The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-10-26
DfSOBEDiENCE
Canses Another Terrible Railroad Wreck
Tweuty-Sfx Corrscs and a Number Of
Wounded Recovered


Wounded Recovered.
BATTLE CREEK, Mich, Oct 31.-Thc
worst wreck of this year occurred at 4
o'clock Friday morning in the yards OF
the Grand Trunk Line, close to the
round house in this city, by which Mt
least twcnty-six persons lost their lives
and double as many more were badly
injured
a Raymond & Whitcomb special train
OF passengers from New York and Bos-
ton was returning from Chicago. The
train was in charge of Conductor Scott.
Of this city, and Engineer Wooley, and
too: crs at this station to meet at
Mic. :, No. Q, the Pacific express going
west. due ut this station at 1:35 o'clock
this morning. but which was three
hours late.
The conductor or engineer, or both,
Of the Raymond special, disobeyed
orders md passed Nichols station and
collidcd with the Pacific express COM
ing west at tho rate of about thirty
miles an hour. The two engines were
driven into each other and are q total
wreck. The one on the express was No
1873 new Cook engine, in use only two
weeks.
The engineers and fircmcn when they
saw that q collision was incvita bic
shut off steam reversed engines, put
on brakes ard all jumped and escaped
without serious injury. The engineer
of the PncifIc express was named Gil
Cranshaw and the conductor Burt The
conductor Twas badly hurt by being
caught in the car.
When the collision took place the
second and third day coaches on No. q
the train going west, were completely
tclcscopcd. 1t was in these cars that
the horrible sacrifice of life took place.
The second coach cut through the third
coacl, like knife, and the car passed
over the heads of the sleeping and Ill
futcd passengers, who we're completely
cntombcd as if in 4 furnace.
The passengers in the four coaches
were moro or less injured. and in one
Of them Go. 10, called the unlucky
coach, which has been in several acct
dents bcforc) there were twenty-five
bodies taken from the wreck Friday
morning.
They were pinioncd under the seats
and iammcd up against the end OF the
coach by the next coach. which had
telcscoped It, and then burned like rats
in a trap.
The accident was mile from the fire
station, and before water could be
turned on the cars were all burned.
The Pacific express was made up of
thirteen old coaches, and four Of thcm
were completely burned, catching fire
from the lamps in The cars.
The bodies we're burned 50 badly
rs to he unacceptable. Nearly all
had their heads. arms or legs burned
off. and can not be identified as yet
AS the second car WAS driven back into
the third it swept the people in mnss
to the north end of the latter car in the
vicinity OF the stove, before which most
of the bCiicS were afterwards found.
The cars took fire, and in m instant
they were ri in II hlazo The night
vardmcn and the neiChbors in the VI
entity were on the scene rs soon as pos
siblc.
One passenger escaped through 4
doorway. Others who escaped mashed
out the windows md climbed through.
Only three escaped from the left side,
and not more than six from the other
side All of the rest of the occupants
of the second coach persisted.
The most horrible sight was that pre-
sen.pd ly Mrs Charles Vandrsen, OF
Fort PlHsn, y Y. She succeeded in
getting half way cut OF tie window,
but her legs were fastened, ard those
who ran to her assistance could not re-
lease her
She was burned to death before their
ewes with onc-half Of her body still
hanging out of tho window. Before
death came to release her suffering She
gave her name.
Henry Garfield, one of the night
clerks at The Chicago and Grand Trunk
Offices, heard the crash, and imncdi-
ately pulled the fire alarm box, and
then tclaphone,i the cnginc-housc and
informed lhe.l OF the wreck. The fire
men responded promptly, butthc wresh
was over mile away.
The distance CT the nearest hydrant
from the wreck and the difficulty Of
driving the hoscwS con between the
cars and tracks, delayed them till
the fire had gained considera BILE head
way.
The awful work CT rescuing the dead
and injured was not completed until 8
o'clo.li' Friday morning, when tho last
body was taken out of the wreck.
Sufficient .stretchers were not to be
had. and the workers nailed boards to-
ccthev on which the charrod bodies
were laid, and carried away as fast as
they were extricatcd. a temporary
morguc was made of frcight'car In
which the tlSfgured Bodies were placed
in charge of local undcrtakcrs.
SO horribly burned a2d charrcd are
the odics lying in this impromptu
morguc that it IS hardly possible their
nnnioS will ever lie known. At 9 o'clock
twcnty-siH dead bodies had been taken
out OF the ruins OF the wrecked cars
and this * supposed TO be thctotnl
number Of victims.
AS fast rs the charrcd, satchels,
valiscs rockcthoolis, watches, etc,
were recovered from the debris, they
were turned ovcr-to the police officials.
n is hopod that some OF these grim
relics will give clew to the identity
Of some Of those who met such an aw-
f,l death Many Of the watches were