Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-30
STRUCK BY A TRAIN
Four Persons Killed and
Dozen Wounded.
GRADE CROSSING HORROR
a Street Car Crowded With Working
Peopls Hit BY an Engins-Ths
Result Of Gross Caselsssnsss.

CHtcAso, Dec. "a Fort Wayne
train IN the ssmi-dArkness OF the early
hours Of the morning dashed past the
Forty y-ssventn street crossing Al the
rate OF thirty miles an hour. and lett
behind u the mAngied bodies OF four
dead and dozen fearfully injured pas
sengsrs of . street ear.
Following Is . Lat OF the victims:
The dead-Jonn Blaha, drawn beneath
the wheels OF tho locomotive and
frighsfully manglsd; Archibald Mean
drews, head crusned and MS body torn
and cut; John Roberts, night supern-
tsndent of the T. +. Wells Packing
company. terribly mangled; unldenti-
ned woman, supposed 10 De Minnie
Carson. card with that name being
found IN her purse, died OF Internal In
iuries while being conveyed to Mercy
hospital.
Tne injured. john Briski. head cut
and body crushed, will probably re-
cover; Ellen Conway. 10 years old, suf-
ferinx from a compound fracture or
the skull and Internal injuries, will
probably DIE; J. j. Castillo, right Arm
broken and legs and head badly cut,
condition very serious; George CLARK,
cut about face ana shoulders and m
ternal injuries, Will probably recover;
Henry Gruber, cut about head and
les. INJURIES serious but not fatal;
Michael kOhn, shoulder dlslocated, left
leg broken and hurt internally. recOy-
ery doubtful; Minnie kuddenl, head
cut aud abdomen pierced by steel splln-
Ter, recovery extremely doubtful; VIM.
keyster, left leg broken. head and arms
cut and injured internally. may re-
cover; Patrick O'Neil, leg broken and
sice crushed. recovery doubtful; Thos.
Riordan, badly bruised and injured IN
ternAlly, will recover; Patrick Snanley,
driver OF the street car, collar bone
broken. will recover; Joseph Williams,
cot about head and shoulders.
How Is Happened.
The accident occurred shortly after
O'Clock. The street car WAS going
east on Forty seventh street, was
men, gong to their work. The pas
seDgers were wholly unaware tEat
tram WAS approaching, as the car
There was absolutely no warning.
There Was Q wild shrek of an engine.
frigntful crash, as the IRON tore
through the mids. of the ill-fated per-
sons, and in An instant the dead and
tortured were strewn along the frozen
ground by the tracks.
The train came TO q standstill some
distance south of the crossing, and
those on board fastened back to the
wrecked Akreet car, of which scarcely
enough remained TO enable the wit
nesses TO distinguish what it mad once
been. The neignDoring residents also
TUNED out TO the rescue of the wound
ed The alarm was turned IN TO all
the police stations anywhere within
the vicinity. and five police wagons
reached the spot short time later.
At lirst everything WAS confusion. IL
was still dark, and while the cries of
the wounded could be heard. their
bodies were almost Invisible. The
houses near the crossing were soon
turned into ImprOmptu hospitals. and
number OF the unfortunate persons
were taken 10 their homes. One man.
who was found 10 be stIll breathing
lived long enough only TO be carried
into a neighboriug house.
Caring for the Wounded
Before one of the injured reached
Mercy hospital. death came. and the
destination Of the wagon was changed
TO the morgue. Most OF the bodies
were found IN the debris OF the street
car but after the search had been thought
complete. u was found that two men
had been dragged several hundred
- -. a. rna xf
vhich they still renamed.
SIX people were placed under arrest
They we're Patrick Shsnley and Ber-
nsrd O'Connor, driver aud conductor
respectively of shs car, Engineer Ross
cup and Firsmsn Meager of the con-
structiOn train and the gateman, John
Albright, and the towsrman. Peter
Schwartz. To all of these some sus-
piciou OF csrslessnpss = attached. The
Eatemau was last January indicted for
csrelessnsss ia connection with fatal
accident a. his crossing. In the
present instance neither the gatemsn
nor the tovsrmsu were AZ ms post. both
beng n warm shauty near the
tracks, leaving the gates up and expos
iug any street car or pedestrian to sp-
preaching trans. This fact was estsb-
isned bv their own statements. The
street car men appear TO have been
equally careless. Either the driver
drove upon the track without receiv-
irg any sigma from the conductor, who
hsd gone N front. or the conductor
gave that sgnal without first having
satisfied himself that the track was
clear.
Tell Conftctiag stories.
The fireman and engineer Of the con
structaon tram are slso at variance in
their statements. There seems to be
no doubt IN the mind Of ANYBODY that
q was due 20 TIE most gross careless
ness in some quarter. The construc-
tou train was one which leaves The de-
pot. with rare EXCEPTIONS. each morn
inx a. 5.55 O'Clock. Tins morning u
passed the crossing at 6.io. tne exact
moment st which it = due there. The
custousrv srrivsi. OF course, wa veil
known % al street car men snd to the
employees az the crossing. vet the gates
we're no. no empioya was a. his post
snd no warning Of the tTsln's approach
was gwen.
psys DENEEs Er.