Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-10-26
A Dreadful Railroad Accident.

There have been many appalling
railroad accidents this year in various
parts of the country, but the most
horrible Of them all occurred at Bat
tls Creek, Mich, early last Friday
morning. Twenty-siI persons were
killed or burned to death and as
MANY more injured in u collision be-
tween two passenger trains on the
Chicago and Grand Trunk Railroad.
The engineer and conductor OF an
sast-bound special passenger train OF
eight palace cars got orders to meet
the wSsC-bound express train, com
posed Of thirteen ordinary passenger
coaches. at point Just east OF Battle
Greek. They dl.regarded their orders,
and the train kept on at rapid
speed past the meeting point. In
few minutes tho train from the east
came around a curve, and there was
an awful crush as they met on the
single track.
The engine of the special plowed
nearly halfway into that of the ex-
press. driving it backward into the
baggage car, and the latter in turn
into the day coaches behind. The
shock was so terrific that the first four
of these were completely telescoped,
the first coach cutting through the
second and second into the third, the
roof OF each passing over the heads OF
the sleeping passengers and sweeping
in a mass TO the north end or the
train. To add to the horror the
wreck took fire from the stoves or
lamps and as the flames mounted up
the proans and ShriekS of the manned
and Injured were succeeded by heart
rsnding, agonizing cries and appeals
| for help from the scores imprisoned
| by the heavy timbers or held down
bv the seats and iron frame work.
| The alarm was given at once, and
| soon the fremen from Battle Creek,
| the uninjured passengers and many
| other persons were fighting the flames.
| Water was scarce, however, and the
| flames were not subdued until the
wrecked coaches had been almost en-
| tirely destroyed. Many OF the bodies
were burned so as to be unrecogniza-
BILE, while others We're removed from
! the wreckage piecemeal.
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 help
| less 10 Ttll6Nc. 4NO pen van NSSSiICN
| the last moments of Mrs. Charles Van
Dusen. She had succeeded i'll getting
halfway out of the window, but her
| limbs were pinioned by the heavy
frame work of the 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 out
side were helpless to give. Despite
her terribly agony, she retained con
seriousness to the last, and as the
flames crept up and surrounded her
she called out her name and address
and that OF friends to be notified. Il
am q teacher in the Methodist Sun
day 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 meantime been rescued
from the next car, into which he had
been driven by the force of the coils
! ion. Both limbs were fractured and
hs had also received internal injuries.
He retained consciousness until his
death, but was kept in ignorance of
the fate of his wife In his last breath
he asked Rev. DR.. George b. kulp to
send his love to the two children that
he had left at home, and also to give
them his watch. He was AZ years old,
and deacon in the Methodist church
of his native village.
The conductor and engineer who
disobeyed their orders have been ar
rested. Both are half crazed at the
awful consequences Of their mistake.