Connecticut western news., 1893-10-26
BURNED IN A WRECK.
HORRIBLE FATE OF EASTERN VISi-
 TORS TO THE WORLDS FAIR.
An Engineer Disobeyed orders-A Head- on Collision Occurred In Which Twenty six Human Beings Were Crushed and Roasted, Many Beyond Recognition.


 BATTLE CREEK, Mich, Oct. 21.-The er- tor of one human being-a man who now trouches like a hunted animal in prison eell-led to the greatest railroad holocaust in the history of Michigan, and 26 human lives have paid the penalty of the moments negligence Two trains, both laden with passengers, met in direct headon collision on the Grand Trunk railroad in the sub urbs of this city, and that the number of dead and injured was not fourfold greater is due to the fortunate fact that the colli- sion occurred in the suburbs of city in- stead of in the open country, where both trains would have been running at full speed.
 As it Is, the 26 charred, disfgured and unrecoRnizable bodies lie in the morgue, and 9 maimed and bleeding victims are grooming in agony in the Charity hospital How many of these wounded may be added to the death list no one can tell, for the 1n- juries in many cases are internal and quite unfathomable to the only superficial med ical 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 to alleviate the condition of the suffering and care for the need of the vic tims of the dreadful disaster.
 The two trains which met face to face while going at a.rapid rate of speed were both regular trains, although each was considerably behind time. One was Ray mond and Whitcomb special train return ing from the Worlds fair and bound for New York and Boston, and the other was the regular west bound Pacific express train. The Raymond and Whitcomb was running as an extra section Of regular train and was therefore "2 regular" in the phraseology of the railroad men.
 The engineer of the latter train had posi- tive orders to sdetrack for the express at a siding mile east of this city. He ignored these orders, and 600 feet beyond this siding he met the east bound train full on. Both trains were wrecked, and half the train of the Pacific express was demolished and burned.
 The Raymond and whitcomb train, be- ing composed almost entirely of heavy sleepers, escaped serious injury, and none of the excursionists lost their lives.
 The engineers and firemen of both trains jumped in time to save their lives, but 28 passengers of the Pacific express met al- most instant death. The day coaches in the front part of this train were telescoped and burned, and of the 26 human remains at the morgue conjectures can only be made as to the identity of six. Twenty re- main entirely unidentified.
 List of the Dead.
 Those identified by letters or articles In their clothing or by other means are as follows:
 0. O. Van Dusen. sproutbrook. N. Y.; died at the hospital.
 Mrs. c. c. Van Dusen, Sproutbrook, N.-Y.; burned to death in the wreck before she could be extricated.
 w. w. Henry, woonsocket, R. l.; burned to a crisp.
 Mrs F. R. Mckenzie, Middletown, Conn.,; burned to a crisp.
 T. A. McGarvey. Toronto; mangled and
 J. w. Beardsley, Watkins, N. r.; burned and mangled.
 The list of the injured Is as follows:
 Ezekiel Davidson, ex-president of Fairport Village, N. Y.; Miss Belle Williams, Lockport, N. Y.; Mrs. Henry Bushnell. Brockport, N r.: William Thompson, Woodstock, Ont; Frank Rogers Woodstock, Ont: Fred Wurtz, Roch- ester: Evelyn Wurtz. daughter of above; Har- vey Smith, Fort Plain, N. r.; Mrs. Harvey Smith, Fort Plain, N. Y., right leg broken; Frank H. Smith. Fort Plain, N. Y., both limbs crushed, amputated; Nellie E. Smith, Fort Plaln, N. Y.. right foot crushed: Albert Bradley. Toronto left leg broken. am- putated below knee; Frank Turner, Middle Smithville. Pa., injured in the back: John O. Stewart, Dalton, Ills, shoulder bruised; Jennie. daughter of above, aged Il years left arm broken: Mrs. Vance. Simcoe, Canada, both limbs broken; George Vance, son of above, aged IA years, bruised, Joseph s. Archbell, Evanston, Ills, ankle smashed; George Shakleton. Au- burn, N. T., right hand and head injured Thomas J. Monroe. Auburn, N. Y.: Mrs. Boards lee, Springfield: H. k. Williams, Toronto: Mag gie O'Brady, Oswego N. Y., right leg broken C.. F. Adams, Buffalo: Charles Beardsley Springfield Mass; <. H. Baldwin, Milford, Conn.,; J. H. Smith, Ingersoll. Ont. Justice Henry issued warrants for Henry Wooley, engineer of train No. 6, and Con- ductor Burt N Scott. Wooley was put under 8, 900 bail for appearance next Mon day. He could not furnish the bail, and Deputy Sheriff King took him to Marshall. It was learned that Conductor Scott had gone to Port Huron, and after Justice Hen ry had heard the engineers statement of the collision he ordered the officer to tele- graph to Port Huron to have Scott arrested. Mrs Van Dusen's Horrible Death.
 Not until their dying day will some of the citizens who were early on the ground forget the scenes that they were compelled to witness and helpless to relieve. No pen can 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 framework of the seat she had been occu- pying 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 helpless to give. A majority of the passengers on the train were from Vermont, New Hampshire, Mas sachusetts and New York. Those who were uninjured or suffered from simple shock and bruises were given the option of re- turning home or going to Chicago on a special train. The major.Iy went on to the Worlds fair.
 Superstitious citizens are commenting on the fact that there were 13 coaches on the fatcd train and that the car in which the fire started was numbered 13. It had been in previous wrecks
 BATTLE CREEK, Mich, Oct. 23.-Albert H. Bradley of Toronto, another of the in- jured i'll the Grand Trunk wreck, died here. He was cashier in the Bank of Commerce in that city, and his demise swells the number of deaths to 2S.