Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1882 — Railroad Disaster. [ARTICLE]

Railroad Disaster.

New York, January 14. The body of Senator Wagner was recovered this morning from the wrecked cars at Spuyten Duyvil and brought to this city, accompanied by numerous friends and relatives, and conveyed to his late residence. The body was burned so as to be unrecognizable, and was only identified by his personal effects. 'Both hands were burned off and the limbs were drawn up in a position that showed the horrible agony the victim had endured. Henry 8. Rockenbough, a passenger, describes the horror of the collision as something indescribably dreadful. The train stopped for some minutes, and he walked back to look out of the rear window in the last car, in which he was. He saw the engine of the approaching train thundering around the curve, and turned to run back to the forward end of the car, shouting as he ran, to warn his fellowpassengers of their danger. All started up from their seats. Before he had reached half through the car the shock came, and he felt himself lifted up in the air. Pitch darkness followed; on all sides cries of horror, anguish and despair went up; then a lurid slow was cast through the car from fire breaking out, and {he saw men and women struggling to get free from the wreck. He heard a lady,(wedged in under a seat, calling most piteously for help. He tried to aid her, but she was held fast, aud the fire compelled him to leave her to her terrible fate. He recollected seeing a stout lady, who was identified' as Mrs. Brown, get on the cars at Greenbush.

Senator Wagner’s remains were sent down to the city in one of the dead Senator’s own palace care. Two hours later the remaining seven dead bodies were brought down in an ordinary baggage car, accompanied by Captain Yule and Coroner Knox. Six of the bodies were packed in boxes, and the charred remains of the seventh was borne on a stretcher, covered by the fur-lined cloak of Mrs. Valentine, the young bride, whose wedding tour ended in such a horrible death. In one of the satchels was found clews that led to the identification of one of the bodies as that of Rev. F. Marichal. The clerical cut of the few tattered rags that were yet left of the vest he had worn attracted attention to the man’s probable calling. The name was written on the binding and on the fly-leaf of a volume of sermons and a theological work, but without address. His body. like all the others, with the single exception of that of Mrs. Brown, was burned so as to be unrecognizable. . - As the identity of each body was established, a sheet of paper marked with the name and number was tacked to the coffin-lid, and the name was checked off on the list.

Side by side in the room on the rough pine floor stood two clumsy, painted boxes. The brief blue pencilmark on the tag affixed to each told the saddest story of all. The boxes held all th at was left of the charred bodies of Park Valentine and his young wife, bride and groom of only the night beore. In a pail between the coffins, covered over with a newspaper, lay a man's hand torn from an arm at the wrist by force that had ground the hone and tendons to a jelly. It was the most horrible, sickening memento of the dreadful catastrophe. Whose hand it was is not known. It had belonged to no one of the bodies recovered by the police, so far as could be observed. The fire had not scorched nor even touched it. The officials at the Grand Central Depot, when questioned by the reporters, exhibited the usual exasperating official ignorance and indifference, constantly refering the questions to some one higher in authority, who had nothing to say. The list of the dead is as follows: Senator Wagner. Park Valentine, age 21, of Bennington, Vt. Mrs. Valentine, age 19, of North A (IftTYIH Oliver B. Keeley, of Spring City, Pennsylvania. D. L. Ransom, a guest of the Hoffman House. Rev. F. Mari ch al, residence not given. Mrs. Maud Brown, 443 West Fiftythird street. New Yorkj A man name is unknown. Lily-of the-valley fringe laid over frills of white lace is a delicate dress trimming much used upon evening dresses, f