Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-26

HetoAs HuV 8IoOO uNVeE WHlCu nun
dred men, women. and children. many
Of whom were killed instantly. were
buried. The greatest loss Of life oc-
Cured In the hrst day coach, but .
dozen persons were later taken dead
from the second coach, which after fol.
lowing the flrst over the trestle. snap
ped its rear coupling and thus saved
the rest Of the train from being drag
ged over.
Passengers PILED in Car End.
This second coach struck on the bot
tom and stood end up the rear end
projecting few feet above the top OF
the trestle. All OF the passengers In
this car were piled in a tangled mass
Of broken seats at the bottom of the
car.
Indescribable pandemonium followed.
The Pullman car. which remained on
the bridge with one end projecting over
the gulch, and several cars behind It..
derailed and in immediate danger Of
going over on the mass Of wreckage
below, were soon emptied of all their
passengers. who. aided by gangs Of
railroad employees from the big freight
yards at Manchester. rushed to aid.
It was several minutes. however. be-
fore anybody reached the cars at the
bottom to help the victims.
The cars did not catch fire. Axes
were obtained and body after body was
recovered and carried by the rescuers.
knee deep in the river bed, to the bank
on the west side Of the trestle. There
the dead and injured were laid out on
the ground while planks and timber
were requisitioned and field hospital
was established.
Special Hospital Trains Run.
It was more than an hour before
many of the injured could be removed
and special trains from both Geneva
and Rochester brought physicians.
nurses. and medical supplies. Hundreds
awaited treatment. and the railroad
station at Manchester. the cider mill.
and an ice house were used to give
temporary shelter and treatment to the
sufferers.
II was necessary to chop thru the
sides and bottom of the day coach at
the bottom and the work Of removing
ness. Death had come swiftly to many.
large number Of the dead having had
their skulls crushed when they were
thrown against the car seats and pro-
jections. The mortality was high
among the older passengers, most Of
whom were veterans of the civil war.
accompanied by their wives.
The dead removed from the wreck
and brought to morgue at Shortsville.
near here ,at 9 o'clock last night num-
bered twenty-five Two other persons
died in Rochester Of their injuries
several other persons with possibly
mortal injuries are lying In the hospi-
tails at Rochester, Geneva and Clifton
Springs.
Telegraph Wires Down.
Owing to the fact that the derailed
dining car, in going into the ditch east
Of tho trestle, brought down several
telegraph poles with scores Of wires
telegraphic service was broken and will
not be restored until late today. Aid
had to be summoned by telephone.
Coroner D. A. Eisline of Shortsville,
took charge Of work at the wreck. as
sisted by Coroners Armstrong Of Cam
andaigua and Flint of Geneva. Coroner
Armstrong was assigned particularly
to investigate the legal aspect of the
disaster. and after preliminary ex-
animation of the scene he said:
1T looks to mo as If the track was
bad and there was probably a broken
rail. 1t looks as If the first car that
was derailed left the rails about sixty
feet from the west end of the bridge.
We will hold no inquest until we iden-
tify all Of the bodies"
Late last night while the wrecking
crews were trying to remove part of
the wreckage the day coach that stood
on end fell into the gully, adding to
the debris at the bottom, under which
1t Is possible few more bodies may
be concealed.
Members Of the wrecking crew had
narrow escapes ard the. jar of the big
car as 1t slid along the trestle side be-
fore 1T plunged down frightened many
who stood on the structure.
Identification Made Difficult.
A narrowing aftermath Of the wreck
is the scantiness Of means of Identify
Ing the victims. Rescuers in their haste
to remove clothing and effects from
the victims. neglected to keep the va
rious articles near the bodies, and many
OF the dead. upon whom at first suf-
ficient means Of Identification were to
be found were soon laid out at the
morgue where careless visitors mixed
up garments and identi8catf tfon taps