The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-24

u. w. BlSOft, berkeley Springs, w.
Va.
: JAMES FOX, address unknown.
The other dead are mostly foreign
ers and negroes, who were riding in
the smoking car. The work of identi-
fication has not begun.
The known injured are:
w. H. Hancock Of Pittsburg, slight
injuries.
j. w. Bromley of North Broddock,
slight injuries.
Annie Reese of Glenwood, slight
bruises and cuts.
Thomas j. Dom of Hazlewood,
slight injuries.
J. A. Allfurther of Bealton, w. ",
seriously injured.
Henry DAWN of lockwood, Pa,
badly injured; will die.
w. H. Stoddard. Connellsville. Pa.
]. w. Altman Of Connellsville, Pa.
Aaron Verg of East Pittsburg.
AS fast as recovered from the
wreck the dead and injured were
placed on trains and brought here.
The dead were taken to the morgues
and the injured were at once re-
moved to the Connellsville cottage
state hospital. where twelve victims
died between 10 o'clock last night and
daylight this morning. AS the bodies
were. tabulated and laid in rows. Most
of them were foreigners. Among
them were two negroes.
On Their Way Home.
The foreigners who were killed, and
who remain unidentified, were bound
for their homes in Europe. The Du-
quesne limited is the train which
connects with the boats at Baltimore
York o.
month past hundreds of these peo-
pie have been taking this train on
their way home for the winter. At
the Baltimore & Ohio offices it was
stated that sometimes there are as
many as five or six hundred Of these
people to go and then a special train
is made up for them. At other times.
a special car or two is added to the
limited. Last night one special day
coach was added to the train, and it
was in this car that the foreigners
were riding. The car was imm ediate-
ly behind the smoker
Crowds Surround Morgue.
From the time of the news of the
accident until daylight there have
been crowds surrounding the morgue.
During the night the pressure became
so great that the doors had to be
locked and police were used to pre-
vent the over-running Of the place. i
The scene at the wreck is awful.
Cars are piled one upon the other,
lying sidewise and at angles, while
trucks are piled high up on the banks,
among the bushes as tho thrown
there by giant hand.
Fully 200 yards from the seat of
the first trouble lies the engine-a
wreck-with battered sides and dis
mantled trucks, where her great
speed carried her after she struck
the wreck. Almost 10O~yards beyond
is the forward baggage coach.
This great train, plunging thru the
darkness at sixty miles an hour,
dashed round curve headlong into
a pile of bridge timbers and
was wrecked. The speed of the
train sent it plunging ahead as
the wheels left the rails and bumped
over the ties until the rails were
ripped up and out and the great en-
gine fell over. The two baggage cars
dashed on ahead past the disnantled
engine, leaving the right of way and
plunging down over bank. The
first passenger car, a smoker, pushed
past the engine and tilted over toward
it at the same time. This car was filled
with passengers and all were killed.
-t.' Bodies Not Manglcd.
Singularly, in such an awful crash.
the dead, with few exceptions, were
scalded to death. Scarcely any of
them were mangled.
A story of courage and heroism sell
dom equaled is told Of Benjamin
Nichols, steward of 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. He
was battered from one side to an
other of the car. Jolting, humping
and swinging, the car finally stopped.
1t was on the end of the train and
it is for this reason that Nichols and
others on that car were not injured.
Before the car had made it's last
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 in the car upon the strug-
Cling mass Of humanity.
Nichols Heroism.
The steam was the first thing that
attracted the plucky steward. Taking
off his coat he ripped and tore the
garment until it was in shreds. With
this he plugged up the pipe and shut
off the steam. Temporary relief had
been given the sufferers, but Nichols
was not done. Long before the pas
sengers in the Pullman coaches had
stepped to the ground Nichols had
taken the first step in the work Of
rescue. Climbing thru broken win
dow he leaped into the dark car. The
hot, suffocating steam filled the car
The screams of the injured made if
confusing what to do. Picking UP the
first human form at hand, Nichols
carried it out in the open. Placing the
injured victim on the frozen ground,
Nichols once more entered the car. BY
this time other rescuers had arrived
and one after another were handed
out until five We're rescued.
At this point the steward was COM
PEELED to leap to the ground, being
exhausted and overcome by the heat
and steam.
Other employees entered the car and
continued the work of rescue. They
were soon rejoined by Nichols. who
once more had recovered. For hours
the work continued. it being difficult
even with the aid of the wreck crew,
Many Of the victims were wedged be-
tween heavy timbers and it was
O'Clock before all had been removed.
Following the wreck thieves were de-
tected robbing the dead and injured.
Two white men and two colored men
are now in the Dawson police station
charged with this crime.
When General Manager Sims ar
rHed at the scene of last nights wreck
he was SO overcome that he cried. Men