The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-23
I LAND

TUnited Press Leased Wire Service.]
CARLISLE, England, May 22.-With
seventy-nine mangled, burned bodies
in a, temporary morgue here tonight
and more than a score of soldiers still
missing, it was believed certain the
death toll from today's railway wreck
at Gretna will reach ninety and pos
sibIy 100.
OF 800 soldiers and civilians crush
ed or burned In the triple collision
near the Scotland border, nearly 100
were tonight said to be suffering from
serious injuries and at least dozen
are expected to die.
Early tonight the fire that converted
the wrecked trains into an Inferno,
was slowly burning itself out. Tho
heat from the blazing debris Is 80 in
tense that firen,en may not be able to
search among the ashes for more
bodies before daybreak tomorrow.
While f7remen were still battling at
the scene Of the wreck, word reached
here from London tonight that the
government has ordered an immediate
investigation. The fact that more than
fifty Of the dead were British soldiers
and that scarcely any of the 500 SOL
diers aboard the wrecked troop train
escaped injury, has aroused intense
feeling in military circles In London.
The bodies Of some Of the wreck
victims brought here tonight bore
ghastly bullet wounds. An explosion
of supply Of ammunition aboard the
wrecked troop train undoubtedly IN.
creased the loss of life. Despite the
peril from other explosions, physicians
and firemen worked heroicaIIy in an
effort to extricate persons pinned un-
der the teIescoped cars.
Many Of the injured, caught be-
meath the timbers Of the crushed cars,
were burned alive In full view Of a
crowd that was poweriess to help
them. Their agonized shrieks mingled
with the means Of dying taken from
wreck and stretched along the tracks
in long roWs.
Railway officials tonisht said they
were utteriy unable to esp'air Row
the wreck occurred. The troop train,
bound for Carlisle was supposed TO
have been on a side track when it col
Iided head on with an express train
that left Carlisle twenty minutes be-
fore. Practically every member Of
both train crews was killed hence
there was no one to give warning to
the London-Glasgow flyer which pIow-
ed into the wreckage at high rate
Of speed.
s H....., 115 DEAD.
CARLISLE, Eng May 23.-(sun-
day.)-The CsIedonlan railway OFF,
ciaIs early today announced that
about 115 persons were killed and 124
eeriously injured in yesterdays triple
collision at Gretna. ,-
KITCHENER GETS A BADGE.
LONDON, May 22.-king Albert Of
Belgium today conferred on Lord Kit
chener the grand Gordon Of the Order
Of Leopold. .at
BIG BATTLE.
LONDON, May 22.-OfffciaI dis
patches from General French tonight,
forecasted bio battle along the Brit
ish front from Ypres, south to point
west Of La Bassee.
A violent artillery engagement open-
ed last night and was proceeding to-
day. The Germans began sweeping
the British lines northeast of Fastu-
bert witt, shell fire. evidently planning
to launch an infantry attack The
British guns roared reply that held
the enemy to his trenches e1o4pts at
a few points where the Germans at
tempted to advance but were repuised.
The British have gained more
ground south Of Quinquerue. ~
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