The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-03-13
IN OIL TRAIN EXNOO[S.
twenty-five Blackened Bodies
Taken From the Ruins At
Olean, New York.
ONLY TRUNKS AND SKULLS REMAIN.
Flas shoot Out . Great Distance
and Enselop spectators-M~a
Close tn the sceae Hurled Through
the Air for Hu ndreds 81 Fect-Ex-
act Loss Ut Life Unknown.

act Loss VI Life tnkuOwn.
Oiean. y. ", March l0.-Scorcs OF
lives were lost and a large number
of persons injured by an explosion
of oil near here Monday night Early
this morning % bodies had been ia
ken from the wreckage. Some OF
them were burned beyond recogni-
ton. only the trunks and skulls re-
naming.
a freight train on the Erie. made up
principally of oil tank cars filled with
| oil. broke in two near this city at
about nine o'clock The two sections
| of the train came together with
crash, and one of the oil tanks was
demolished. Fire broke ont almost
instantly. and the sky was lighted up
for miles.
A large crowd of people rushed 10
the scene of the fire. While they
were lined up along the tracks ter
rife explosion occurred. The flames
communicated quickly with the other
tanks and a second and third explo-
sion followed each other in rapid sue
cession.
Caught by sheets Of Flame.
Sheets Of fame shot out in all d.
rections. Scores Of persons we're
caught within the zone of the hre
and enveloped in flames. Men ana
BOYS ran screaming down the tracks
with their clothing ablaze. Others
fell were they stood. overcome by the
awful heat. Just how many were
killed is ~. known. as many of the
: bodies " incinerated.
Sydney Fish. prominent business
man. returned from the scene of the
: fire at midnight. He said:
II was attracted to the scene OF
the fire between $50 and 10 o'clock
/. When / was within quarter OF
mile Of the wrecked train there was
. q terrific explosion. Flames shot out
wards and upwards for a great dis
4
lance. saw several persons wh'
started 10 run away drop on the rail
I way tracks They never moved again
Resembled Human Torches.
!. ..Others who had been standing
!. close 10 the wreckage were hnrle'
/. through the air for hundreds of feet
u The scene was awful. Half a dozei
l. Young boys ran down the tracks wit
e their clothing on ire They resen
bled human torches. l could hea
!, their agonized screams distincti
! from where l stood. They ran som
:. distance down the track and the
Il threw themselves TO the ground. gro'
= cling ia the bitches in their franti
. efforts to extinguish the flames. The
'e they lay still, some of them uncoI
d scious, Others dead. do not kno
= how many we're killed. but 1 counte
: 90 bodies before l came away"
= Word was sent at once TO Olea
= police headquarters by telephone. r
erv doctor and ambulance in the elf
CT was SuflIDbUtu. hiVttis NaSVho -
&C carriages Of all kinds were presss
hr into service and everything possib
ne was done to bring the injured wit
:" out delay TO the hospitals for trea
:. ment. The first Of the injured to a
=. rive at the hospital were four boy
q Their injuries are frightful. Gre
re patches Of flesh were burned of al
hung in shreds from their bodies
!. search for the Missing.
II will be difficult to ascertain 4
- names of q great many az the dea
as their bodies were burned to ash
in the intense heat. n canvass Is b
ing made in the city as rapidly as pc
re sible 10 find out the names Of tho
of missing
up Large crowds gathered at the hi
ne pital. and the faces of injured we
- anxiously scanned as they were Dor
!. into the building on stretche
NJ Heartrending scenes were witness
nv. when one Of the poor. blis'ered bod
n. was recognized by father or
be. mother. or brother and II was wi
md difficulty that persons were restrain
the from invading the operating room