The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-03-10
FLAMES ENVELOPE
 MANY SPECTATORS.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT OLEAN,
 N.Y., LAST NIGHT.

Freight Train of oil Tank Cars Breaks
 in Two-seOtioms Come Together With
 Crash and Fire Results-Large
 Crowd Gathers and is Caught i'm a
 Terrific ExplOsion-Grea Flames
 Shoot Out, Enveioptng All Within
 Their Reaeh-Twenty-two Dead Are Counted.
 Cleans, N. Y, March 9.-A score or more people were killed and a larger number were injured by an explosion train on the Erie made up principally of tank cars filled with oil broke in two north of the city at about 9 o'clock. The two sections Of the train came to- gether with a crash and one of the oil tanks was demolished. Fire broke out almost instantly and the sky was lighted up for miles. A large crowd of people left this city for the scene of the fire.
 While they were lined up along the tracks a terrific explosion occurred. The flames communicated quickly with the other tank cars and a second and third explosion followed each other in rapid succession. Sheets of flames shot out in all directions. Scores of persons were caught within the zone of the fire and enveloped in flames Men and boys ran screaming down the tracks with their clothing mass of flames. Others fell where they stood. overcome by the awful heat. Just how many were killed is not known as many of the bodies were incinerated.
 Sydney Fish, prominent business man, returned from the scene of the fire at midnight. He said: T was att | tracted to the scene of the fire between 9:30 and 10 o'clock. When I was with 1 in a quarter of a mile of the wrecked 1 train there was terrific explosion. Flames shot outwards and upwards l for a great distance. I saw several persons who started to run away drop on the railroad tracks and they never moved again. Others who had been standing close to the wreckage were i hurled through the air for hundreds of i feet. The scene was awful. Half a dozen young boys ran down the tracks with their clothing on fire. They re- sembled human torches. I could hear 1 their agonized screams distinctly from ] where I stood. They ran some distance down the track and then threw them- selves to the ground, grovelling in the ditches in their frantic efforts to ex- tinguishf the flames. They then laid still, some os them unconscious, others dead. Is,lo not know how many were fore l came away"
 | Word was at once sent to Oleans police headquarters by telephone. Ev- cry doctor and ambulance in the city was summoned. Grocery wagons and carriages of all kinds were pressed in- to service and everything possible was done to bring the wounded without de- lay to the city hospitals for treatment.
 At midnight the first of the wounded arrived at the hospital. They were four young boys. Their injuries were frightful. Great patches of flesh were burned off and hung in shreds from their bodies.
 | It will be difficult to ascertain the names of a great many of the dead to- night as their bodies were burned to ashes in the intense heat. A canvass is being made of the city as rapidly as possible to find out the names of per sons who are missing. As these miss ing persons turn up, if they do, their names will be eliminated and ill the end a complete list of those who lost their lives will be secured. But this will take time and patience. Besides, there was great excitement in the city and the streets were thronged with people until long after midnight.
 Large crowds gathered at the hospi- tai and the faces of injured were anx- iously scanned as they were borne into the building on stretchers. Heartrend- ing scenes were witnessed when one of the horribly blistered bodies was recog- nized by a father or a mother or a 1 brother and it was with difficulty that l the people were restrained from invad- ing the operating room.
 The latest estimate of the casualties plcaes the number of dead at twenty two and the injured at forty-five. Some l of the injured will die.
 Some of them are burned beyond rec ignition, only the trunks and skulls re. maining.
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