, who
Supt. Burns says is responsible for the
collision and holocaust.
Engineer Strons's story.
Engineer Strong stated in positive
terms to an Associated Press reporter
that his order directing him to pass traits
Nos. 13 and 8, the latter closely follow
ing No. 13 from Detroit, at Sand Creek.
Said Strong:
L saw the headlight of No. 13 four or
five miles before the collision occurred,
but supposed the train was sidetracked
at Sand Creek, waiting for us to pass.
The glare of the powerful electric heac-
light made it impossible to see the exact
location of the other train My fireman
ana DOtn jumped from Ine rlgnt mana
gangWay."
Strong and the fireman were both
hurled 30 feet but although scratched,
cut and terribly Jared, they were not Sc
riously injured.
The immigrants who were lucky enough
to get out alive were unable to speak
English, and could give no intelligent es,
innate of the number of people in each
immigrant car. The conductor of the
~ r Mki.s
count the list of casualties is incomplete
and the estimate of the number of dead
is only approximately correct.
s.d Scenes ut Detroit.
At the union station in this city dur
Ing the night were many sad spectacIes.
Relatives and friends of passengers who
train besieged the officials with en-
treaties and inquiries. One little girl
waited until 2;30 a. m. for her sister, Vida
Pegas, of Tupperville, Ont, and was then
Informed that the sister was among the
lead
''Dead! Dead! Deadv' she shrieked, fas-
tening her arms about the neck of the
operator who had announced the names,
while tears Welled up in the eyes Of the
spectators. The grief of the child ex-
aausted her so that she had to be carried
away.
John Mitchell, of the firm of Mitchell
Sons & Co., of Detroit was expected
home on No. 4. His son was at the depot
to meet him. At midnight dispatch
came numbering John Mitchell among
the dead. The son was in the waiting
room when the news was broken to him.
He swooned, but was assisted to his seat
and remained in that attitude, stunned
by the calamity. His father had been
absent in Dallas Tex, Tor some time
and had just telegraphed his intention to
return on the Inflated train.
The relief of those whose friends and
relatives who were gradually announced
to be still living was pronounced in con-
trast to the sadness of the mourners.
Survivors Are Incoherent.
Twenty-Five persons who Were injured
In the wreck arrived this morning. Lacie
Virgilcs and Trubuzzi Silvestro, although
frightfully injured, We're able to talk
briefly.
They were we'll acquainted with the
people in their party and say that 100
of the Italians are missing and unac-
counted for.
The trainload of manned and wounded
passengers brought here was pitiful
miniature of the horror There were not
enough apabulances to carry the wounded
to the hospital and many express Wag-
service.
Among the wounded at the hospital is
Twelve year-old Carmen P&er, who cries
inceasingly for his uncle. His uncle
however, is dead, having given his own
life to save the boy. The boys protector
whose name was Thomas Gerbargo had
made mis- body shield to protect his
nephew. When his lifeless form was
picked up, the boy was found under It.
nnIv slightly iniIreH
Some of the patients are delirious part
of the time and babble incoherently OF
lhe CHASTITY scenes of the collision.
Rescuers Stood Off by Fire.
When the first relief train arrived on
The scene last night from Adrian, six OF
the cars in Train No. Is were burning
so fercely that the relief party could
not get within several hundred feet OF
them They were the baggage car, the
emigrant cars, two coaches and a chair
car There was nothing to do but stand
back and wait until the fire burned itself
out
As soon as the heat had subsided suffi-
GENTLY, scores of men began delvine
into the mass. AS it was slowly turned
over, small pieces of those who had per
ished in the flames We're occasionally
found. The largest portion of any body
found was terribly burned trunk. The
heat had been so intense that the cars
and their human freight had been re-
duced to a blackened powder that was