Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-10-27
A HORROR OF HORRORS.
A CATASTROPHE CAUSED BY
CRIMINAL CARELESSNESS.
Twenty-Eight COrpses Taken from the
Wreck OF Two Passenger Trains, many
Burned Beyond all Recognition.

turning from the Worlds Fair on the
Chicago & Grand Trunk railroad had
orders TO stop on a siding at Nichols
station, one mile from Battle Creek, to
await the passage of the fast Pacific
express, No. ., westbound. Both
trains were behind time, the engineer
of the special passed the switch and
was running at a moderate rate of
speed when the Pacific express, run
ming about 40 miles an hour, dashed
around a curve which begins at Nichols;
in an instant there was fearful crash
and at least 2G deaths resulted.
The special train stood the shock
without more than shudder excepting
the baggage car at the head end which
had its front end stove in. None of
the passengers on that train were in
jured beyond severe shaking up. On
the other train, all the horror was eX-
perienced. The coaches behind the
baggage ear went TO splinters. The
tram was made up of thirteen coaches
and the first four them were telescoped.
The passengers were caught in their
seats and the general mass of ruins
and to add to their misery, the burn
ing lamps exploded and in a moment
the four cars were a sheet of flame.
The two engines were total wreck.
The hour was $3.50 a. m. and there
was few people to witness the disaster,
but the station agent sent in a fire
alarm and telephoned the news OF the
disaster. The firemen answered
promptly, but there was no way TO
get at the burning wreck except 10
maui the fire apparatus down the track
by hand. The firCmen worked hard on
the wreck and took out every body and
practically G cared away the debris.
The second coach of the express left
its trucks, plowed right through the
third coach, scraped all the seats and
passengers along with it, and deposited
them in a heap in the end of the car
where most of the bodies were found.
This coach was known as "No. 13, the
unluclly." it having been in four previ-
Gus wrecks.
Twenty-siX burned dead bodies in all
were removed and of that number but
six were identified the others were
merely a lot of charred bones or mass
of burned flesh. Twenty- eight were
injured, at least two, possibly eight,
fatally.
The scenes which confronted the
rescuers at work trying TO save some
of the imprisoned passengers were
most heart-rcnding. The most awful
experience was that of Mrs. c. {. Van
Dusen, OF Spoutbrook, y. Y. The
lady was pinned in the car at a win
dow, only the lower portion of her
body was fastened, her hands and head
being free. Suddenly the cry of fire
was raised and the brave woman who
had uttered cry from what must
have been awful injuries called TO the
men to hurry up. Frantically the res
cuers tore at the timbers and iron
which surrounded the lady and nearer
and nearer cracked the devilish flames.
The men cried out that she should not
die and they became giants and mad
men in strength as they struggled with
a heroic herceness. But the flames
crept on and soon their hot tongues
were flashing the hands, faces and hair
OF the brave men and the suffering
woman. MY God: il can't be done;'
cried one man and this was as the
death warrant of the helpless creature.
She gave one agonizing wall and then
her woman's weakness gave way to a
martyrs strength. Il can die. oh,
yes; can die if / must" she said
soothingly to the strong men who
were weeping in their impotent
strength. Again they struggled breath
lessly to rescue her, but the flames
claimed the victim. 81 am Christian"
she SAID, resignedly, and moment
later her voice was raised in prayer.
The flames completely encircled the
helpless victim and the firemen were
driven away. AS the flames caught
her arms and as she fought to keep
the flames from her face she told her
name and address, and left messages of
love to her husband and family.
Through their tears they saw the
flames sweep around the face of the
martyred woman. The head dropped
TO one side as the victim inhaled the
flames, the praying lips were stilled
and the soul of Mrs. Van Dusen had
passed beyond the fury of the elements
of earth. An hour later the husband,
who had been taken to the hospital
fatally injured and for whom she had
left a loving message, joined her in the
world to come.
A careful examination into the cause
of the catastrophe shows that there
was not a single eXtenuating circum-
stance to relieve Conductor Scott and
Engineer Wooley of the charge of the
grossest negligence and the rankest
disobedience of orders. The train dis
express, was to run to Nichols to meet
No. 6, the special. The conductor and
engineer of the latter each received
orders TO meet No. on double track
which ends at Nichols The customary
plea in such cases that the men were
being overworked does not fit. The
crew were starting from Battle Creek
fresh when they got their orders.
They took the train from the crew that
brought it from the west and they were
going out after a long rest.
Two more victims have been added
TO the list-Frank III. Smith, of Foi
Plain, n. Y, and Albert Bradley, of
Toronto, Ont. Both deaths were from
the effects of each having leg ampu-
tated.
IL is learned that one of the dead and
unidentified was Mrs. +. A. Aldrich, OF
Edwards burg, Mich. She had been
visiting in New York and was on her
way home.
Saginaw Capitalist Drowned.
Hon. C. w. Wells, the Saginaw lum-
herman and millionaire was drowned