The record-union., 1893-10-21
Special to the REcoRD-UxIox.

BATTLE CREEK (Mlch.), Oct. 20.-1ne
error of one human being, one man who
crouches affrighted in prison cell to-
night led to the greatest railroad holo-
caust in the history of Michigan to-day
and twenty-six human lives paid the
penalty of a moments negligence. Two
trains, both laden with passengers, met
in direct head in collision on the Grand
Trunk Railroad at 3:45 this morning in
the subur OF the city and that the
number cad and injured is not four
fold : se. is due to fortunate circum-
stances.
The cCl-1.iJn occurred in the suburbs
of this city, where trains slacken speed.
Twenty-six charred, disfigured and un-
recognizable bodies lie in the Morgue
tonight, and twenty-seven charred and
bleeding victims are groaning in agony in
Charity Hospital. How many of these
wounded may be in the death list to-
morrow none can tell, for the injuries in
many cases are quite uniathomable to the
medical examination that is possible
now.
All that surgical science can do is being
done. and officials of the railroad are do
the dreadful disaster.
Two trains met face to face. Both were
regular trains, although each was con-
sideraply behind time. One was the
Raymond q Whitcomb special train re-
turning from the Worlds Fair, and the
other a regular Pacific Express west
bound. The engineer of the Raymond 81
Whitcomb train had positive orders to
sidetrack for TIE express at a siding a
mile east of this city. He ignored the
ORDERS and 800 feet beyond the siding he
met the eastbound train full on. Both
trans were wrecked, and half the train
OF the Pacific Express was demolished
and burned. The Raymond d Whit
comb train, being composed almost en-
tirely of heavy sleepers, escaped serious
injury, and none OF the eXcursiOnists lost
their lives. The engineers and firemen
of both trains jumped in time, but
twenty passengers Of the Pacific Ex
press met almost instant death. The day
coaches in the front part of this train
telescoped and burned, and of the
tweuty-siX human remains at the
morgue tonight, coniectures can only be
made as to the identity of six. Twenty
remain entirely unidentified.
The identified are as follows: c. c. Van
Duzau, Sproutbrook, n. Y, died in the
hospital; Mrs. c. G. Van DuZan, Sprout-
brook, \. y, burned to death after the
w. w. Henry, Woonsocket, r. l., burned
to crisp; Mrs. +. R. Mex enzie, Middle
town, Conn.,, burned to a crisp;sT. a. Nc
Garvey, Ontario, Canada, mahgled. and
burned to death; ]. w. Beardley, Wat
kins, n. Y, burned and mangled.
The Coroner numbered each of the
bodies now in the Morgue consecutiVely
and noted the articles found on each body
that might lead to Identification. On one
body paper marked +. j. Mogon, Prov
idence, Il. l., was found. On another was
q statement from John Monroe, banker,
of New York TO Charles q. Verde; also a
note in German from Charles E. Wen
zele to Dr. Howard Evance. An un-
known baby was burned 10 crisp.
The following articles were found in
the debris, but it was impossible to con-
meet them with the bodies: Book.
League of American Wheelman," with
the name inside of William Louis Wilson,
Northwestern University, Evanston. ILL.,.
S32 Sheridan Road; cards and envelope
marked Miss L. b. Hayes; cards bought
Of George Muir, Evanston, H.; a box of
pills marked Bradley, Evanston. Ill. a
Bible, Thoroughly wet and partially
burned, gave the following on the title
page: Emblem for st. Clements Glass,
An Anchor, Hebrews 6, IS, teacher j. S.
Arch. Easter. 1885," The name was so
near the edge that only arch" could be
deciphered.
There are in the Morgue eighteen bodies
eight males, seven females and three
corpses burned beyond means Of identiti-
cation or ascertaining the sex.
Immediately after the accident the
MANNED and injured were conveyed to
the Nicholas Memorial Hospital in this
city.
The Raymond Il Whitcomb train was
in charge OF Conductor Scott of this city.
Engineer Henry Wooley was pulling it,
and there appears to be no doubt that
Engineer Wooiey' negligence caused the
accident. The conductor and engineer
received orders here To meet the Pacific
Express at Nichols. Engineer Wooley
got orders at Battle Creek, and getting
beyond the stretch of the double track
kept right ahead at rafting pace. He
met the Pacific Express half mile or
less below the meeting point made for
him. The Pacific Express was coming at
thirty miles ali hour. From Nichols a
curve begins, SO it was impossible for
either engineer to see the other until the
headlights appeared. They had scarcely
time to reverse, apply the air brakes and
save theselves as best they could. The
head-on engines came together.
The Raymond Il Nhitcomb train stood
the shock without more than a shudder
jar, excepting the baggage car at the head
end, which had its front stove in. None
VI tLS l1tsoSAlSGlS Ou btlC iidlh NOAO All
jured beyond severe shaking up.
On the other train all the horror was
experienced. The frail day coaches be-
hind the baggage car went TO splinters.
The train was made up of thirteen
coaches, and the first four of them were
telescoped. The passengers were caught
In the seats and the general mass of ruins,
and, to add 10 their misery, burning
lamps exploded, and in a moment the
cars were q sheet OF fiames
The Battle Creek Fire Department did
heroic work. They received the alarm
five minutes after the accident. Horses
could not be driven between the cars on
account of the flames, so a rome was
hitched TO the chemical, and it was hauled
BY hand into position, and the rear
sleeper, Sabriua, was saved. The fire.
men took out every body and practically
cleared away the debris. The third
coach of the express left the trucks. and
nlowed right through the second. scrap-
inc all the seats and passengers along
with it. and depositing them in a heap at
the north eud OF the car, where most OF
the bodies were found.
The bodies were loaded on g fiat car and
taken to Battle Greek station. They were
conveyed into Ranger & Farley's under
taking rooms, where a Morgue was ex-
teinporized. While everything was done
to relieve the victims, there remained
their CHASTITY appearance. The scene at
the MOrgue appalled, the StoUtest hearts.
Tie dead were ranged along the side OF a
dark basement, which was Illuminated
by a feeble fiickering Jet. The remains
were so mangled and distigured that they
Tesembled nothing but an ancient