The sun., 1903-12-25
WRECKS VICTIMS NUMBER 06.
MOST or THE CONNELLSVILLE
DEAD NOW IDENTIFIED.
Onlya Few OF the Wounded In Serious Con.
dition-WOrk Of Identification Goes on
Spcedily--Sevcral Men Arrested for
Robbery OF the Dead and Wounded.

Onlya Few OF the Wounded In Serious Con-
ditiOn-WOrk Of Identification Goes on
Speetily--Sevcral Men Arrested for
Robbery OF the Dead and Wounded.
CoNNELLsv1LLE, Pa, Dec. 24.-Identifi-
cation Of the bodies recovered from the
wreck on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
at Laurel Run last night have been accom-
plshed with four exceptions. The Official
list of dead as given by the coroner now
amounts to sixty-six. Three injured VIC
tins are still at the Cottage State Hospital
One may die.
Practically all vestige Of the wreck has
been removed. Hundreds Of workmen
accomplished the feat OF opening the east
bound track by O'Clock this morning.
The westbound track was open for general
traffic at o'clock this evening.
Only the crowds OF persistently curious
people, who are crowding tonight about tho
three morgues where the dead lie, indicate
that near this city happened one OF the
worst wrecks in the history Of railroading :.
Interest in the accident to-day centred
about the morgues. A dearth OF embalmers
compelled the local undertakere to appeal
to Pittsburg for assistance. Tonight all
bodi,s have been prepared for burial,
and severalhave been shipped to their homes.
The light Of morning saw scores OF people
congregated about the local morgues.
The aid of the police was necessary to hold
back the crowds. Inside the establish
ments unidentified bodies, stretched on
the floors, we're glanced over hurrledly
by those who were seeking relatives and
the ultra-curious alike.
kilograms from other cities poured into
the town asking for information. Letters,
laundry marks and jewelry engravings
were carefully noted to secure clues to be
used in identification.
Coroner A. s.. Hagan Of Fairchance was
in charge and with his assistants and the
members Of the jury did much to facilitate
the work Although the lists vary, the
official list as kept by them Is believed
to be correct.
Possibly the saddest feature connected
with the many sorrowful happenings OF
the wreck is the death of Robert Davidson.
He was to have been married tomorrow
and was on his way to meet his bride when
the unforeseen accident caused his death.
His Last words were cent in dictated
note to his fancee. Davidson was 81
years old, and lived at 725 North Fifth
street. Philadelphia. He was a travel
ling salesman for Colgate 4 CO. He
samuei sa" f'n Davidson Of T Lyman NJ s post Office.
He left Pittsburg on the Limited.
Wednesday evening and had telegraphed
his expected arrival in Philadelphia this
morning He was fatally injured in the
wreck, but retained consciousness:
DR. T. B. Echard Of Connellsville, who
was one of the many physicians sent from
this place to the relief Of the s,ferEg,
attended him. Knowing that Els life Was
but matter of q short time he told his
pitiful story to the sur geon as the relief
train was bearing him to this place.
peculiarly distressing feature OF the
wreck was the robbery Of many of the vic
Tins. The needs of the injured were 30
urgent that for a time the robbers were not
interrupted. At daybreak four arrests
were made at Dawson station by officers.
two negroes. They were locked up in
Dawson jail, charged with robbing the
dead. An angry crowd collected at the
entrance to the Jail.
presence OF mind of John Dom, the baggage
master on the wrecked train and an old
employee of the road. The car in which
Dom was. went over the embankment and
Dom was injured. His first thought on
dragging himself from the mass of splinters
after the crash. however, was Of passenger
train No. 40. which was following and was
almost due.
No red lights were burning on the wrecked
train and there was not n signal available.
Dom staggered back over the ties nearly the
length oil his train. and then heard the roar
of No. ~, approaching on the grade. Dom
had q handful of matches in his pocket.
He took them out, half dozen at time,
struck them and during the short sputtey
Of the birthstone waved them around his
head. Finally he lighted his handkerchief.
Engineer johnson, on train 49, saw the
st TRANCE signal. He threw on the emer-
gency brake and the train was brought to
standstill not two car. lengths from the
eastern end of the wreckage.
Dom tainted when the new danger was
over. He was unconscious for two hours
at the hospital, but he will recover. When
he regained consciousness Dom insisted
on leaving his cot and staying by the bed
side Of his dying conductor, Louis Helgarth.
master and told him that Helgarth was
dying. Dom was half carried TO the con-
ductors bedside. and remained there for
ten minutes, taking the last messages from
Helgarth to his family at home,
The body of the Rev. Father Fenela.
Of the italian Catholic Church, whose flock
celebrated the dedication OF a new church
last week. was also carried in Meml ers
Of his church crowded to the morgue and
mourned the loss Of the popular priest.
J.J; Cook, the dead filemen. three months
ago declined place as engineer on the
Wheeling Division, declaring that he pre-
ferred to "fire" under his friend Thornley,.
Conductor Helgarth. who died at the hos
pital this morning, lived at 5OOl Trow-
bridge street, Hazelwood. His family did
not hear Of the accident until this morning,
when committee of railroad men from tie
Glenwood yards called to break the news
of Helgarth's death.
8 q. Heater, the division engineer killed
in the wreck. was on his way to Baltimore
to spend Christmas ~ith relatives He
had been employed by the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad for twelve years.
Harry Devlin, who died at the hospital
at Connellsville, was another B. and o.
engineer. He came to Pittsburg yesterday
TO buy a Christmas present for his aged
mother, and was returning with fur cape
for which he had paid SIS, When taken
out OF the debris his righJ arm, which was
badly mangled. still held the cape, which
was soaked with blood. His mother has
not been notified Of the accident
Engineer Thornley, promised his wife
that he would telegraph from Connclls-
vile last night whet ther or not she might
expect him for Christmas. He hoped TO
return to Pittsburg at o O'Clock toni ght.
Mrs. Thornley, waited for the message until
2 O'Clock this morning, when neighbor
and a lifelong friend Of Thornley's called
to break the news to her.
One of the men killed in the wreck on