10
THE ifORNIXG OREGONIAX, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1903.
PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FOR THE OREGONIAN OF THE WRECKED ELKS' EXCURSION TRAIN NEAR CHEHALIS, WASH.
SCKXE OP ELKS' TRAIN WRECK NEAR CHEHALIS.
VIEW SHOWING ENGINE WITH BOTTOM OF BOILER BLOWN OCT.
ALL ARE INDIGNANT
Railroad Company Callqus
Toward Sufferers,
DELAY IN GIVING ASSISTANCE
Elks Join In Chorus of Condemnation
of Northern Pacific's MniuiKenieut
of Wreck Engine AVn Clear
ly Unlit for Service.
A regular gale of indignation lias been
aroused among the Elks of Portland and
their many friends here over the seem
ing indifference. Inattention and neglect of
natural obligations by the Northern Pa
cific Railway Company in regard to the
Elks' excursion disaster near Chehalls,
wash., Saturday. It began with the gen
eral belief in the company's culpability
or the accident. Then the Elks charge
that mismanagement, stupidity or inhu
man indifference on the company's part,
or of some of Its officials, was the cause
of much needless delay and suffering.
Prominent-Elks are very outspoken In
the expression of their common opinion
on the- subject.
"I will not say the feeling is general
it Is universal," said D. Soils Cohen yesterday-
"Doubtless the railroad" people
could offer excuses, bis. It Is hardly likely
that they would take the trouble to do so.
They do not mind 'roasting,' being used
to It. and would say, perhaps. 'It's the
Ufual kick after an accident.' But if you
want me to go over the points of the
Elks' complaint. I'll give them to you.
Lunt; mid Painful Dclnyn.
"Immediately after the accident an en
gine and one undamaged coach were
available on this side of the wreck. The
rassmgers begged that the Injured be at
one taken Into the coach and hurried to
Portland, wher.? they belonged. . For some
reason, this was refused, and. loaded on
fUtcars. they were taken to Chehalls."
rasjvngers on the wrecked train flay
that the railroad officials had first ordered
the injured brought to Tacoma. but that
tivis plan was resolutely turned down by
the physicians and other uninjured Elks.
"The news reached here about noon."
continued Mr. Cohen, "and some 10 of us
...t once assembled at Aldrich's drug atore.
""e arranged tor extra doctors and a corps
of nurse, and I hurried down to te
main office of the Northern Pacific Ra.
way. It seemed impossible to learn any
thing there. They could do nothing for
ihey aald. in the matter of getting a
special train. Finally I was referred to
Superintendent Lyons, of the Terminal
Company He appeared not to regard the
matter very seriously, and flald he could
not possibly arrange a special for us to
leave before 5 o'clock.
" 'You would bettor go on the regular
3 o'clocktraln," he said. "That will take
you right through to the wreck just as
well as a special, and get you there much
quicker. You'll bo there before S o'clock.'
"As a mater of fact. It was about mid
night before -we got there. When we
reached Napavlne, seven miles this side of
Chehalls, wc were held there three hours
waiting for the track to be cleared of
wreckage. An engine and empty car were
standing at Napavlne. and we begged to
use them. We were refused, and the sta
tion agent at Napavlne refused to send
a dispatch for us, cither to Portland or
Tacoma, asking for .permission to use the
extra engine and car."
Netvs Dispatches Held Out.
Mr. Cohen was informed that the same
operator had "held out" news dispatches
to at least one afternoon paper until too
late for publication, and had also declined
to send other newspaper dispatches later
Saturday evening.
"Next at Chehalls," went on Mr. Cohen,
"we found there had even been annoy
ance there. A special hospital car had
been promised from Tacoma, but none
came. When the regular through train ar
rived, an unsuitable car -was offered for
the use of the injured, who had to be
handled on stretchers. Finally, through
the inslstance pf Drs. Boyd and Stewart,
Mr. Rankin and others, a more suitable
car was cleared and received the suffer
ers. Then we started on the return trip.
"At Kalama we were delayed two hours
or more longer, while a circus train was
allowed to pull out ahead of us and use
the ferry. Finally, when we arrived at
Portland, we found that the railroad
people had made no arrangements for the
reception and care of the Injured., and, if
the Elks themselves had not been on
hand 'with stretchers anil conveyances,
there would have been much longer delay
and trouble. As It was we got the In
jured to their homes or to the hospftals
about 18 hours after the disaster, when
it might have been done in one-third that
time."
Mr. Cohen's arraignment of the railroad
company was echoed with more or less
heat by every other Elk who had any
thing to say yesterday.
Company Criminally Liable.
Dan R. Murphy, former United States
District Attorney, lying In pain at his res
idence on the East Side yesterday, de
clared that In his belief the railroad com
pany Is criminally liable for the accident.
