The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-11


five minutes late, had not passed
Th- front brakeman or the feight,
who was about four cars from the en-
Inc, says Conductor McAnna assumed
the throttle himself on leaving Mar
shall, and was running the engine
Wien the collision occurred. The trains
met two miles west of Norton on a
curve, surrounding a high embank-
ment
The trains collided head-on. The en-
zines were pushed to either side of the
track, the baggage and chair cars were
piled on top Of the engines. the dining
car was tipped over and the forward
cars Of the train telescOped-
Immediately after the collision some
of the cars caught fire and the wreck
was a blazing mass. The steam and
scalding water escaped from the en-
gines, burning many of the passengers
frightfUuy, and envelOping the awful
scene in a cloud that made the rescue
work difficult.
The engines were so completely de-
molished that the fire under the boilers
was scattered in every direction, and,
falling on the woodwork of the over
turned cars. set fire TO them quickly
Freight cars were piled on top Of the
engines and several of them were
burned. The mad believing OF the cat
tie was mingled with the shrieks of
men and women.
Many of the passengers were i'm
prisOned in the cars, while ScaldinS
steam poured in upon them. They
prayed aloud and pleaded with the res
cuers to lend a helping hand. They
were taken out as rapidly as possible,
but there were not enough helpers to
prevent the awful burnings which
many were subjected to.
Injured Suffer From Heat.
The wreck occurred about two miles
west Of Norton. Near the tracks there
stands a small clump of trees. Under
the shade OF these trees the dead bodies
and the injured passengers were placed,
but the shade gave little relief The
/ heat from the burning train was added
to by tn terrible heat of the atmO5-
phere, which was blown across parched
meadows and fields of curling corn into
the faces OF those who were in pain
and gasped for fresh air.
For a space OF several square rods
the ground was covered with pellets
made of quilts. coats ana garments Of
+ every description. As many of the bed
clothes as could be secured from the
sleeping cars were used for this pur-
/ pose
/ After spending hours under the trees.
/ in the almost unbearable heat, 1t was
! necessary for the injured to undergo
/ trip to Kansas City. and to endure rides
IN ambulances over rough pavements.
The relief train arrived here few
minutes before 8 o'clock tonight, and
Iwhen it came there followed one of the
most indescTibably pitiful sights ever
I witnessed by the surgeons and under
J takers who assumed charge There
I were black boxes and wicker cases for
the bodies of the dead. All OF the am
] balances in the city were there with
! padded stretchers for the dying and
/ the helplessly hurt For an hour the
work of removing the victims from the
train to the ambulances went on I'M
/ interrupted.
L. w. Hooker. one Of the dead, was
/ on his way TO the San Francisco ED
I worth League convention, as were some
of the others. but most Of the Leaguers
1 were in the second and third sections of
I the train following.
On the arrival at Kansas City of the
/ train bearing the wounded, the suffer-
! ers were taken to St. Joseph's and Uni
Z versity hospitals, where everything pos
sible was done for them. On the jour
/ ney from Slater four of the injured
/ died and their bodies were taken to an
/ undertaking establishment here. The
/ train also brought the bodies of Mrs.
/ Gilland and daughter of GOodland, Ind.
Victims Terribly Burned.
The injured suffered mostly from
/ scalds due &c escaping steam from the
/ wrecked locomotives, there being no
/ broken limbs Some of the victims had
/ inhaled steam. and were in worse con-
dition than fst examination indi-
/ Gated soon after their arrival here
f three of the injured died a University
4 hospital and one at St JOseph's hos
/ pisal Identification OF the dead was
( difficult, because the clothing had been
/ removed to apply relief to the scalded
/ surface.
/ ore of the deaths at University hos
pital was that of an old woman named
/ Mrs. Dickson Of Wilmington, Ills. Her
] daughter is in the hospital not seri-
/ Ousiv burned. Miss Lulu Rider of Kent
land. Ind, aged %, was terribly mutt
I lated, her face being crushed and her
/ body scaIded. She died at University
/ hospital az O'Clock. Miss Hila Hy-
/ slip of Che1oa, HIS, scalded and burned
i on back, shoulder, head and face, is
J the most seriously injured Of the pa
tients at University hospital. +. G.
/ Bray of Chicago. a SHOE dealer. IS at
{ University hospital, with eek sprained,
I head cut and internal injuries, cut with
a chance of recovery