Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-12-10
A Flint a Pere Marquette Train Crashes
Into the Rear of Lake shore Express
, Six Persons Killed and Twenty-four
Badly Maimed.
Tale of Death.


was furnished by Superintendent Whit
tlesey. OF the Lake Shore, supplemented
by the coroner
The following were killed:
Mrs Mary McCoign, Madison, III.
An e-year-old son and an infant son
of Mrs. Mcdonald, of New York.
Ellen Meyer, Cleveland, Ohio.
Howard Vaughn, san Fernandina,
Cal.
James Mcqueen, Elkhart, Ind.
The seriously in jured, cared for at st.
Vincent's Hospital, are:
Joseph Anderson, Riverside, III.
Mr. and Mrs. George James, Of New
York.
John Campbell. New York.
Rudolph Murphy, Toedo.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mckenzie and daugh-
ters, Pearl and Maud.
Bertha Dick, nurse girl TO Mrs Nc
Donald's children. New York.
John Comfy, Millyile, Mass.
Patrick Taylor Arthur, New
Mrs John Il. Ne son, OF To edo, is the
only one outside of the hospital who is
in a dangerous condition.
Others, less seriously injured are:
Jos Ludwig, Peoria, Ill
Warren l. Potter Pittsburg, Pa.
Conductor Hunter, Marquette train.
Dolly Fisher, Toledo.
Mrs. j. O Mcdonald. New York.
Miss Anna Mack, New York.
d t. West, Detroit, Mich
Mrs. E. j. Galloway, Toledo
The Pere Marquette train is due in
Toledo at Asa, and the Lake Shore fol-
lows at 4:55 From Air Line Junction
the trains use tre same track. The
Lake Shore was seven minutes late and
the Fere Marquette train nine minutes
late. The Lake Shore train pulled down
from the junction ahead of the Mar
quette, though there was but little
room between them. About forty rods
from the union depot is tunnel fifty
feet long The Lake Shore had gone
nearly through this with its seven heavy
vestibued parior cars. and the day
coach on the rear, when freight ahead
made it pull up. The brakeman ran
back to give the signal 10 the Pere Mar
quette engineer, but it was too late. The
trains we Q too close.
The engineer and fireman of the on
coming train laid down in their cab and
crashed through the dimiy lighted tun-
mel into the rear of the Boston and Chi
cagO special. The day coach was split
in twain: the engine plowed through
until the rear OF the car made cover
for the engine clear up to the cab The
steam escaping in volumes hid the wreck
from the view of the big crowd which
had run out of the stores, sa oons and
houses on the high bank along which
ran the street above Miss Dolly Fisher,
the daughter of Health Officer Fisher,
maddened by the pain of tho scald ng
steam, leaped from the window and was
cut and slightly bruised.
Help cane Immediately, and the wound
lN.-...
l.. Potter, himself slightly scalded, at
tempted to pu1l Mrs. McCoign from the
s6Tods dq6 foa 5he She aesb saRe 2 fISs
was scalded to death and taken out OF
tie smashed car a cooked and blistered
mass OF flesh. almost beyond recognition
as human form. A CHASTITY hand was
found after the wreck had been cleared
away ana the wrecked car taken of,
but no body had been found without n
hand, and another search commenced to
find the body TO which the hand belong
cd, W thout avail. There was no fire,
and few were injured except by escap-
ing steam.
Mrs. McCoign occupied a seat near the
rear Of the coach and a babe was tod
inC in the aisle when the accident Oc-
Cured, according to one OF the eye-wit-
nesses. Taking place as 1t did in the
city, an immense crowd assembled at
the scene Of the wreck. In four hours
all the debris had been cleared away,
and the trains began to run as usuah
No one was hurt on the Marquette train.
An investigation will be made at once
as to the cause of the wreck, ard the
Lake Shore officials will see IL IL IS possi-
Bile to make the ere Marquette people
Iay for the damage incurred.
The engineer of the Maronette train
was new man on the run. When found
the lever was almost perpendicular and
not reversed The brakeman and con-
d ctor OF the Lake Shore had narrow
escape They had gone TO the rear to
hang out the red lights, when they saw
the headlight of the rear train right
upon them. 1t was a big jump in'o the
dutch. but they took IL and escaped with
sight shaking up.
Lewis, the Flint 4 Pere Marquette on
gineer, will ay but little concerning the
wreck. The yard orders to engineers
are that they are TO keep their engines
always under control, able 10 stop i'm
mediately. The Lake Shore engineer,
Boyle, on oldtimer on the road, says he
picked up the red light beyond the tun-
mel easily and Lewis OF the +. e. L. M.
ought TO have done the sane It's given
as an excuse by Lewis that the tunnel
was full OF steam and smoke from the
Lake share engine and he did not see the
red right in the way car until he was
right upon It. A. B MIlmine, one OF
the first at the Gene Of the wreck, saws
that the +. q r. ". engine was not re-
ver.ed The coroner will spare no effort