Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-22

The Chicago sleeper, which was i'm
 mediately behind the combination car,
 swung from the track, and crashed in-
 to the depot which collapsed on top of
 the coach. The passengers ill this car
 were crushed and maimed and then completely buried in the debris. I The next sleeper following was left off the track behind and the other re-
 mained upright on the rails.
 An instant after the crash of the
 wreck the boiler of the great engine
 burst with terrific force scattering fire
 and steam in manner that made es-
 cape for the imprisoned passengers i'm T possible.
 I The combination car, which mad
 landed crushed and splintered on top of the engine, was at once envelOped ] in flames and steam. The cries of the passengers were heard for moment
 above the awful roar, but they were
 beyond all aid and the car became a
 funeral pyre.
 1 More than score of physicians from Cleveland. Collinwood, Ashtabula and
 Gainesville hurried to the scene After | they had treated the injured, the lat ter were placed aboard q special
 train and brought to this city where
 they were hurried in waiting ambul-
 ances to the several hospitals.
 The scene following the wreck was
 one that beggars description. Save for
 the light from the blazing wreckage of l the coach that was crushed and splint-
 cred on top of the engine, there was no light on the scene Men swarmed
 about, combating the flames with the
 means at hand. groping their way | through the binding steam, hunting
 for the injured.
 | There was small water supply and the means at hand for fighting the flames were slight but the zeal of the
 rescuers wrought great things in the | first few minutes. Several persons
 were dragged from the jaws of terri
 ble death. Then the flames gradually drove the rescuers back and after ten minutes of awful battle those remain ing in the iwreckage were incinerated. The fire burned until after midnight I when 1t was finally extinguished by the department but the last blackened corpse was not recovered until one o'clock.
 I Meanwhile the passengers and train | men tore blankets and sheets from the | berths of the four Pullman coaches and did all they could to succOr the | injured.
 The scene of the wreck after the | flames had been extinguished was weird and horrible. A great pail of smoke hung over the wreck on which | firemen were pouring great streams of
 water. Rescuers with lanterns groped through the smoke and steam and spar | cd no efforts to get to the bodies. The | bodies were in such condition as to | make Identification almost impossible. | One was recovered with the head miss ing. The clothing was gone from the | bodies and there was only the smallest chance of successful Identification. | The ebOdies were placed on a special | train and hurried to Cleveland. | At one o'clock the body taken rom the wreck was thought to be that oe Newton Walters. of Hamburg. x. Y., who was baggagemaster of the train. | The identification was not complete. I Arthur l.. Johnson, of Comey and Johnson, Cleveland manufacturers, was passenger on the wrecked train. was riding in the smoker at the time the wreck occurred. and Is believed by travelling companion to have perish ed. X passenger who was with MT Johnson on the train and who escaped without serious damage says that Johnson was caught in the debr,s in such way that escape was practical ly impossible.
 The wreck occurred close by the summer home of Horace Andrews. president of the Cleveland Electric Railway company. One of the fatally l injured passengers was his lifelong 1 friend and bosom companion. c. H. wellman. Knowing that he was near the house of his friend. wellman caiied feebly for Mir Andrews. Bystanders learned of the wish and they hurriedly carried 1t ouf. MT Andrews was Iesl to the spot where Wellman lay in agony. Kneeling by the side of the sufferer he spoke few words of con- fort.
 "Come nearer." whispered Wellman. His friend leaned close to the injured man. "rm terribly hurt. Horace. Ies: m dylllg. III ttEflDit stdmtFl anu Il won't live. I know that. So l want you to take this message to my vile Mir Andrews leaned still closer. so that the message was whispered in his ear. Doctors, nurses and hystanders uncon- e. Iously turned away for moment. while the last tender words were ut tered. After that Mr wellman raIfiei and asked after his friend and partner. Thomas K. Morgan. who was with him on the train. He was told that Morgan still lived.
 Thank God for that he murmered- .-Oh. hope Tom will live
 Soon after that the Injured were placed aboari.the relief train and hur- ried to Cleveland. MT wellman among the rest
 While there Is no reason known why anyone should tamper with the switch the officials do not believe the accident could have taken place with the swHch properly set and in position
 The train wes making nearly seven fy-fve miles an hour when the accident occurred. according to the fireman Aaron GOrham- of NorwaIk- who E 'mineulossly escapei deafh and was breught C Cleseland oeneral hpeD1nL ~4s vue qDss1lne nne tns v1n1s