The Washington herald., 1907-01-21
SEVENTEEN AREDEAD
List of Killed in Big Four
Explosion Increases.
TWENTY-FIVE INJURED FOUND
Car which Blows Up as Passenger
Train DasheS BY Carried 100 Kegs
Into Hospitals and MOrgues-ShOek
Is Felt Twenty-Five Miles.


Terre Haute, Ind. Jan. 20.-Seventeen
persons are known TO have been killed
outright. and there is every reason 70
believe that at least twenty died as the
result Of an explosion of a car of powder
at a siding east Of Sanford, Ind, late
last night, Just as the Big Four accom-
mediation train No 3 was passing.
The freight train had stopped on a sid
ing. and The car. containing 100 kegs OF
powder, was standing directly over an oil
line. 1t is believed that the sparks from
the passing train ignited gas which was
probably escaping from the oil line, and
this is thought to have ignited the pow
der.
Feel shock Twenty-Five Niles,
A terrible explosion followed. which
shook the earth for miles around The
shock was felt distinctly twenty-five
miles from the scene.
Identified dead:
CHARLES GOsNELL. Paris, III. died on relief
train.
JOHN FRANKLIN. brakeman on passenger train
Ashemore III
\. u. HECTOR, farmer. EIbridge. III.
CLAUDE STEELE. Sanford. Ind
REED WOLFE, wife, and two children
WILLIAM THOMPSON. Sanford. Ind
WILLIAM DAVIS. YemIlion, III.
Seven unidentified dead
Injured:
George d. Richards. Memphis. Tenn.
Lewis Price VermiIHon, Ill
l. S. Wichard. Franklin. Ill
DR.. Hasleu, Grandview, III.
Oscar Heilbert, Dudley, Iii.
Miss Mary Earhart, Terre Haute, Ind.
l. F Rose, superintendent Of mainte-
nance Of way, and wife.
Samuel Fist and wife. Terre Haute. Ind.
T c AtnSwOTth. Paris. III
Conductor Frank Thomas, Nation, I'll.
Engineer Welch, Mattoon. H.
Fireman JaTTeu, Nation, III.
Harry Duck, Sanford. Ind
Lindsey Arlington. VermiIIion. III
J. o. Lawyer Terre Haute, Ind.
c. D. Wiley, Kansas, Ill
Miss Cora Beckley, Terre Haute. Ind.
Keith Bryan, Salem, Ohio.
Miss Anna Cummings, Terre Haute, Ind
Miss Bessie Southcott, SheIbyville. III.
Bodies Hurled Through the Air.
Relief trains were rushed to the scene
Of the wreck from here and from Paris
As rapidly as the dead could Toe drag
ged from the debris of the wreck they
were placed on these relief trains and sent
10 both cities.
ihe work OF rescuing passengers was
hampered by the almost complete destruc-
ton Of the train and the blazing timbers.
which We're ignited Immediately after the
explosion
A large section Of the freight train was
completely demolished, and at least one
of the coaches Of the passenger train was
twisted into a shapeIess mass Of steel and
splintered wood.
The freight train had been run onto the
siding 70 permit the passenger train 10
pass. The train was dashing by, when
suddenly, without any warning. the DOW
der exploded. Bodies We're hurled in every
direction, pinned beneath timbers and held
there waiting TO be burned To death. The
passengers were panic stricken, but rem
dered all the aid that was possible.
Helpless women were thrown into hys-
teTlcs by the distressing sights. and sew
eTdl had 10 be carried from the scene TO
the relief trains.
When news of the catastrophe was
finally received here by telephone, ply
siCians, railroad officials, and q rescue
party were hurried to the scene. Sanford
IS such a small village and facilities for
caring for the dead and injured are so
meager, that the victims had TO be taken
TO Terre Haute and Paris, III.
Humble homes Of the village were
thrown open, however. and every able
bodied man in the town aided In the
work Of rescuing the injured and drag
ging the dead from the ruins. Wives and
sisters OF the same men who were work
ing heroically at the scene Of the wreck
bent over the beds in their homes and ad-
ministered to the wants Of the injured
Physicians called later at these i'm
promptu hospital wards and rendered aid
Rush for Aid on Switch Engine.
J. NJ Armstrong, station agent, states
that he believes the car contained fully
100 kegs of powder. He said he was
standing in the doorway Of the station
when the explosion occurred. He at once
called some section hands and they
secured an engine, broke an interlocking
switch, and went 10 Paris for the relief
train. The entire passenger train was a
mass Of flames when the relief trains
reached the scene, and the rescuers were
able TO reach only the passengers who
had been either blown from the train or
were able to crawl from the coaches after
the explosion.
Two of the men who were cTemated
were still alive when the trains arrived
yt the wreck. but the rescuers were IN
able to reach them, and were compelled
10 stand and watch them burn
Il is not known how many passengers
were on the train, but IT is thought that
both coaches were almost full and since
only about sixty have been accounted for
it IS thought that some not vet heard
from were either killed outright by the
force of the explosion or We're buried
under the wreCkage and burned to death.
Among the missing are Judge and Mrs.
E G. Rose, Of Kansas, H., who were
on the train, and il is believed they per-
ished. VIII Miller, of Paris, H., is also
missing. and II is believed he was killed.
WRECK0N NEW YORK CENTRAL