The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-24
out en- masse to assist in caring for the hv-
ing and in disposing OF the dead
NO WOMEN KILLED.

NO WOMEN KILLED.
peculiar feature of the accident is the
fact that not woman was injured, except
slightly
The wreck was csused by the breaking of
the castings on carload of bridge timbers
on a west-bound freight train which had
passed Laurel run. not more than fifteen
minutes before the Inflated passenger train.
The wreck occurred on a curve and 1t was
impossible for Engineer Thornly to see far
enough ahead to detect the obstruction on
the tracks.
The big Atlantic type engine plunged into
the timbers at a velocity of sixty miles an
hour. The engine plowed into the embank-
ment and the baggage and express car were
thrown into the Youghiogheny river. The
smoker was packed to it's utmost capacity
and all the passengers were cooked alive
Not a single passenger in this car escaped
with his life and it is estimated that at
least forty of the dead were in the smoker.
BAGGAGEMAsTER A HERO.
Baggagemaster Thomas ]. Baum, of
Hazlewood. who was on the wrecked
train, proved himself a hero. With
his head and body frightfully cut
he managed to crawl from the
wreckage and, cropping his way along in
darkness, tagged the west-bound passen-
ger train No. 40. He had nothing with
which to flag the train except matches
and these he made use of in his despera-
ton by taking off his coat and setting fire
to 1t. He stopped the train just in time to
prevent it from plunging into the wreck
and adding further horror to an already in
describable disaster. Baum collapsed when
he saw he had succeeded in stopping the
train, and when the engine stopped he was
lying within a few feet of it. An operator
at the tower of the Pittsburg &
Lake Erie, across the Youghiogheny
river, was the first to give word
OF the accident and to send for relief. He
was watching the Duquesne limited as 1T
across the river. He saw the cars pile
high in the air and sink back on the tracks.
The screams of the injured and dying were
plainly heard. In another second he was
sending word to the railroad officials at
Dawson and Connellsville.
TRACK TORN UP.
For more than 500 feet both the east and
west bound tracks are torn UP. The engine
was completely demolished and the big
1000 gallon tank the tender was thrown
100 feet ahead from the wreckage. The bag
gage car was thrown into the river. but
was only slightly wrecked All the cars
were derailed and the trucks OF all ex-
cept the diner were torn completely from
underneath the cars. Few people were in
jured in the Pullman cars and the diners
except for slight injuries.
AS soon as the wreck was reported In
ConneIlsviIle all the available physicians
were summoned, including Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad physicians, and special
train was made up and taken in charge
by General Superintendent Sims and Su-
perintendent ]. F. Irwin, of the Pittsburg
division. The relief train was run at full
speed and the scene of the wreck was
reached about o'clock The injured were
made as comfortable as possible. They
were loaded on the relief train and taken
to the Cottage State Hospital here.
The dead were placed in a long row on
the embankment opposite the wreckage and
in single line thirty-eight forms lay cold
and stiff on the frozen ground. Another
row on the opposite side Of the wreckage
contained eleven and scattered here and
there through the underbrush were the
dead bodies of many who had been able to
crawl from the wreckage, but died before
aid reached them.
Under his engine lay the limited's engi-
neer disemboweled and mangled almost be-
yond recognition. 1t was impossible at the
time to extricate his body and it will be
several hours before the wreck crew will
be able to remove the engine, which pinions
his remains under the huge mass of steel.
DEAD ROBBED.
Hardly had the bodies of the dead been
removed from the coaches until thieves
had begun robbing the dead Of jewelry and
money. 1t is charged that foreigners who
escaped serious injury in the wreck set
about robbing the dead as well as the in
jured of money and valuables Special Off
GERS were deputized and with the aid of the
Baltimore & Ohio police force and Con-
nellsville officers, the work of ghouls was
stopped.
At 2:30 o'clock a. m. Thursday it was def
nitely known that sixty-three persons are
dead. The dead bodies are now piled up in
the morgue and it is impossible at this time
to pursue the work of Identification with
any success. Most of the bodies are burned
until they are unrecognizable. 1t is pre-
sumed that many of the dead belong in
Connellsville, but so disfigured are the
faces that they would be passed by as un-
known by even their nearest relatives. The
clothing of many has been searched for
some Identification but this means has not
proved fruitful.
1t is probable that at least half of the
dead will never be identified. Owing to the
station in life many carried no means of
| Identification whatever unless it should be
their clothing. The work Of preparing the
| dead for identification and subsequent
burial will commence at once. Coroner C.
A. Wynn and his deputies have been at
work all night
Never were scenes more terrible tn he