Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-12-29
DREADFUL RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Collision on the Grand Trunk
Road.
A Mail Agent Roasted to Death---
Many Persons Injured.
From the Detroit Free Press, Dec. IS

]
loss Of life, occurred last night, shortly be-
fore O'Clock, on the Grand Trunk railroad,
| about mile and half west of the Detroit
and Milwaukee junction, through a collision
between the day passenger express west and
a freight train going east.
The passenger train was behind time and
| had made all the necessary pauses, according
| to the Geographic instruction, until it had
| passed New Baltimore station, where it is
SAID 1t had orders TO pass the freight going
| East at the Detroit and 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 it passed the junction,
when shortly afterwards the engineer thought
| he discovered an engine ahead. The next
moment he heard the whistle to down brakes
when he Immediately gave similar order and
| reversed his engine. There were with him
| in the cab at the time two other persons. be-
! sides the fireman. Before they could jump,
| the two engines came crashing together in
! tmghttul contact, literally making chaos of
| everything connected with both. The en-
! glnes were dOvetailed into each other in an
! ingeparable manner, and the mail and baggage
| car of the passenger train driven partially
| through the forward passenger car, thereby
causing Che trightful catastrophe which fol
| lowed
The passenger train, which consisted of
only two coaches and a baggage car. was
! crowded with passengers Both cars were
filled to the utmost, so much so, that scarce
even standing room could be obtained AT
ter the accident those in the forward ear
who were not helplessly injured, endeavored
| to get out as soon as possible. 1t is said,
and we give 1t upon the authority of one of
the passengers, that the haggageman, who,
1t appears, had charge of the train-therG
being no conductor on bOard-or one of the
brakemen, shut the hind door of the car, and
would not for some time allow the passengers
| egress, stating that there was no danger.
Immediately after the smash up occurred the
| stoves were upset and the cars took ire. IL
| an almost Incredible space of time the flames
enyelOped the whole, with the exception OF
of the last car, and how many persisted, time
alone can till.
The flames shot up in q broad sheet ilumi-
mating the heavens for miles around As
! seen from the city, it appeared as though
! some huge bonfire was blazing at the Skating
| Park. The bells sounded the alarm, and the
| engines turned out, but after proceeding d
short distance up Woodward avenue, they
found that the fire was far beyond the city
limits, and they returned. Various coniec-
lures were rife as to the cause, but is was not
until the arrival Of some Of the passengers in
the city that the nature Of the catastrophe
was asCertained. '' T.
After recovering from the shock, those
who escaped turned their attention to the
rescue OF those IN danger and succeeded in
| delivering several from the burning mass.
Whilst thus engaged they were forced to wit
ness sight which fairly curdled the blood in
their veins, and towards the recital of which
the pen denies its office. The mail agent
George w. Millen, from Port Huron, was
found to be TANNED in between the baggage
and forward passenger car. Hisleg was firm
ly held between two pieces of broken timber
and all efforts to rescue him before the de-
| Y0uring hames engulphed him in their folds
proved futile. The most hercnlean efforts
to extricate his crushed and bleeding lin bs
from its fearful embrace was used, but the
rapidly spreading flames drove the laborers
from their work, and they were forced to
witness him perish before their eyes, mis-
heart rending shrieks piercing their ears for
help, until stifed amid the smoke of the de,
VOuring element. God of heaven, 1t was
sickening sight, and completely enervated
the energies Of those around in their duty to
others probably equally terribly situated.
After the fire had burned down, his charred
trunk was taken from the ruins, the head.
arms and legs completely deyoured, and tue
| the body roasted to cinder.
AS we have stated, it is not known how
many persons persisted. We can, therefore,
only rs yet surmise the number sacrificed to
the catastrophe. Some persons working
among the ruins discovered portion of a
females hoop skirt, and shortly afterwards
| the bones Of human being among the ashes.
Another person drew from the ruins Dor.
| ton Of the bottom of silk dress, and tick.
ct upon which was the address, Miss Mary
Booriingam, Oneida, n. Y" but whether this
| belonged to any one who persisted has not
| yet been discovered. It is said that lady
and two children were in the car, who have
not yet turned up, and that physician was
! in the city awaiting the arrival Of sister or
| some female relative, or both, ana mourns
their absence. 1t is probable that FIVE or six
have persisted. Beyond the melancholy death
of biz. Millen no other names have trans
PRED.
There were some 20 persons or more seri.
ously injured, among them family named
ASHLEY, consisting of a mother, son and
daughter on their way from North Danvers,
Mass, to settle in Wisconsin. The mother
and son were severely injured, the latter in
ternally, and the daughter, Mary had her
arm broken and leg severely bruised.
=