Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-10-27
A Railroad Horror,

dents that has ever happened in this coun-
try was that at Battle Greek, Michigan on
the Chicago and Grand Trunk r. E., early
last Friday morning. The conductor and
engineer of train going East disobeyed
orders as to remaining on switch or
double track until an excursion train pas
sed them, went ahead on the single track
and collided with q train filed with excur-
sionists for the Worlds Fair. The cars of
the excursion train telescoped, the people
were pinned in among the seats the cars
took fire, and many people were burned to
death. Shortly after the collision, twenty
seven heaps Of charred and blackened
flesh was all that was left of that many
people who, 9 few hours before, were look
forward to q week of pleasure and sight
seeing at the Worlds Fair.
The hsrrors of the accident are best
told By the survivors, some of whom
reached Chicago that afternoon.
Were you to build raging fire, and
put above it a gridiron and on that place
so human beings" said Mr.. Harris, "you
could gain some idea Of the scenes which
were enacted at Battle Creek this morning.
We were awakened by terrible crash and,
before we knew it, the roof of the car had
fallen in and everything around was ahre.
Then the cries of agony from the poor vic
tins rang out in heaIt-rendering appeals
for aid. Oh, it was frightful. and the mem
ory of it can never be erased from my
mind.
zone poor woman was pinioned in tie
wreck to her waist Her arms and the
upper part of her body were Free she
cried for help and several OF US came 10
her rescue, but of no avail. In a frantic
endeayor to extricate her man pulled
off one Of her hands. 1t was the most ter
rible sight have ever seem"
"AlI about US, said Mr. Holmes, "were
men. women and children held fast in burn
ing embers, slowly roasting before the
yery eyes of would-be sSviors. 1 broke
window and fought my way through the
flames to place Of safety, and then L
tried to help the others. l saw one poor
child with long rod pierced clear through
his body. Thus impaled he screamed in
his torture until he was dragged from the
wreck"
c. II. and B. S. Ward, brothers, of More
town. Vt, were in the third coach and
| were among the number who escaped un-
injured. Alter the crash was over q. ID.
| Ward jumped out on the felt side through
a window. In front of him sat a lady and
her baby. He pulled her through the
window, when she cried out to save her
baby, but the little one was fastened be-
| meath the seat and perished, while the
| mother was taken away by force. Ward
says..that in front of the woman was
young lady and just behind her a young
| man. Back of him were two young men.
None escaped B. S. Ward came out Of
the roof in some manner he knew not how.
He jumped off the roof and assisted out
Harvey J. Smith, Mrs. Smith, their son
Frank and their daughter Nellie. All the
rest in this vicinity were killed.
Frank Rogers, of Woonstock, Ont, was
| in the second coach, one next to-the smok-
er. He jumped through the window and
helped woman out. Every seat in the
car was occupied except two with one
occupant each. There were only seven
that escaped alive from this car.
No one can adequately describe the last
moments of Mrs. Charles Van Dusen. She
had succeeded in getting half way out of
the window, but her limbs were pinioned by
the heavy frame work ofthe seat she had
been occupying with her husband, and this
had taken fire. Thus held roasting from
the feet up she pleaded and begged for the
help that those outside were unable to
give. Despite her terrible agony she re-
tanned consciousness to the last aud as the
flames crept up and surrounded her, she
called out her name and address and that
of friends to be notified. 81 am teacher
in the Methodist Sunday school, at Sprout
Brook, n. Y, she cried. "Say | died
like Christian" Then the side Of the car
gave way and she fell back into the flames.
Her husband had meanwhile been rescued
from the next car into which he had been
driyen by the force of the collision. His
limbs were fractured and he also received
internal injuries.
He retained consciousness until his death
that afternoon, but was kept in ignorance
of the fate of his wife. In his last breath
he asked Rev. DIR. George u. Kulp to send
his love to the two children that he bad
left at homo and also to give them his
watch.