The Washington herald., 1906-11-13
FIFTY CREMATED.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.


one of the officials and nearly knocked
down
In contrast to the JOY of those who niit
their loved ones from the old country was
the anguish OF those whose relatives did
not arrive on the train and who were per-
haps among the dead and injured on the
wrecked train.
L. Rabinowitz. 46s Morgan street. was
waiting for his father and mother and his
five brothers and sisters; II. Bronsteine.
1o21 California avenue. and NJ Feldmau.
20 Maxwell street. were each waiting for
their wives and two children.
sIotherIess Babies Arrive.
One Of the pathetic features Of the
wreck that brought tears TO the eyes OF
the policemen who were at the station
waiting for the injured. was the arrival
of two little babies, motherIess, and with
no one to care for them. They were the
sole survivors OF different families, and,
carried in the arms of big policemen,
they were taken TO the County Hospital
to await action by the authorities.
As the line Of stretchers made its way
to the ambulances and patrol wagons.
waiting at the Harrison street curb. the
explosions of photographers flashlights
struck a momentary panic into the crowd.
They thought relatives Of the injured
were firing on the railroad employees and
police. The crowd stampeded. and sew
eraI persons were knocked down and
slightly hurt Assistant Chief Schuettler
with a detail OF 100 policemen restored
order.
At 3:30 O'Clock this afternoon eighteen
bodies were placed in two large boxes
and taken TO Chesterton. Ind, some dis
tance from WoodvilIe, to be prepared for
burial There was barely a recognizable
feature in any Of the dead faces.
Il was o'clock this evening when a
temporary track had been placed around
the wreck. and the debris cleared away
sufficiently to allow trains 10 be run.
Coroner Investigates Wreck.
J. c. Carson. coroner Of Porter County,
Indiana, after visiting the wreck. inves-
tigating the circumstances, declared that
there were fifty persons dead. most Of
them women and children
After 4 careful inspection Of the ruins.
he said:
Il believe fifty persons met death in
that wreck. Nine bodies have been re-
covered I have carefully looked the
ground over. and I think that City dead
IS about correct.
The railroad officials placed the dead
az about fsrty IN the latest official dis
patch.
Speaking with regard TO the blame for
the horrible loss Of life, the coroner said:
THE cause OF that wreck was the lack
Of proper signals on the first section Of
the passenger train to notify the engineer
Of the freight train that q second section
was following
Later tho coroner made 4 further state
msnt.
i believe the blame Tor this accident
lays with the crew Of the first section Of
40. IS, which should have notified the
crew OF freight train No. Is on the sid
ing. that another train was following
them.
Everything win be done that is in the
power Of the coroner TO bring to justice
the persons responsible for this loss of
life and property. Every Prccaution will
be taken, and has been taken. TO prevent
the escape Of the guilty persons"
superintendent Makes Report.
Superintendent BatcheIder. Of the Bal
timore and Ohio. sent in the first official
information Of the number CT dead 20 the
Baltimore and Ohio Offices at noon. Until
this information was received the officials
here insisted that but one had been killed
and four injured. His telegram said:
Forty killed; can't set names; no one
10 identify"
The first three coaches Of the passen-
ser train were telescoPed. The persons
known to have been Ailled-most Of whom
were Russian Jew refugees-were caught
in these traps. and burned to death al
most before they had awakened from
their sleep.
Those wno did escape, some barely able
10 drag themselves out Of the wreck with
little clothing. were confronted by q
blanket OF snow more than . foot deep
over the surrounding country.
The survivors huddled abont, suffering
intensely from the bitter cold OF the
early morning. kept back by the railroad
men from the burning cars.
The immigrants on the train were Of all.
nationalities. Many were Jews from Rus
sia, many more were German, Hungarian.
and Polish people on the way to South
Chicago. 70 be employed in the steel mills.
Bruised. cut. burned and in terrible
condition from the cold and SHOW. they
were cared for by farmers In the neigh
borhOod. who turned their homes inte
temporary hospitals
Merchant Describes Scene.
J. 5. Robbins. a merchant at McGool
Ind, was one OF the first to reach the
scene. He said:
1T was the worst wreck IN years. Both
engines were smashed into bits. and am
sure there were forty men. women. and
children burned like rats in traps
The wrecked cars lay in a ditch for
20O feet. They had been burned TO en-
bers and a mass Of tangled iron. Through
the ironwark the outlines Of bodies could
be seen 1 counted seven I'm one place.
A crew OF sixty workmen were remov-
ing the bodies. They recovered twelve
charred bodies as 1 watched them The
bodies were unrecogniZable."
Anton Ze1rawski. a tailor from Chicago,
was fatally hurt trying to save his aged
mother.
He had worked as tailor in Chicago for