"I don't know much about the action or
inaction of the railroad people subsequent
to the accident," he said, "but I was
moved about from one place to another
several times, which caused me groat suf
fering. Could we have been taken at
once to Portland, I fancy all of us would
have been saved much pain."
Engine Unfit for Service.
State Senator Alexander, accompanied
by a machinist and two experienced lo
comotive engineers, spent the forenoon
.yesterday at the scene of the wreck. His
Investigation convinced him of the truth
of the reports regarding the unfitness of
engine No. 347 for service. When asked !
at his home last evening for a statement,
he said:
"I was on the rear car of the excursion
train at the time of the accident, and
wltfj the others hurried forward to as
sist the injured. I want to say right here
that, but for the presence and very
prompt services of Drs. Boyd, J. Arch
Stewart, Connell and Cornelius, several
more dead would haw been added to the
list. They all deserve great credit.
"About that engine. I learned from
good authority that it was an old out-of-date
affair, and not in proper condition.
It had long been entirely cut out of the
passenger service and has been used only
to haul freight between Portland and
Goble. Engineer Green had never handled
that locomotive berore and objected to It
at the start when he had examined It.
But the engine which brought the ex
cursion train to Portland was sent to
other duty and Green was forced to take
out No. 347.
"On the Kalama ferry Green" and his
fireman were tinkering at it all the way
across the river, and, when we reached
Castle Rock there was a long delay, due,
I was Informed, to the engineer having
had to drown his Are In order to clear
the grate. The boiler was leaking, and It
seems that the injector would not work
properly.
"All this led me to make an examina
tion yesterday with some experienced lo
comotive men. Wc found that the crown
sheet the great iron plate that is bolted
over the top of the fire-box and separ
ates it from the boiler had been burnt,
unquestionably, whether yesterday or at
some previous time. I cannot say. Also,
it had been patched some time ago. It
was of the blue color of burnt metal and
had every appearance of having been
heated red-hot, so weakening It that It
collapsed down Into the fire-box. into
which It fitted in front so well that the
engine crew were saved from being scald
ed by escaping water and steam.
"According to expert opinion, the ex
plosion was due to weakness of the
crown sheet. It could not withstand the
extra pressure of steam when the supply
was Increased by the engine using less
on that down grade. "No doubt as to the
railroad company's liability appeared to
exist among those who. examined the
wTeck. I heard several say 'the company
Is getting off mighty lucky that no more
were killed in such a frightful WTeck."
Ready to Settle Claim.
It seems that the railway company real
izes Its responsibility for the accident.
Chief Claim Agent Blumauer, of the I
Northern Pacific, arrived on the 6:10 P. j
M. train from the Sound yesterday. He
was heard to say that he would adjust
all claims of the injured as rapidly as
possible, that the company would see that
they should be well cared for at Its ex
pense. ' He hopes, he said, to settle claims
without the intervention of lawyers with
suits.
In Washington, however," said a
prominent lawyer yesterday, "there is no
law limiting the damages for death, only
a jury can determine the amount, unless
the victims heirs are willing to arrange
a compromise. Damages for broken
limbs, loss of limbs, and other injuries
are usually based on the Injured person's
condition In life, his earning capacity, and
consequent loss during the period of re
covery, or If permanently wholly or par
tially disabled."
LASTOJF THE INJURED RETURN.
Curious Crowd Gathers to See Them
nt the Depot.
The last of the injured in the Elks' ex
cursion wreck arrived on the Northern
Pacific train last evening. The train was
duo to arrive at 5:30, and before that time
a large delegation of Elks and the friends
of those injured were waiting Impatiently.
It was 7 o'clock before the train reached
the depot, and by that hour the crowd
had swelled to several hundred. Some !
were there out of sympathy or personal
Interest: others were there for curiosity,
and It was this latter class which was
the most unmanageable to the police
guarding the entrances and exits.
In an effort to dodge the crowding of
the simply curious, the three ambulance
drivers played a praiseworthy trick. They
backed their sinister vehicles to the curb
at the main entrance, so the crowd gath
ered in front of them ten deep. Just as
the train pulled In and every one turned
toward the arriving throng, the drivers
quietly pulled out of the line and went
around to the baggage gate. But the
crowd finally "tumbled" to the trick, and
men and women, the great majority of
whom had no personal interest in the
proceedings, raced to the spot, where they
might feast their eyes upon the unfortu
nates in the cots.
With the greatest care Mrs. Dr. Brown,
Charles F. Franks and Charles Francen
were carried from, the car and gently
placed in the ambulances. Even tho
crowd of curious people who had rushed
round the end of the depot "building to
gaze upon the Injured seemed awed into
an unusual silence. Softly the ambulances
moved off for the hospitals, already
crowded with those brought in from the
wreck early yesterday morning.
