The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-25
SIXTY-FOUR KILLED
IN THE AWFUL WRECK OF THE
DUQUEsNE LIMITED.
ONLY NINE WERE INJURED.
MoRGUEs AT CONNELLsvILLE
CROWDED WITH THE DEAD.

cunrds Were Maintained to Prevent
curious Crowds from ThrOnging
About the Dead BOdies-The Uni
identified Dead Were Foreigners
Many Had MOney-RObbers Got
Money and Jewelry-Wreck Due TO
TumbIing Lumber.
Connellsville, Pa, Dec. 24.-The sum-
ming I'D of the results of last nights
wrect of the Duquesne limited on the
baltimore and Ohio, eight miles west
of here. shows a total dead list of six
ty-four and nine injured.
To-day Connellsville has been pack
ed with curious people, attracted by
the wreck The three morgues have
found it necessary to put guards on all
doors to keep morbid spectators from
Jumping into the small rooms and
walking over the forms of the dead.
The streets are packed and in front
of each of the undertaking establish
ments hundreds of people are grouped,
eagerly waiting for glimpse at the
dead bodies. Friends and relatives of
the victims are coming in on every
most distressing. All but a few of the
sixty-eight bodies have been identified,
and the others will be laid away in
Cedar Grove Cemetery at the dawn of
Christmas morning.
Those who are still to be identified
are mostly foreigners, and il is doubt
full If their identity will ever be known.
Considerable money was found on
the persons of the unidentified, and
tightly sewed in a belt on one for
eigner was found more than $400,
which was placed in the First National
Bank. Sums ranging from 800 to $500
were found and this, like the balance,
has been put in the bank until perhaps
some time relative may be located
Robbers Began Work at Once.
Many of the victims of the wreck
have been robbed. There are several
who are known to have had a large
amount of money and jewelry on their
persons. Not a single cent was found
in the pockets of several of these, and
it was plainly visible that rings had
been taken from the fingers.
Robbers were on the scene early, and
before many of the rescuers arrived
they had secured considerable booty,
much of which consisted Of baggage
ala1~ hand pagS that had been tossed
about the cars in the wreck. A num-
ber of these have not been recovered,
and it is the opinion of local officers
that the bags were quickly picked UP
by the gang of thieves that operated
there before assistance arrived.
To-day the wreck is pretty well clear
ed away.
Coroner Arthur Nagen of Fayette
county arrived in Connellsville to-day
and Immediately swore in the coroner's
jury. The jury is now viewing the re-
mains and taking evidence as to the
cause of the disaster.
1t has been learned that the car which
dropped the timbers which wrecked
the train was condola No. 3,0S7 of the
Nickel Plate Railroad.
Supt. j. F. Irwin of the Baltimore
and Ohio declares the blame must be
fastened on the parties who loaded the
lumber on the car. His theory is that
the stakes at the side of the gondola
were weak and gave way under the
tension of the car when 1t rounded the
curve.
Mr.. Irwin has addressed inquiries to
both the starting point and the desti-
nation of the car and will make a
thorough investigation.
Stories of HerOism.
Louis Hilgot, the conductor of the
train, was in the second day coach
when the crash came, and no one
knows just how or what happened to
him until afterwards. D. w. Hills,
porter on one of the sleepers, said so
soon as he could get off his car he
went forward and heard some one
shouting from the top of the bank
where he, by going forward, recogniz-
ed Hilgots voice. He was in terrible
agony, but shouted at the top of his
voice: For Gods sake, 1 am scalded
to death, but some one of you get a
red lamp and flag 40 or she will be on
u.s.
A story of courage and heroism sell
dom eQualled is told of Benjamin
Nichols, steward on the dining car.
His name is being sung with praises
by railroaders and the surviving pas
sengers to-day. When the terrible
slide of the engine dragged the train
whirling sideways along the road,
Nichols was in the dining car. Before
the car had made it's lurch, Nichols
had leaped and was running toward
the smoker, which was reduced to a
matter of twisted iron and splinters.
The crash had torn the escape-valve
from the top of the engine and the
steam was shooting into the car upon
the struggling mass of smoking hu-
manity.
The escaping steam was the
first thing that attracted the
coat he ripped and tore the
garment until it was in shreds. With
this he plugged up the pipe and shut
Off the steam. Then he plunged into
the suffScating car and carried out