Year: 1869

by gracious providence in their deadly
flight. If


"To attempt a pen picture of the scene
were folly. Imagine $4,000 people, pallic
with fear, rushing and crushing to ant
fro, impelled by a nameless something
toward an undefinable object: men bear
ing dead and wounded into the various
halls; women shrieking and crying, for
fear their husbands, sons or brothers may
be among the killed; strong men con-
vulsed and in tears because temporarily
separated from wives and children, and in
suspense as to their safety; here stun
bling across the mutilated form of man
there appalled, with the horrid spectacle
of skull absolutely stripped of it's flesh
here an arm, there pair of legs; here a
side of flesh cooked until it looked like
tripe; there pool of clotted blood; here
horse struck dead in its harness with
the occupants of the carriage dumb and
pa]sied with terror All this and more,
infinitely more, must be imagined to fill
in the details of picture of which it were
next to impossible to give but the faintest
outlines.


INCIDENTS.


"A man, walking in front of the Execu-
tive headquarters, was startled at seeing
the skull of man drop in front of him,
the flesh actually scalped off the'bones, but
the eyes and teeth still remaining in the
sockets and jaws.


"Several yards from the disaster was
found pair of legs held together by the
merest shred of flesh. At one place was
the headless trunk of a man; at another
was the leg of woman, with her boot and
stocking and a part of her drawers still
Lo oPo
driven into poplar board; while not far
from Power Hall was seen the body of a
man so horribly mutilated that his heart,
stomach, liver, and lungs could readily be
seen. When first discovered his heart was
still palpitating, and the motion of the
organ was plainly observed.
"Mr. John E. Foudray, with friend,
was sitting in a carriage on the east side of
Power Hall. They both saw a piece of
the boiler coming toward them, when Mr.
Foudray's friend pushed him aside, and the
deadly iron imbedded itself in the ground
not three feet behind him.


"The scalp of a man was found near the
stairway to the amphitheatre.
One piece of the boiler, flying through
the air, took off the top of a mans hat.


"Gov. Bakers cOacbman was standing
near the horses, while the Governor, in
company with Maj. Walker and Capt. De
La Hunt, were standing just at the side OF
the carriage. Mrs. Baker had left the
Governor but a short time before, and for
half hour the Governor was in great dis
tress for her safety. While the coachman
was so badly injured, the escape of the
Governor and his friends seems miracu-
| lous.


"The little daughter of Mr.. Dawson
was struck in the head while standing near
its father. The girl died very shortly after
reaching home.


GA baby wagon was struck by piece
of the flying iron, and wagon utterly de-
molished, but the child left unhurt.
GA piece of the boiler was blown into
the cattle shed 200 yards, where it passed
through the roof and knocked the tips off
the horns of the mammoth OK, but doing
him no other injury.


"Mr. E. A. Vinton and his daughter
were sitting in buggy about 30 yards
away, looking at the running of the mills,
when piece Of the boiler struck the
horse, killing him instantly, and upsetting
the buggy, throwing both occupants out,
but doing them no serious harm.


"a piece of mans head, showing a
part of the forehead, and nose, and left
| side OF the face, the hair and Wh1Skers
very black, slightly tinged with gray, was
found near the executive office.


cone of p. L. Davis arms was blown
over a hundred yards from the place
where he fell dead. His body was other
wise terribly mutilated.


In lumber pile, near the place where
the boiler stood, was found some of the
remains of man literally wadded into
the interstices between the planks One
woman, inquiring for her husband, asked
one of the reporters if his name was upon
their list of the killed. 1t was, but the
man could not summon courage to tell tho
poor bereaved wife, and he put her oft
with an evasion.


"There are many other incidents which
could be given, but these will suffice as ap
index of the general character of the dis
aster"