Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-11
RAILROAD COLLISION.
Horrible Accident ON Michigan
Central - Express Train Col
hdes with a Switch Engine
Eleven Coaches Wrecked -
twenty-five Passengers Killed
and Thirty Wounded.

1t4a ahANy "VahuCos
DETROIT, October l0.-A serious acci-
dent occurred on the Michigan Central
railroad, early this morning. An ex-
press train, bound West, which left De-
troit forty minutes late, coIlided with
the switch engine on the main track,
telescoping the baggage and express
cars and piling eleven coaches
on top. The first coach was
filed with emigrants, most Of whom
were killed or seriously injured. Many
Of the Occupants Of the other coaches
were also killed or injured. There were
about % or % passengers killed and 20
or 30 wounded. Surgeons were at once
summoned, and a special train carrying
physicians left Detroit at5A. NJ. Every
thing is being done for the sufferers that
can be suggested. go n.l
Up TO noon eighteen deadbOdies were
taken from the wreck, ten ofwhom were
taken from the emigrant car, and have
not yet been identified. The train was
made up of seven Wagner sleepers,
four passenger coaches, mail and
baggage cars. The passengers in
the first coach were cOmpara-
lively unharmed. the harvest of
death being reaped in the second
and third coaches. The fourth coach
escaped with slight damage, and none OF
the Wagner ears were injured as lar rs
can be ascertained. The accident Was
caused by the switchman having charge
Of making up freight train at Jackson
Junction occupying the main track with
the switch engine and cabOOSe, under
standing that the Pacific express was
considerably behind time. The express
train. however, had made up nearly all
the lost time.
Criminal CArelesSness the Couse Of the
Accident
At Jackson this afternoon the Michi-
gan Central Railroad officials examined
different yard employees who were on
duty slSt evening az the Air Line juno
ton Where the switch engine, with
which the Pacific express West collided,
was placed on the main track. IL APP
pears that the men engaged in max
ing up the freight train at the
east end OF the yard went tn
the telegraph office at the junction
and got information the Pacific express
was nearly fifty minutes late. Caldwell,
the yard master, reported 10 Jones, the
engineer Of the switch engine, that they
had iOrty-hye minutes OF the Paciiics
time in which 20 mSke mp the freight
train, and it was this work they were
doing when the collision occurred.
An adjourned meeting OF the railroad
officials was held this afternoon, but no
decision fixing the responsibility for the
accident was reached.
The cOroner's jury will probably an
uOunce their verdict tomorrow.
Excitement In Chicago. ..
CuCAGO, October l0.-The news OF
the terrible disaster at Jackson has
been the theme of conversation all
day i'm the city, and the excitement over
il increased decidedly. Tonight |
when the train arrived with !
many OF the wounded the widest |
rumOrs "a 20 the extent Of the disaster |
were current. The few kilograms receiv- |
ed and their indefinite and contradicting |
increased rather than al |
laved the anxiety. The offices OF the |
here were threnged all day with |
anxious inquirers for friends, and
II. &. Wentworth, general passenger |
agent, did everything in his power To !
obtain information as 10 the condition |
of the paSSegers ON the train, but out |
side Of that there was an evident dispO- |
sitiOn 10 reserve the news until II came |
The scenes at the depot at o'clock |
tonight, when the train arrived, were |
thrilling i'm the extreme. The passengers |
who arrived were for the most part una |
bic To give any connected account OF the |
affair, il having been pitch |
dark when the accident occurr-
ed and most of the people |
on the train being asleep. Rev. Neil |
Of Guelph, Canada, says he !
was i'm the third ear when the collision |
came, and the train was going very fast. |
The front ears were full OF passengers, |
mostly French Canadians, en- route for |
the pineries. I'm his ear all but |
about twelve were buried i'm the debris, |
sixteen being killed. This ear lare,l the |
worst OF any. Passengers differ rs TO !
the number killed, some putting the /.
number as high rs twenty-five or thirty. |
The wounded are being cared Tor here. !