Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-20
KILLED AND BURNED.
Twenty-Six Lives Lost in q Rail-
way Collision.
CARS SET ON FIRE BY TIE LAMPS
The Unhappy Victims Tortured
Besides Being Crushed.
ORDERS WERE DISOBEYED.

OhDEtIO WERE DISC Is b ED.
BATTLE CREEK. Mich, Oct 0.-The
worst accident of this year occurred about
4 O'Clock this morning In the yards OF the
Chicago and Grand Trunk railroad, close
by the round house. in this city by which
ut least twenty-five persons lost their lives
and double as many more were badly in
jured.
A Raymond and whitcomb special train
Of passengers from New York and Boston
we're returning from Chicago. The train
was In charge Of Conductor Scott Of this
city and Engineer wooley and took orders
at this STATEN to meet at Nichols No. g.
the passenger express going west, due at
this station at IS O'Clock this morning. but
which was three hours late.
The conductor or engineer. or both, OF
the Raymond special disobeyed orders and
passed Nichols station and collided with
the express coming west at the rate OF
about thirty miles an hour. The two en-
gines were driven into each other and are
a total wreck. The one on the express was
No. l5s. new Cook engine in use only two
weeks.
The engineers and firemen when they saw
that a collision was inevitable shut OF
all jumped and escaped without serious In
jury. The engineer Of the passenger ex-
press was named Gilcranshow and the con-
ductor, Burke.
The conductor was badly hurt by being
caught In the car.
When the collision took place the second
and third coaches on No. =. the train GO
ing west. were completely telescoped- II
was in these cars that the horrible sacrifice
OF life took place. The second coach cut
through the third coach like a knife and
the roof passed over the heads OF the sleep
ing and the Inflated passengers were COM
pletely entombed in a fiery furnace.
The engine and baggage car OF the spec
ial were badly wrecked but the coaches
being sleepers and the train moving slowly
escaped serious injury.
Twenty-Five Bodies Taken From Cas
Ii.
The passengers in the four coaches were
more or less injured, and in one Of them,
No. l3.called the "unlucky coach. which had
been in several accidents before there were
twenty-five dead bodies taken from the
wreck this morning by the fremen. They
were pinioned under seats, and jammed up
against the end Of the coach by the next
coach, which had telescoped it. and then
burned like rats in a trap.
The accident was a mile from the fire sta
ton, and before water could be turned on
the cars they were all burned No one ON
the Raymond special was injured
The Pacific express was made I'D Of thir-
teen old coaches, and four of them were
completely burned. catching fire from the
lamps in the cars.
The bodies were burned so badly as to be
unrecognizable. Nearly all had their heads,
arms or legs burned on. and cannot be
AS the third car crashed through the
second. IL swept the people In a mass to
the north end of the latter car. In the
vicinity of the stove, where most OF the
bodies were afterwards found.
Cars fin a Blaze.
The cars Immediately took ERE. and In
an instant were all in a blaze. The night
yard men and the neighbors in the vicinity
were on the scene soon possible.
One passenger escaped through the door
way. Others who escaped smashed out the
windows and climbed through. Only three
escaped from the left side, and no more
than six from the other side. All the rest
of the occupants OF the second coach per-
ished.
The most horrible sight was that present.
ed py Mrs. Chas. Van Dusen OF Fort 1lain.
out of the window, but her legs were
fastened, and those who ran to her assist
ance could not release her.
She was burned to death before their
eyes, with one-haf Of her body still hang
ing out OF the window. Before death came
to release her sufferings. she gave her name
The Dead and injured.
Following is a list of dead:
1. Wirtz. identified by handkerchief.
Small unknown baby. head burned on.
One body had business cards in the cloth
ing. with the name OF A. A Allan Il Com
pany. 81 Bay street. Toronto; Mrs. c. w.
Vandusen. Sprout Brook. n. Y: c. w. VAN
Gusen.
Twenty-three bodies are unidentified as
yet, every bit Of clothing being burned from
the bodies. Every one Of the twenty-three
bodies is without a head, legs OF arms,
which were burned of.
Following is a list of those who are the
most seriously injured: Mrs. Henry Bush
nell Brockport. n. Y, cut badly by glass;
Mrs. Belle Williams, one leg broken.
Joseph H. Archbell Of Evanston. IL.
arkle smashed.
Mrs. Lizzie Vance, Simcoe. Ont. and four
teen-year-old son. badly cut by glass and
legs badly injured.
Fifteen badly injured are now in the
Nichols Hospital. among the number being
the following:
c. Adams. Buffalo. n. Y, left hand In
jured; Maggie OGrady. Oswego, n. Y.
Brockport, n. ". right ankle broken; Mrs.
Henry Bushnell. Brockport, n. Y, badly
bruised. but no bones broken; Mrs. A. X
Warner, Brockport. n. Y. burned alive: ].
bruised: Frank Smith. Fort Plains. N. Y.
both legs broken: Nellie Smith, Brockport,
n. V, face and shoulder hurt.
At o'clock twenty-sfX dead bodies had
been taken out Of the ruins Of the wrecked
cars and this is supposed to be the total
number Of Victims