Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-10-21
WE'RE ROASTED TO DEATH.

Terrible Accident on the Chicago and
Grand Trunk Road-lt Was Caused
by the Disobedience of Orders-One
Train Ran Into Another-T The Wreck
Took Fire and the Imprisoned Men,
Women and Children Were Roasted
-Horrible Death of Mrs. Charles van
Dusen-Eanging PartIyOue of a Car,
Her Limbs Were Held by the Wreck
age and She Was Burned to Death
Before the Eyes of Those who At
tempted to Rescue Eer-she Was
Calm and Gave Her Name and Ad-
dress-The Engineer and Conductor,
Who Were Responsible for the Ac-
dent, arc Under Arrest.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. Oct. 20.-Twenty
six heaps of chsrred and blackened flesh,
all that remains of what less than twenty
four hours ago were men, women and chill
dren in the enjoyment of life, health and
happiness, rest upon the floor of an i'm
provised morgue in the basement of fur
niture store in this city. mile away In
the city hospital are a score or more of
human beings with gashed bodies and
broken limbs. Add to this an engineer in
jail and conductor fugitive from the
law, and the story Is tod in brief of the
latest of railroad horrers and one of the
most appalling in character of recent
years.
Direct disobedience of orders on the part
of Chicago and Grand Trunk engineer
| and conductor, both of whom had seen
| long service with the company and were
| regarded as model employees, was the cause
of the tragedy. A Raymond and Whitcomb
| spe cial train of eight palscs cars, filled
with eastern TO k VINO had been at the
worlds fair, left the Sixtieth street depot
of the road at Chicago at S:15 last night as
the first section of the night express known
as No. g. The train was in charge of Con-
ductor Burt N. Scott and Engineer Harry
Wooley, both residents of this place.
All went we'll until the Battle Greek de-
| pot was reached at 1856 o'clock this morn
ing. From here to the railroad yards, q
distance of a mile and O half, there Is a
double track. When the Whi;oomb spe-
cial stopped in the depot the night opar-
ator handed to Conductor Scott two copies
| of an order for the train I'd proceed to the
double track east of Main sstrset, about q
half mile distant, and await the passage of
tie west-bound Pacific express known as
No. 8. This train, which wss nearly thrse
hours late, was composed of thirteen day
| coaches and two baggage cars. Most of the
day coaches had eeen many years. service
ana were In poor condition to withstand
collision.
Everyone of the fated numbsr wal
packed with eastern people, the majority
. | of whom were on their way to the exposi
| ton. The Pacific express was in charge o.
Conductor John Bird and Engineer Gil
Cranshav, both of whom had received or
ders at Lansing to look out for the east
| bound train on the double track, and wer
> accordingly en- the alert. After leaving
Battle Greek station Engineer Wooley pro
:. decided up the double track, but insread o
Z stopping in accordance with his instruc
tions until the west-bound express he,
| passed he continued on and entered agsi
on the single track. He had hardly gon
more than an eighth of q mile when tn
headlight of the Pacific express was see
/, coming around the eight curve Eshsnd th
telegraph Office of the railroad yards.
was speeding westward at the rats of fort
miles an hour.
n There was no time to apply air brakes c
reverse levers. The engineers and freme
of both trains jumrsd for their lives and
Il second later the giant locomotives came 4
gether with q crash that could be heard
half mile away. With fearful force tt
ess engine of the special ploughed nearly ha
st. way into that of the express, diving
backwards into the baggage car, and Il
q latter in turn ploughed into the d.
coaches behind. The shock was 30 terrif
that the first four of these were complete
telescoped, the first coach cutting throue
is e the second and the second into the thil
re, like fash of lightning, the roof of eat
passing over the heads of the sleeping pa
, ne sengers, and sweeping in a mass to Il
: north end of the car.
ts To add to the horror the wreck took &
from stoves and lamps and as the fam
on mounted up the grosns and shrieks of t
/. MANNED and injured were succeeded