While few looked on, the body of
Charles Farleman was carried from the
baggage car and taken to Finley's under
taking parlors.
On every hand could be heard stories of
how it happened. The sound of the ex
plosion and ot the breaking cars seems
to have conveyed a different Idea to every
one on the train, and there was a gen
eral comparing of notes and exhibition of
injuries.
The four nurses from the Good Samari
tan Hospital who went to the WTeck on
the train Saturday afternoon, returned,
having in their care those whose injuries
were the most severe.
As the Good Samaritan Hospital was
completely filled, the injured three were
taken to St, Vincent's Hospital.
C. N. Rankin said: "I was sitting on
the front seat of the rear car when the
accident happened. There was the sound
of escaping steam when the crownsheet
blew out. There was a sudden jerk, then
another, when we came to a sudden stop.
I sprang to my feet and said: 'Boys, a
fearful accident has happened. Let's get
out of here.' We went out. I hurried
along toward the front end. There lay
the engine and tender down the em
bankment. The car that went down the
embankment was partially on its side. I
hurried inside with difficulty as the car
was tilted up. I first saw Pike Davis with
blood streaming from cuts on his face.
Alex Sweek had been thrown clear into
the brush. Women were pinned under the
wreckage. I saw only the face of Mrs.
Brown. She was covered, except her face.
With the help of some others. I got her
out- Mra. John Kelly was helped out,
and the wounded were finally all taken
out.
"I want to speak of the wonderful de
votlpn of the women of Chehalls to the
ones who were injured. Why, there was
a woman to every injured one. I saw one
woman take off her waist and say: 'Take
this for bandages.'
"I came very near being in the front
car. W. W. Bretherton asked me to go
there to have a smoke, but I said I did
not care to go. He got as far as the
second car when the accident happened.
The only thing that prevented telescop
ing of the whole train was the big stump
which tore the side of one of the cars
out and checked the fearful speed of the
train. Had it not been for that. I believe
that the cars, one after another, would
have telescoped and plied on top of each
other. Engineer O'Malley and Mr. Dren
nan measured the distance the train trav
eled after the first jolt, and it was found
to have been six car lengths."
GROUTS OF PASSENGERS AIDING THE IN J I RED.
f f ? t ; . t ; t i ?. r- ? ? t
PSot fey Ed. C. Jo&xuon.
HOME-COMING OF THE INJURED.
Lons-Delnyecl Train Brings Suffering
Elks to the Hospitals.
It was a scene of sadness, the home
coming of the carload of Injured pleas
ure excursionists early yesterday morn
ing. The delayed through Northern Pa
cific train, with the Improvised hospital
car bearing 19 more or less helpless In
jured from Chahalis. reached Portland
after 4 A. M. yesterday, almost IS hours
after the wreck. A half dozen other less
Injured ones were on the same train. The
names of the 13 are:
Mrs. J. E. Kelly, George J. Blodgett.
Dr. H. R. Llttleflcld. Phil Harris. Mathlas
Foeller. Elmer Quimby, Charles Harr,
William Reldt. Mrs. M. Roberts. D. R.
Murphy. Thurston E. Daniels. John Cas
well. John Ruedy. H. B. Stout. William
Stevenson. Mrs. Maud Comstock. Gus
Kratx. Otto Wlndfelder. Charles Kahn.
All were resting- quietly, several under
tho influence of opiates. They were being
cared for by three of the trained nurses '
who had gone to Chehalls with the Elks'
relief committee on the 3 P. M. train Sat- J
urday. Drs. Boyd and J. Arch Stewart, ,
who had performed wonders during the '
day, were In charge of the car. and sev
eral other Elks were assisting the. nurses,
among them W. M. ("Pike") Davis and i
E. W. Rowe. Messrs. Davis and Rowe
were the only members of the excursion
committee that had been able to go on
the excursion. Mr. Davis bore many
bruises, but still wore his glasses com
placently. His experience, was most remarkable.
"Dr. Brown," he said, "had just got up ,
from his seat by his wife's side In that I
front coach, and I sat down In his place. I
Mrs. Brown sat at my right, next the
window. Mrs. J. E. Kelly sat opposite
me, and next her, at .the window, sat
Miss Tilly Cornelius. We were singing
and chatting, when suddenly there was
an explosion. Next instant we felt the
car bumping over the ties.
"I had time to say 'Sit still and hold
on, and caught hold of the seat arm my
self. I felt Mrs. Brown catch hold of my
arm, but' she must also have had hold of
the window. Suddenly we plunged down
ward and a moment later I found myself
with my legs burled in debris and every
thing covered with cinders and dust. I
was the first man out of the car. Dr.
Stewart, who had been sitting' just back
of me, was the next man out. He hadn't
a scratch and was as cool as a cucumber.
