Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1887 — THE WESTERN STATES. [ARTICLE]

THE WESTERN STATES.

A Marquette (Mich.) dispatch reports a terrible disaster on the new extension of the Northwestern Iloa-l to Watersmeet, near Norway, Mich. A crow of men, after finishing building a water-tank, filled it with water to test it While tho men were sitting around eating dinner the tank suddenly burst with terrible force, killing six men instantly aud badly injuring six others. Rains throughout Michigan, from Sturgis to St Ignace, says a Detroit dispatch, have put out all the forest fires that were threatening the destruction of the towns near the forests. No fears are now expressed of any damage. Fled Hoyt, alias Welcome, a murderer, was executed by shooting iu the yard of the Penitentiary, near Salt Lake City, U. T. He was calm aud self-possessed, aud smoked to the last. At the first discharge two bullets pierced his heart, and death was instantaneous Theee miners were instantly killed Thursday at the Cleveland mine, near Ishpeming, Mich. Chicago firms have determined to erect extensive packing-houses at Sioux City, lowa, early next spring. The west-bound express on the Southern Pacific was ditched thirty miles from Tucson, Arizona, by robbers, who pillaged the expresscar and fled. Tho amount taken has not transpired. The exact loss of life by tho railway disaster at Ch&tswortk, 111., is still in doubt It is probable that the number of killed and fatally injured will reach ono hundred. More than that number were seriously hurt, and many more sustained slight injuries. Several of the dead are still unidentified All of the wounded who were able to travel have been removed from Chatswortb, Piper City, and Forest to Peoria or to their homes. The bodies of the killed were also taken to Peoria, and such as had not been claimed by relatives were interred by the company in that city. The Coroner began an inquest on Friday. The State Board of Railway Commissioners also began an investigation. The theory that the bridge was fired by incendiaries for the purpose of wrecking the train and robbing the passengers has impressed the minds of the railway officials very strongly. A Chats worth special of Saturday says:

The scene at the two morgues on Friday morning was both horrifying and sickening. The extreme heat of Thursday had rapidly advanced the decomposition of mangled corpses, and the stench was overpowering. Each body was covered in spots with flies that buzzed about in tho sunlight, the ghoulish insects alternating from body to body. No means were at hand for preservation of tho remains, the supply of ice being exceedingly limited. Those of tho dead who were unidentified lay on the floors of the morgues guarded by village policemen, the faces of the corpses being hidden from them bf a blanket or an old coat. The situation became so urgent that the officials of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Hoad decided to remove the bodies to Peoria by consent of Coroner Long, having previously ordered the necessary number of plain wooden coffins from Bloomington and which had arrived during the morning. The uncoffined dead disappeared early in the day, and it was indeed high time the bodies were removed from public gaze. They had lain over twentyfour hours in the depot and improvised morgue until their appearance was very revolting. Many had been recognized during the night and claimed by friends and relatives, who had gotten coffins and made preparations to take the bodies to places of sepulcher. The hideous bodies of the unknown unfortunates were carried away, washed, and laid out in course shrouds. Then they were examined by surgeons and agents of the company, who made memoranda of physical marss for purposes of future identifleat on. The names of some of these were obtained

