The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-25
DREADFUL RAILROAD DISASTER.
Collision on the Grand Trunk Railroad
Twenty-Five Killed, Many Of them Burned
to Death-A Conductor or Engineer
DisobeYed Crders-Mrs. Van Dur
sen Burned to Death in the
Presence of her Friends.

sen Burned to Death in the
Presence of her Friends.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich, October 90
Two train trains, both ladened with
passengers, met in a direct head-end
collision on the Grand Trunk railroad
at $40 o'clock this morning, in the
suburbs of this city, and that the num-
ber Of dead and injured was not four
fold greater is due that the collision
occurred in the bounds Of a city instead
of an open country, where both trains
would have been running at full
speed.
Twenty-six chasred, disfgured and
unrecognizable figures lie in the morgue
tonight and twenty-seven manned
and bleeding passengers are grooming
in agony in the Charity. hospital. How
many of these wounded may be in the
death list tomorrow ne one can tell,
for the injuries in many cases are inter-
nal and quite unfathomable to the only
superficial medical examination that is
possible now. 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 toalleviate
the condition of the suffering and care
for the needs of the victims of the dread
full disaster.
The two trains, which met face to
face while going at a rapid rate Of speed
this morning, were both regular trains,
although each was considerably behind
time. One was Raymond and Whit
comb special train, returning from the
Worlds Fair, and bound for New York
: and Boston, and the other was the reg
ular Pacific express, west-bouud. The
= Raymond and Whitcomb was rum
ming as an extra section of g regular
train, and was, therefore, Irregular"
in the phraseology Of the railroad men.
The engineer of the latter train had
positive orders to side track for the
express at siding a mile east of this
city. He ignored these orders and six
hundred feet beyond this siding he met
the eastbound train full on.
Both trains were wrecked, and half
the train of the Pacific express was de-
molished and burned. The Raymond
and Whitco1nb train being composed
almost entirely of heavy sleepers, es-
capped serious injury, and none of the
excursionists lost their lives. The en-
gineers and fremen on both trains
jumped in time to save their lives.
A FIERY FURNACE.
When the collision took place the
second andthsrdday coaches onNo. 8
were completely telescoped. 1t was
here that the horrible sacrifice took
place. The second coach cut through
the third coach like knife and the
roof passed over the heads of the sleep
ing and Inflated passengers in the
third coach, entombing them in a fiery
furnace.
The most awful experience Of this
terrible affair was that of Mrs. G. G.
Van Dusen, of Sprout Brook, n. Y,
who was burned to death with hands
free and in full possession of her senses
in spite of the utmost endeavors Of the
party of rescurers.
Soon after the wreck occurred Mr..
Van Dusen was removed from beneath
pile of debris and taken to the hospi-
: tai, where he died in short time. He
was conscious to the last. He left his
business affairs in the hands Of Rev.
George Culp, of this city.and died with
cut knowing that his wife had met the
most awful fate of all.
Mrs. Van Dusen was penned in the
telescoped car and at first had no doubt
Of her rescue. AS she locked out ofthe
window and awaited her rescue the
alarm of fire was suddenly given.
Hurry up, please, hurry up" she
said as the fear crossed her mind that
perhaps she was in danger Of burning.
A minute later while strong men were
straining to extricate her, the possibi-
lity became probable that she would
burn and the flames crept rapidly to-
ward the imprisoned woman.
'You shan't burn; We'll get you out"
said the men, as they wrestled heroical-
3y with the splinte-ed timbers.
There was lull Of speech for five
minutes. The men had become giants
in strength and mad men in despera-
ton, and they struggled wildly with
tangled masses ofwood and iron. The
woman wassilent and gazed imploring
ly and inquiringly into the faces of the
fremen.
''My God! Oh, my Godw suddenly
burst from the lips Of one of the heroic
workers and in this despairing cry the
helpless woman read her death war
rant. She gave 9ne agonizing wall
and then her woman's weakness gave
way to martyrs strength.
:'I can die-oh, yes, I can die, if
must" she said soothingly to the
strong men who were weeping in their
impetent strength.
Again they struggled breathlessly to
the rescue, but the names were encir-
cling the party and the blaze claimed
the victim that the crash had spared.
''I am Christian" she said resign
edly, and moment later her voice was
raised in prayer.
The flames now com pletely encircled
the helpless victim and the firemen
we're driven away.
As the blaze caught her arm and she
fought to keep the flames from her
face, she told her name and address
y -