The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-21
Details OF the Great Disaster on the
Grand Trunk.
RHODE ISLAND PEOPLE KILLED
The Statement OF Engine n wooiley-Th
Accident Happened ON Curve
Twenty-Six Persons Are Dead, and
Many Of the injured May Dio.

crouches affrighted like a hunted animal
in prison cell-led to the greatest rail-
road horror in the history of Michigan
yesterday, and 26 human lives have paid
the penalty Of the moments negligence.
Two trains, both laden with passengers,
met in a direct head-oh collision on the
Grand Trunk road at 3;45 yesterday morn
ing in the suburbs OF this city. That the
number of dead and injured was not four
fold greater Is due TO the fortunate effect
that the collision occurred in the suburbs
of city instead of in the open country,
where both trains would have been run.
ming at full speed.
AS it Is. 26 charred, disfigured and un
recognizable bodies lie in the morgue, and
q marred and bleeding victims are groan-
ing in the charity hospital. How many
OF these wounded may be in the death list
no one can tell, for the injuries in many
cases arc internal and unfathomable tc
the only superficial medical examination
that is now possible.
All that surgical science can do is being
done, and the officials of the Chicago and
Grand Trunk railroad are doing all that Is
possible.
were both regular trains, although each
was considerably behind time. One was
Raymond g. Whitcomb special train re
turning from the Worlds fair and bound
for New York aud Boston, and the other
was the regular Pacific express west
bound train.
The Raymond & Whitcomb was running
as an extra section of regular train, and
MI nj In ha y,br
ology Of the railroad men.
Trainmen mt Fault.
The engineer of the latter train had
positive orders to sidetrack for the express
at a siding east of this city. He ignored
these orders, and 600 feet beyond this sid
ing he met the eastbound train full on.
Both trains were wrecked and half the
train of the Pacific express was demol
-ished aud burned The Raymond t&&s e. Writ w hit
comb train, being composed almost en-
tirely of heavy sleepers, escaped serious
injury, and none of the excursionists lost
their lives. The engineers and firemen Of
both trains jumped in time to save their
lives, but 20 passengers of the Pacific ex
press met almost instant death.
The day coaches in the front part OF
this train were telescoped and burned, and
of the 26 human remains at the morgue
conjectures can only be made as to the
identity of six. Twenty remain entirely
unidentified. Those identified by letters
or articles in their clothing are:
G. G. Van Dusen of Sproutbrook, N. Y.
Mrs. c. G.. Van Dussn Of Sproutbrook,
N. Y, burned to death in the wreck.
w. w. Henry Of East Green wicb, r. L.
,ur iei to a crisp.
Il. l. Mago IN OF East Greenwich, r. l.,
lurned to crisp.
Mrs. Il. X. Mckenzie, Middletown,
Conn, burned to a crisp.
Il. A. McGarvey of Toronto, mangled
and burned TO death.
j. w. Beardsley of Watkins, N. Y,
burned and mangled.
The coroner has numbered each OF the
25 bodies in the morgue consecutively,
and noted the articles that have been
found on each body that might lead to
their identification.
Yesterday afternoon Justice Henry Is
sued warrants for Henry Wooley, engi-
neer OF train No. @, and Conductor Burt
n. Scott. Wooley was put under $1,000
hail for appearance next Monday. He
could not furnish the bail and was taken
Scott had gone TO Port Huron, and after
Justice Henry had heard the engineers
statement OF the collision he ordered the
officer to telegraph to Port Huron to have
Scott arr iested. Scott, however, voluntar-
lily returned last night.
Engineer wooley's Statement.
Engineer Wooley made this statement
TO Justice Henry -"When my engine was
coupled Oh the train at the depot, Con-
ductor Scott asked me il / was ready to
go. i said, no. / had not oiled my engine
yet, ard l took my oilcan and got off at
the side far hest from the depot on the
south side. Scott came around on my side
OF the engine and handed my orders and
said to me: No. 9 has gone through The
dispatcher is crazy about US not getting
out of here
II hurried up ard got through oiling,
and az that time Conductor Scott asked
me II j was ready To go 1 asked him il he
was sure No. had gone through. He said
Yes, she has My fireman heard that.
After he said that No. 8 had gone through
/ asked bim how the boari was. He said:
All clear; look out for the board at Belle
vue.' got upon my seat and started the
engine did not pass any switch engine,
rs had been reported, on the double track.
After / got into the yards saw head
light | thought at first IL was the Nv tch
engine, but in moment saw she was
coming too fast.
Il shut the throttle and stypped the train
and was standing still wuen No. struck
my engine. | went TO get of, but before |
could do Sd | was thrown Against the tank
and my side was hurt. | asked my fire.
man after the wreck il he remembered
what Conductor Scott had said to him. lie
said he did. lIo told me that No. had
gone through. saw Conductor Scott after
the wreck. lie was much excited. 1
asked him In regard TO the order again.
lie muttered something, and said that ne
thought that No. 9 had gone"
Railroad men say, however, that even II
Scott had mady the statement attributed
to hun by Wooley, this would not have
Iustitieu the ca. ,..e.e .a dlsoOeying ais or
ders.
The coroner's jury will begin an inveS.
After the accident the MANNED and N
jured were conveyed 90 the Nicholas Me-
mortal hospital Ia this city
Happened ON a Curve.