The times., 1888-02-03
A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.
A BROKEN RAIL THROWS A
TSAIN FROM THE TRACK AT
FULL SPEED.
Five Gar, go OF, Three Gre Over
tuned ana One Af1re--cne Pas
senger Seriously Injured and Eve
Painfully Hurt.

From the Detroit Free Press.
An accident occurred shortly before 7
o'clock last evening between Gaines and
Durand, on the Detroit, Grand Haven q
Milwaukee Railway, which resulted in the
complete wrecking of passenger train No.
.. west bound. the serious injury Of one
and lesser hurts to number Of other pas.
sengcrs and was marvellous escape from
death. for all on board
Train No. 5 left Detroit at 4:30 o'clock
yesterday afternoon and consisted of q
baggage. express and sn oking Car and two
first-class coaches. 1t was in charge of
Conductor Charles Merrill. with William
Richtie as engineer; Lon Merrill, baggage.
man, and Judd Tyler, OF ST. Johns. express
messenger.
The train lost some time and was run
ming forty five miles an hour when at u
point about three miles east Of Durand.
AT this point was broken rail, the break
being doubtless caused 10y the frost. Over
this the locomotive passed in safety. but
the entire train left the track and ran along
the ties. the tremendous jelting throwing
the passengers from their seats and heaping
them indiscrminately upon the floors of
the cars. The baggage car almost immed
lately broke from the rest of the train, and
was dragged some fifty yards before the
coupling connecting il with the locomotive
gave way. when it was upset, as were the
express and smoking cars. The Other
coaches remained upright, but The first
took fire from the stove, and a repetition of
the terrible disasters of late so common
was only averted by The promptest action
on the part of The train men and passen.
gers.
There was. OF course, the greatest fright
among the passengers and no one doubted
that some fatalities must have occurred
An investigation, involving the chopring
away of portion Of the side of the smoker
TO release those within. showed. however,
that by good fortune of the rarest kind no
one had been killed or fatally injured.
The most seriously hurt was George
Thomas, keeper Of the railway eating
house Mt Owosso Junction, VINO was hurled
from his seat ana suffered broken rib
and painful internal injuries Express
messenger Judd Tyler was badly shaken
up and painfully bruised; Baggageman
Merrill was struck by flying baggage and
painfully hurt about The head and neck !;
Miss Marie Friedy, of Linden, was thrown
part way through window and cut about
the head and face by brokcn'glass.
A man named Bigelow, from Owosso,
and another man whose name was not
learned, from Wyandotte. were passengers
in the rear coach, and were thrown upon
the car stove. receiving painful burns. A
number of others wer burned. and every
one on board was badly shaken.
The locomotive remained on the track.
with the exception Of the rear truck of the
tender, which was dragged from the rails.
This was quickly replaced and the engine
went on to Durand for assistance. There
train No. s. east bound, was waiting TO
pass No. b. IL ran on to the scene of the
accident. took the passengers aboard and
returned to Dunnd, where the locomotive
of No. 8, borrowing the rear coach of No
8, embarked its passengers and proceeded
westward The track was cleared for
traffic after delay of two hours, spent in
removing The wreck and relaying the
broken rails. The bodies of the cars
thrown from the track are not seriously
damaged, but the trucks are stripped from
all but the rcarmost.