The sun., 1906-12-31

head, foot or hand Of a woman or child
protruding from the mass OF fragments
into which the cars had been broken. There
were the cries and groans Of the dying and
injured, and it was practically impossible to
render any aid.
In the second car were Mns. M. 8. Pur-
man Of North Takoma and her daughter.
The latter is a school teacher at North
Tskoma. They were coming down to
Brookland to spend the evening. They
had been on the train only two or three
minutes when the crash came. Miss Pur-
man was thrown from the train and badly
cut and injured, while her mother was
ground beneath the truck, and il required
more than an hour to remove her body
from the wreckage.
HELP FROM NEI0HBoRs.
The first to offer relief were the work.
men whose cottages are along tho track
at Terra Gotta. Their means OF ahording
succor were small, but they did the best
they could under the circumstances until
aid arrived on the scene from Washington.
The women brought water and tore up
their bedding for bandages. while the men!
working with the best means at hand. took
out all of the injured that it was possible
for them to reach and carried many OF them
TO their humble homes to await the arrival
of the relief train which should take them.
to Washington, where they were distributed
among the several hospitals.
While awaiting the arrival OF the relief
train the injured who were thus rescued
were ministersd to by the monks and priests
and the several physicians who hurried
to the scene from Brookland and Bright
wood, about a mile and half away.
Half a dozen or more physicians with
medical supplies and bandages we're taken
out on the relief train, which was made
up hurriedly after the first news of the 40
cident reached Washington. IL was more
than two hours, however, before the relief
train was started back from Terra Gotta to
Washington, and as a result two Of the
injured died on the way to this city.
The news Of the catastrophe spr cad
rapidly in Washington, as there were many
people aboard the train whose homes are
in this city and others who have friends and
relatives here. A large crowd gathered at
the Baltimore and Ohio station here to
await the arrival of the incoming relief
train and search for their friends among
the injured. Hundreds Of others hurried
TO the scene on electric cars, In automo-
biles and in carria ges-many of them search
ing for relatives and friends they believed
TO have been on the train.
GATHERING UP THE DEAD.
After three hours OF diligent work the
volunteer rescuers who were assisting the
mea gre force Of railway employees. and in
fact did the greater portion Of relief work,
had gathered up score or more OF bodies
and darranged them in line along the tracks.
Some were placed upon cushioned seats
which had been taken from tho wreckages
but for the most part the unfortunate
victims lay on the damp ground with
nothing beneath them, and only now and
then a sheet or piece Of tattered garment
spread over the face to hide q grewsoms
sight.
In some instances it was absolutely i'm
possible to match dismembercd parts Of
bodies, and in more than ono case the head
or limb or arm OF man could be found
beside the trunk OF girl. and 10 will prob
ably never be- possible to patch out from
the fragments all Of the bodies OF the un-
fortunate victims.
With the bodies OF the men the task
was slightly easier; as they found lsttsrs
and cards and various other marks which
revealed the names of the dead.
When all the bodies had been taken
from the wreck and laid side by side along
the track the police, with the aid OF railroad
lanterns. went along the row OF corpses
and made the best efforts possible to iden-
tify those Of the victims whose features
were still discernable. It was q difaoult
task, as a ma jority Of the unfortunate ones
were women and children and they had
nothing on their persons to reveal their
identity.
In one mass OF debris which the police
hurriedly piled together there was ths
trunk Of a small child, the limb Of man
and the hand and arm Of a girl.
Despite the horror Of the accident the
railroad officials were extremely slow In
doing anything to relieve the situation. A
gang OF men was sent to the scene. but they
did little toward affording any relief.
Distressing scenes were witnessed when
the first relief train from the scene OF the
wreck reached the b. and o. station In
Washington. Hundreds OF people, most
of them merely curious but many who
we're relatives or friends of the dead or in
iured, we're waiting for its arrival. There
was much crying and some Of the women
became hysterical when the work OF trans
| ferring the injured to smbulances' was
begun.
The cars OF the relief train were literally
packed with those who were hurt. So
closely were they placed in the express
and passenger cars that IL was with the
greatest difficulty that the large corps Of
doctors, policemen and other assistants
we're able to reach them and carry them
| to ambulances.
Major Sylvester, Chief OF Police, per-
sonally directed the work Of the police
| The ambulances were rushed as fast as pos
| sible to the hospitals.
The injured were taken to Providsncs.
Emergency, Garfield and Casualty hos
pitals, where all are apparently doing well
| axcant Corneliua EckharCit. MavOr of Kan