Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-16
The Michigan Horror.
Particulars OF THE terrible DIsAsTEi
NEAR JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

Special dispatches give thrilling details of
the terrible disaster Friday morning on the
Michigan Central Railway, near Jackson,
Michigan. Mr.. c. q. Parsons of Boston,
stated that he left the sleeper in company with
friend. When he first climbed through the
window of the telescoped ear, he could scarce
" find room for his foot, so thick were the
bodies of the dead and wounded. Groans of
poor mangled sufferers were horrible: chill
dren were calling for parents, and, in the
inky blackness of the wrecked car, mothers
could be heard crying for their children hus-
bands for their wives and wives for their hus-
bands The horror of the position cannot be
depicted. The body of one little girl was
handed out whose head had been literally
smashed to a pulp, the brains protruding
from the gaping wounds. \ little boy was
passed through the window by Mr.. Parsons
who was also terribly smashed. Mr.. Fry of
Albion, Michigan. lifted, by main strength.
an iron bar that confined several men. who.
although alive, were unable to help them
selves Six men were thus rescued. and
three dead bodies were in the same manner
pulled from the car. One poor fellow died
of strangulation, an iron bar having pinned
him to the ground. The bar lay across his
throat, but, so great was its weight, it was
impossible to rescue him. Mr. Parsons says
the man breathed his last within six inches OF
his parsons face. When taken ont, the
body was found uninjurcd. After getting out
the dead and wounded, who were wedged in
between the telescopcd cars, Mr. Parsons
went to the forward end of the wreck to as
sist in taking ont any persons who might be
buried beneath the pile of broken timber and
bent iron rods which, at this point were ter
ribly suggestive of dead and mangled human
A. a..
accident was here developed. 4 family, con-
sistng of father, mother. and one little boy,
four wears of age. were found crushed beneath
the pile of splintered timber The mothers
arm was clasped so tightly about the child
that the little one couldnot be extricated from
this veriable embrace of death for several
minutes. The little fellow was finally gotten
out of the wreck. after two hours labor, when
it was found that one of his legs was broken.
He acted like hero. DIR. Mclaughlin of
Jackson took him to the Hibbard House and
tendery dressed his wounds The mans
name was ascertaned to be Rice, and the
family were on the way from Philadelphia to
Chicago.
Mr.. William b. Clapp, whc, with his wife,
occupied middle berth in the first sleep
or, was first appraised of the disaster by being
violently dumped from his contracted couch
upon the floor. 81 gathered myself" said
Mr.. Clapp, "into a standing posture as soon
as possible, but was unable for five minutes
or so to make an exit from the car, owing to
the confusion. Upon reaching the platform
the scene revealed was indeed a sickening
one. The cries of agony from the wounded
and dying, the Kissing steam from the engines
beneath the mountains of crushed timbers.
and the Pickering lights, gave the scene
weird and horrible appearance. The lady in
mates of the sleepers, who had scrambled
from their touches and had the horrible spec
tacle and its cnormity suddenly revealed to
their vision, alternatcd their sobs with PRAYERS
to be removed from the ghastly sight. lit
tie later, when the men became sufficiently
self-possessed to begin extricating the victims
the scene was one appalling to the strongest.
The first of the victims to whom my atten-
ton was directed was a fiaxen-haired little
girl of perhaps five years. The right side of
her face had been cut away as if severed by
some sharp instrument, while the child's
limbs were tightly wedged in the debris.
4 short distance removed from the sicken-
ing sight was noticed mass of some six hui
man beings, damned and disfgured almost
beyond recognition, with arms and limbs in
their nakedness protruding in the last quivers
of death. Still little further along
were the bodies of the fireman and engineer
of the express train, under a mountain of
splintered wood and warped iron. For the
sake of Il mother save the child came the
husky voice OF young woman, as she drew
the attention Of group of on-lookers to a
little boy wedged in among the wreck, a few
yards off and who cried piteously to be iber
ated, while his manglcd head and shoulders
swayed in the struggle for life OF course
such scenes as these untitled the stoutest for
the work needed. As morning wore on. how
ever. the passengers, the railroad hands and
those in the neighborhood, attracted to the
scene, entered upon the work of cxtrcating
the unfortunate ones. The ordeal was one
hope never to pass through again"