from the tickets which they had bought for tho excursion. The Railroad Commissioners wanted photographs made of the dead, but this project was b v no means feasible, owing to the condition of the bodies. This description was made in triplicate—one copy going to tho Coroner of Livingston County, a' second to tho railroad company, and the third as a waybill or ticket for the dozen or more bodies. The company had provided a number of coffins, aud in these the bodies were placed. The transfer was made in a freight-car far removed from the station, so as to be out of sight of the curious public, who little knew what was being done. The freight-car containing the bodies was switched into the regular express train, and was soon on its way to Peoria. A Peoria telegram of Saturday says: Yesterday was a day of mourning in Peoria —crape on the doors, the dead literally blocking the undertakers’ establishmenlß, and sorrow. weeping, and utter desolation all over the city. The suddenness and horror of the calamity are upsetting men’s reason. There are several hero in the city who lost friends and relatives in the disaster, whose names for manifest reasons it will not do to mention, for whom the worst is feared. The undertakers of the city had more than they could attend to. All last night the death-carts were rumbling through the city, trains bearing the dead arriving at 12:30 and 2:10. In many instances the dead were taken to their late homes. But the condition of the bodies was such, owing to the terrible way in which they were mangled and the great heat of the weather, that it was necessary to send for the undertakers to remove them. The number killed in the Chatsworth disaster, or who have since died, is now “officially” stated at 76. The seriously wounded numbered 129, and the slightly injured 153, making a grp,nd total of 460 killed and injured. Several of the victims who are still at Chatsworth cannot survive their wounds. J. O. Baker, Professor of Civil Engineering in the University of Illinois, has made a careful personal examination of the engineering features of the wreck. He pronounces the incendiary theory

of th. cause of the accident as without a shadow of probability. As to the condition of the culvert itself, Prof. Baker positively affirms that it is of the usual type, and was, without doubt, amply strong to carry the train except for the fire. He thinks probably the firing of the bridge was caused by the fire left by the section men, who were, by their own testimony, burning weeds an eighth of a mile away late in the afternoon, and a change of wind drove the fire toward the bridge. Conductor Gillespie, who was running the Southern Pacific train that was robbed near Tucson, Arizona, says an El Paso dispatch, tells the following story: The train was running thirty miles an honr, up a slight grade near a gravel spar, when a torpedo exploded on the track and a red light was flashed in the engineer’s face. He tried the air-brake to stop the train, but by that time the switch leading to the gravel-pit had been thrown oven and the train was immediately stopped, the locomotive being thrown into the ditch. At the same time there was firing. A number of bullets whistled through tho train. Conductor Gillespie asked Manning if it was advisable to resist, but Manning thought not, as the train was apparently too well covered. Mr. Whorf, of Tucson, wanted to shoot with a small revolver, but was persuaded not to. The robbers then blew open the express-car door with dynamite, and, pushing Mail Clerk Grattnn ahead of them, entered the car. They cursed Messenger Smith and told hitn "that stove racket don’t go to-day. ” Thev kept shouting for Conductor Gillespie, and said they would kill him on sight. It is not known how much they got out of tho ex-prei«-car. The day’s railroad remittances all along the road were in the car and they took those. Six or eight empty coin sacks were found near tho train. A stick containing <» i Mexican dollars was carried across a small marsh, cut open, and the silver thrown away.

A Madison (Wie.) dispatch save that Richard Eagelstoo, a farmer in the town of Vienna, Daue County, had a thr.lling experience with a large spotted adder, which would have proved fatal had not assistance arrived. Eagelston, who is eighty years old and paralyzed on one side, was driving along near 4 liis.farm, accompanied by his daughter, when he saw in tront of him, coiled up in the roadway, the snake, which as the team advanced evinced no disposition to move aside. Eagelston was afraid to drive over it lest his horses receive poisonous wounds, and therefore alighted to drive it away. As he approached the venomous creature, darting forward viciously, in a twinkling entwined itself spirally around tho old and almost helpless man. It darted its fangs into its victim s trouser's leg, but fortunately did not reach the flesh. The terrified daughter, fearing to attack the reptile herself, hastened away and gave the alarm at the first farm house. Several men immediately ran to the rescue, and alter a severe struggle, in which the snake fought desperately, succeeded in killing the creature and releasing the old man, whose face was purple Irom the constantly tightening folds of the monster. Besides aching bones from the terrible pressure to which they had been subjected, the old man sustained a severe nervous shock; but he will probably recover. The snake measured a trifle over eight feet in length, aud was fully three inches in diameter where its body reached tho largest swell. Some of the Chicago Socialists, says a dispatch from that city, have at last taken up a project that will enlist the hearty approval of the community. They propose establishing a colony on tho island of San Domingo, and held a meeting in the interest of the scheme.