Say. I wish you would speak of him. He
was one of the coolest and most capable
men of the occasion. We at once went
to work digging out the others. We had
got out on the open side of the car and
pulled the debris away that side. Soon
there was plenty of help.
"Mis. Brown lay on her face heaped in
a tight Dlace.
" 'Are you hurt? I said.
" 'My arms.' she replied very calmly.
"To my horror, as I caught hold to pull
her out, I found myself grasping the
bloody stump of her arm. I did not even
hear her groan.
"Miss Cornelius we found sitting bold up
right In her seat hemmed In by the de
bris. She was covered with blood and dirt
and presented a dreadful sight. Ah, it
was tough to see those poor people!"
At Union Depot day was beginning to
break In the East when the train pulled
In. A great gathering of the most prom
inent Elks In town was there. They had
been waiting many hours. The railroad
people had volunteered no aid, but the
Elks had carriages and stretchers enough
for all , needs. The hospital car was
switched off and one by one the injured
were carefully borne out at the end on the
cots, placed In the carriages and taken
to homes or the hospitals.
Mr. E. M. Welch, a delegate to the
Trans-Mississippi Congress at Seattle, ap
pointed from Louisiana by the Governor of
that state, was a passenger on the
wrecked train who distinguished himself
signally, displaying coolness, quickness
a'nd an executive grasp of the situation
that proved of great aid on the occasion.
Through his efforts the work of getting
the injured aboard the train was facili
tated. A singular coincidence of interest to peo
ple superstitious about numbers Is in the
fact that the engine number. "317," of the
Chehalls wreck, the most disastrous wreck
on the Northern Pacific, Is the same as
that of the engine of the Lake Lablsh
wreck, the worst disaster of the Southern
Pacific line in Oregon.
Articles of Incorporation Filed.
SALEM, Aug. 22. (Special.) Articles of
Incorporation were filed in the office of
Secretary of State Dunbar this week as
follows:
Northwest Steel Company, Portland;
$10,000. Charles F. Beebe, Walter B. Beebe,
H. M. Cake.
Springfield Canning & Preserving Com
panv. Springfield, Yamhill County: 53000;
William KIncaid, C. E. Newhouse. William
Barker.
Pioneer Grocery Company. Marshfield;
0,000; H. E. Bessey, I. M. Condron, J. H.
Taylcr.
Portland Artificial Granite Works. Port
land; $10,000; W. A. Currle, George L.
Brown, F. E. Beach.
Des Chuttes Fine Wood Company, Port
land; $20,000; Thomas Sharp, Jr., A- E.
Gebhardt, Robb W. Mitchell.
T. M. Rogers Company. Portland: $10,000;
Thomas M. Rogers, Henry Johns, Fred J.
Rogers.
Columbia River & Oregon Central Rail
road Company, Portland: $300,000; John C.
Alnsworth. Louis Gertlnger. Henry F.
Conner; 'object, to build railroads from the
mouth of John Day River to Condon and
from lone to Condon.
Pacific Pulp Plaster Company, Port
land; $25,000; H. B. Augua, George A. Bro-
dle, H. F. Conner.
Chattanooga Gold Mining Company, Su-
sanvllle, Grant County; $30,000; Chaxle
Graham, E. S. Heaton, S. E. Heaton,. ta.,
G. Heaton, F. C. Heaton.
ALL CANNOT HANDLE MAIL-
Order Permitting Swearing in of
Trainmen Is Misconstrued.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22. The decision
ot the Postolflce Department to allow
baggagemasters to act as custgdlans of
loose newspaper mall on certain tralna
has been misconstrued In some places as
an intention to permit the Indiscriminate
swearing Into the postal service of all
railway employes, and the department
has received a number of protests. Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster-General Shel
lenberger states the position of the de
partment as 'follows:
"The postal laws and regulations al
ready provide that every regularly sched
uled train may be used for mall purposes
if the company Is willing to accept the
compensation provfded by law. All the
department has In contemplation is to fa
cilitate, if possible, the prompt delivery
of newspaper packages marked for out
side delivery."
MucUle Bros. Want the Property.
ST. HELENS, Or.. Aug. 23. (Special.)
Muckle Bros, have begun suit in the Cir
cuit Court against the Lone Star Lum
ber Company for posession of the plant
operated by the latter firm. The Lone:
Star Lumber Company Is the successor
of the St. Helens' Lumber Company, the
latter operating the sawmill under a lease
from Muckle Bros., the owners of the
property. The Lone Star Lumber Com
pany had entered Into a contract for the
purchase of the mill and adjoining prop
erty, but the deal fell through and
Muckle Bros, now desire possession of.
their mill and yard.
RESCUERS COMFORTING AN INJURED PASSENGER.
Photo by Ed. C Johnson.