, 1864-12-19
FRICNTFUL RAILROAD ACCI-
DENT,
COLLISION BETWEEN TWO
TRAINS ON THE GRAND
TRUNK ROAD,
EreeGG.l Loss Of Life and
Property.
The Cars on Firc--Scyeral Persons
Roasted Alive.

The Cars on Fire--Several Persons
Roasted Alive.
From the Detroit FREQ Prces, Dec. 18.1
A most dreadful accident, attended with
loss Of life, occurred last night. shortly before
s eo'clock, on the Grand Trunk Railroad, about
a mile and a half west of the Detroit d Mil
waukee junction, through a collision between
the day passenger express west and freight
tain going east. The particulars which
have been gathered thus far are nearly ~ fol-
lows:
The passenger trim WIS behind time, and
had made all the necessary pauses, according
to the telcgTaphic instruction, until 1t had
passed Now baltimore station, where 1t Is
said 1t had orders to pass the freight going
east at the Detroit & Milwaukee junction.
When it arrived there, according to the story
Of the operator at the Grand Trunk junction,
it had orders to proceed all right. Under
these Instructions 1t passed the junction,
when shortly afterwards the engineer thought
he discovered an engine ahead. The next
moment he heard the whistle to down breaks,
whtn he Immediately gave similar orderand
reversed his engine. There we're with him in
the cab at the time two other persons, besides
the fireman. Before they could jump the two
engines came crashing together in frightful
contact, literally making chaos Of every Thing
connected with both. The engines were
manner, and the mail and baggage car Of the
passenger train driven partially through the
forward passenger car, thereby causing the
fightful catastrophe which followed.
The passenger train, which consisted Of
only two coaches and q baggage car, WIS
crowded with passengers. Both cars were
filled to the utmost, SO much so that scarce
rto L.
the accident those In the forward car, who
were not helplessly injured, endeayored to
get out Is soon as possible. It Is said, aud We
give It upon the authority Of ono Of the pas-
sengers, that the baggAgeman, who, it ap-
pears, had charge Of tho train-there being
no conductor aboard-or one Of the brake
men, shut the hind door Of the car, and would
stating that there was no danger. 1mnedi-
ately after the smash occurred the stoves
were upset and the cars took fire. In au al
most incredible space OF time the flames en-
veloped the whole, with the exception Of the
last car, and how many perished time alone
can tell.
The flames shot up in broad sheet, illumi-
trs,m the city, it appeared as though some
huge bonfire was blazing atthe Skating Park.
The bells sounded the;:alarm, and the engines
turned out, but after proceeding short dis:
tance up Woodward avenue, they found that
the fire was far beyond the city limits and
they returned. Various conjecturcs were rifa
rs to the cause, but 1t Was not until after the
arrival Of some Of the passengers in the city
tbat the nature Of tic catastrophe Was as
certained,
After recovering from the shock, those who
escaped turned their attention to the rescue
of those in danger, and succeeded in deliver
ing several from the burning mass. Whilst
thus engaged they were forced to witness O
sight which tailly curdled the blood In their
veins, and towards the recital Of which the
pen denies Its Office. The mail agent, George
". Mlllen, from Port Huron, was found to
be jammed in between the baggage and for
ward passenger car. His leg was firmly held
between two pieces Of broken timber, and all
efforts to rescue him before the deyou.ins
futile. The most herculean efforts to extri-
cate his crushed and bleeding limbs from its
fearful embrace were used, but the rapidly
spreading flames drove the laborers iron,
their work, Ind they were forced to witness
him perish before their eyes, his heartrrend-
ing shrieks piercing their ears for help. until
stited amid the smoke and flames Of the de-
sickenfng sight, aud completely eneryated
the energies Of those around in their duty to
others probably equally terribly sltuated.
After the fire had burned down. Ills cl,arred
trunk was taken from the ruins, the heat,
1rtuo and legs completely dtvOurcd, and the
body roasted to cindcr.
As We hare stated, It is not known how
many persons perisl,cd. We can, therefore,
only as yet surmise the number sacrificed TO
the catastrophe. Some persons working
nmonE the ruins discovered portion Of q
females hoop skirt, and shortly afterwards
The bones Of a human being among the ashes.
Another person drew from the ruins portion
Of the bottom Of q silk dress. and a ticket
upon which was the address - Miss Mary
Doorl'ngam, Oneida, n. T." but whether
this belonged to..any one who persisted, ,hAs not
yet been discovered. It Is said that q lady
and two children were In the car, who have
not turned up. and that . physician WIS in
the city awaiting the arrival Of sister or
some female relative, or both, mourns their
absbnce. It is probable that five or six have
pcrishtd. Beyond the melancholy death of
Mr.. Aitllen no other names have transpired.
. The names Of the wounded, so fur as could
be ascertained, together with the nature Of
their injuries, are as follows: Mr.. Davidson,
express agent, Detroit, head and face severe
forth, Mass, consisting oi q mother, SOD and
daughter, were all more or less injured. The
mother wns very severely cut about the head
and lace, and the son, IL is feared, is injured
internally. Hc was completely bewilderel
for some u17a tine: The he daughter 9iary, had her
R4A DADANA AAA AtI 1EE stfCEEly
bruised, and appeared to be suffering intense
rain. They were on. their way to Wisconsin,
where they intended to settle. Mr.. Watson.
gentleman from Canada, internally, so bad
II as to be unable to give an account of his
residence and friends; Ebenezer .Hillyard,
Mount Clemens, severely about the head,
faee and body; y. Avery, Port Huron, slight.
II; T. L. Wells, head and face, slightly
Mr. Smith, Detroit, head and face, slightly !;
Henry Newton near Tpsilanti head and
back, seriously; ". s. Lloyd, Cedar Falls,
Iowa, head and shoulder, slightly; Martha
Montgomery. daughter Of J. c. Montgomery,
Whit field, n. e.. head, severely; Mary ".
Green, Topsham, Me-. head, slightly; james
Bickell, London, c: ", arm and legs, severe
"; Il L. Walters, Brownstone, Mich, breast,
slightly; John Law, Toronto, slightly; J.
Prescott Eldridgc, East Constable, N. T., leg,
severely.
These are the names of the principal suffer-
ers. There arc two or three others, however,
who are reported to have found refuge in
some Of the adjoining farnhouses, where
tlcir injuries, said to be slight, were attend
ed To. .