Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-21

MISSlNO \ M cD ~ hA H.
a JAMES FENTON, Sapdford, Ind.
KIEyER. Paris, ILL.,, IL years
old.
BUD WOLFE, SandfOrd, Ind.
BEEN BURNED TO DEATH:
Mrs. Bud Wolfe. Sandford, Ind.
Two daughters of Mrs. Wolfe, aged s
and @ years.
A. KukcndalI, thought to be a VAN
dnIia fireman.
Body of aged woman, burned beyond
recognition.
William Davis, NcrmiliOn, Ill.
DIR. HnsIett, Grand View, III.
Four charred bodies, not identified.
BY Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Jan. 90
Twenty-seven charred and mutiated
bodies have been taken from the
smouldering ruins of passenger train
No. 8 on the Cleveland, Cincinnati,
Chicago e. st. Louis (Big Four), which
was destroyed by the explosion of a
carload of powder as it passed d
freight train at Sandford, nine miles
west of here, last night. The number
| of injured will reach at least thirty
| five.
The entire train was blown from the
! track and demolished, and the engine
hurled fifty feet The passengers were
either blown to pieces, cremated or res
cued in a more or less injured condi-
ton.
The injured, some of whom are ia
tally hurt, are at the hospitals in Terre
Haute and Paris, ILL.,, and at Sand
ford.
The full extent of the disaster was
revealed at daylight, but the death
list will not be complete until the
workmen have cleared the debris away
Have Many Theories
According to trainmen of the freight,
the powder was exploded by the con-
cussion made by the passenger train,
which was slowing down for the sta
ton at Sandford. Another theory is
that gas escaping from an oil pipe line
near by entered the powder car and
spark from the passing engine ig-
nited the gas. Others express the be-
lief that the disaster was due to a
tramp or intoxicated man firing a shot
into the car.
Cars were smashed to pieces by the
force of the explosion. Huge pieces
of iron were found hundreds of feet
away from the track. The tank of the
engine was hurled nearly hundred
feet. Two passenger coaches and one
baggage coach were consumed by fire.
The freight train in which was the
car of powder was demolished.
Sandford was badly shocked. Win
doWs were shattered, dishes and fur
niture broken and doors torn from
their hinges.
The night was dark and heavy rains
had rendered the streets of Sandtord
almost impossible. AS the passenger
engine went by the powder car stand
ing on an adjoining track, the explo-
sion came without warning.
The entire train was blown from the
tracks and crashed into the mud, a
mass of debris, pinning under 1t forty
human beings.
Fire broke out and before the eyes
of citizens who rushed to the rescue
many persons were burned to death
before aid could be. rendered them.
Rescuers Work Nobly
In the darkness by the light of the
burning coaches, the people of Sandtord
did their best for the stricken. Cries
OF the injured and the cracking OF the
flames together with the odor of burn =
ing human flesh greeted the rescuers,
who worked frantically. but soon were
forced back by the terrific heat.
Among the nfSt rescued WAS Il. II Z.
Rose of Mattoon, H., engineer OF
maintenance of way of the Big Four
road. His leg was broken and he was
severely lruised. He was carried to
the home of c. F. Marrs, two hundred
feet away. Soon Mrs. Rose was brought
in painfully bruised, but she assisted in
the care of her husband until she col
lapsed
Women Care for Injured
Others were rescued as the flames ad-
Vanced. AS men threw their strength
to the work of disintangling the human
forms from the wreckage, the women OF
Sandford cared for the injured
When the fire drove the rescuers
away they waited until the fire died
down and then started to drag out the
charred bodies. Men searched nearby
fields and found pieces of human flesh
and wearing apparel.
There was no efficient water supply
to fight the flames and the bitter cold
added to the suffering.
Four badly mutilated bodies were
found IN the woods several hundred feet
from the tracks.
One thousand feet of track was torn
up and a great hole shows where the
powder car stood. This car was being
hauled from Concord junction, Miss,
to East Alton, ILL.,, and contained 500
kegs of powder.
Engineer Welch and Fireman Jerrod
of Mattoon ILL.,, who were in charge OF
the passenger train, were hurled nearly
(COntinued ON Page TWO.)