The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-24


L. CHARLES KEILAMB. christiania.
Sweden.
The other dead are mostly foreigners
and negroes who were riding in the
smoking car.
W. A. LARD. Martfnsburg.
]. w. KASNER, Cumberland, Nd.
JOHN ADDISON, New York
WILLIAM BRODIE. Red Bank, N. J.
ROBERT DAVIDSON, Philadelphia
SYLVESTER ZINKARD, Chase. w.
Va.
CHARLES E. KEEPER, Somerset,
Pa.
HARRY DEvLIN. Lanaeoning, Md.
w. A. GOOD, McKeesport, Pa.
G. w. BISOR, Berkeley Springs, Viva.
JAMES FOX, address unknown.
THE KNOWN INJURED.
w. H. Hancock, Pittsburg, slight.
slight.
Annie Reese, Glenwood, slight
Thomas ]. Dom, Hazelwood, slight
J. Allfurter, Bealton, w. Va, serious.
Henry David lockwood, Pa, will die
W. H. Stoddard, Connellsville.
John K. Powers, South Cumberland.
]. w. Altman, ConneIlsville.
TWELVE DIED FROM INJURIES.
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 removed to the
hospitals. So severe were the wounds
of IL victims that between 10 o'clock
last night and daylight they died.
AS the bodies were received at the
morgue they were tabulated and laid
in rows. Most of them We're foreigners.
Among the so were two negroes The
Duquesne limited was largely used by
employees of the B. & o., who work in
Pittsburg and it was feared that most
| of them had become victims of the
wreck. A large number of the engi
neering corps lived at Connellsville and
used this train to return home every
night.
H. Mcdonald. of Dawson, led the
rescue party at the wreck. Through
his efforts the dead and dying were
! collected and sent to CennellsviIle.
| From the time Of the. news of the ac-
cident until daylight there were crowds
surrounding the morgue. During the
night the pressure became so great
that the doors had to be locked and po-
lice were used to prevent the overrun-
ming of the place.
SCENE AT THE WRECK.
The scene at the wreck is awful. Cars
are piled one upon the other, lying
sidewise and angles where only the
earth supports them while trucks are
piled high upon the banks among the
bushes as though thrown there by a
giant hand.
A full 200 yards from the seat of the
| first trouble lies the engine a wreck
with battered sides and dismantled
trucks, where her great speed carried
her after she struck the wreck. AL
most 100 yards beyond where the engine
toppled over is the forward baggage
coach lying on the slope of a bank
where it rests at an angle.
RAILS RIPPED UP.
This great train, plunging as it was
! through the darkness at go miles an
hour, dashed around a curve headlong
/ into a pile of great timberS- and was
wrecked. The speed of the train sent
it pIunging ahead as wheels left the
rails and bumped over the ties until
the rails were ripped up and out and
the big engine fell over.
It's two baggage cars dashed on
ahead past the dismantled engine,
leaving the right of way and plunging
car, a smoker, pushed past the engine
and tilted over toward it at the same
time This car was filled with passen-
gers and all were killed.
Sineularly in such an awful crash,
the dead, with few exceptions, were
! scaIded to death. Scarcely any OF them
| were mangled-
A story of courage and heroism sci
dom equalled is told of Benjamin Mich
Il OILS steward on the dining car. WheT
the terrible slide of the engine dragged
the train Whirling sideways along the
| road, Nichols was in the dining car
Il He was battered from one side to an
| other of the car. Before the car hac
made its last lurch Nichols had leapec
and was running toward the smoker
which was reduced to matter o.
twisted iron and splinters. The crasE
| had torn the escape valve from the
top Of the engine and the steam was
shooting into the car upon the strug-
Cling mass of smoking humanity
SHUT OFF THE STEAM
The escaping steam was the frs
thing that attracted the plucky stew
ard. Taking off his coat he ripped an6
tore the garment until it was in shreds
With this he plugged up the pipe anC
shut off the steam Temporary relie1
was thus given the sufferers. Their
climbing through a broken window
| Nichols leaped into the dark car. The
suffocating steam filled the car
Screams of the injured made it confus
human form at hand, Nichols carried i
out into the open. Placing the injured
victim on the frozen ground, Nichol:
once more entered the car. By thi:
after another was handed out unit
five We're rescued.
At this point the steward was com.
PEELED to leap to the ground, being ex-
hausted and overcome by the heat anC
steam.
Other employees entered the car ant
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 I
o'clock before all the injured had beer
removed. Following the wreck thieves
were detected robbing the dead and in
jured. Two white men and two coloret
men are now in the Dawson police sta
ton charged with this crime
NOT DUE TO NEGLIGENCE.
. Annidant nfinhf Hare Hannanad AZ