The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-21
Joseph Archibald, Evanston, Ill.
George Shackle, Auburn, N. Y.
Thomas Munroe, Auburn, NY.
Mrs. Beardsley, Springfield.
H. r. Williams, Toronto.
Maggie O'Brady, Oswego, NY.
G.. Adams. Buffalo. w

H. r. Williams, Toronto.
Maggie O'Brady, Oswego, NY.
C.Adams, Buffalo, NY.
How the Accident Occurred.
Direct disobedience of orders on the
part of the Chicago and Grand Trunk
engineer and conductor, both of whom
have seen long service with the company
and were regarded as model employees,
was the cause of the tragedy. The Ray
mond and Whitcomb special train of
eight palace cars, filled with eastern
folk, who had been at the Worlds FAIR,
left the Sixth street depot of the road
in Chicago at 8.15 last night as the first
section of the night express. The train
was in charge of Conductor Burt n Scott
and Engineer Harry Tooley, both resi-
dents of this place. All went well until
the Battle Creek depot was reached at s. IS
this morning From here to the railroad
yards, mile and a half, there is a
double track. When the Whitcomb
special stopped in the depot, the night
OF an order for the train to proceed to
the double track east of Main street,
about half mile distant, and there
await the west bound Pacific express.
This train was nearly three hours late.
Every one of the fated cars was packed
with eastern people, the majority on the
way to the exposition. The Pacific ex-
press was in charge Of Conductor John
Bird and Engineer Gil Cranshaw, both
of whom received orders at Lansing to
look out for the east bound train on the
double track. They were. accordingly,
on the alert. After leaving Battle Creek
station, Engineer Wooley proceeded up
the double track, but instead of stopping
in accordance with the instructions until
the west bound train passed, he con-
tinued on and entered again on the single
track. He had hardly gone an eighth of
mile when the headlight of the Pacific
express was seen coming around the
curve speeding westward forty miles an
hour. There was no time to apply the
air brakes or reverse the levers. The
engineers and firemen of both trains
jumped for their lives and second later
the giant locomotives. came together with
a crash that could be heard half a mile
away.
THE Scene at the Wreck.
The engine of the special plowed nearly
half way into the express, driving it
backwards into the baggage car, and
the latter in turn, into the day coaches
behind. The first four cars were COM
pletely crushed.
lG was III GQ6S6 CARS UQ6 uOTTl-
Bile sacrifice of life took place. The
second coach cut through the third coach
like knife and the roof passed over the
heads of the sleeping and the ill fated
passengers were entombed in fiery fur
mace.
From No. 13, called the unlucky coach,
which has been in several accidents be-
fore, there were twenty-five dead bodies
taken out this morning by the firemen.
The QnCidQnf a mile from the tira
station, and before water could be
turned on the cars they were all burned.
No one on the Raymond special was in
jured.
The Pacific Express was made up OF
thirteen old coaches and four of them
were completely burned, catching ire
from the lamps in the cars. The bodies
were burned SO badly as to be unrec-
ognizable. Nearly all had their heads,
arms or legs burned off and cannot yet
be identified. AS the second was driven
back through the third it swept the
people in mass to the north end of the
latter car, in the vicinity of the stove
where most of the bodies were afterwards
found. The cars Immediately too fire,
and in an instant they were all in a
blaze. The night yardmen and the
neighbo in the vicinity were on the
scene as soon as possible One passenger
escaped through the doorway. Others
who escaped smashed out the windows
and climbed through. Only three escaped
from the left side and not more than six
from the other side. All the rest of the
occupants of the second car persisted.
The most horrible sight was that pre-
sented by Mrs. Charles Van Dusen of
Fort Plains, N. Y, she succeeded insget-
ting half way out of the window, but
her legs were fastened and those who ran
to her assistance could not release her.
1o h1,r ~ 20 daufh hafnrQ thdjr
eyes, with one-half of her body still
hanging out of the window. Before
death came to relieve her suferings she
gave her name.
Charles Van Dusen, the husband of the
dead woman, was terribly injured, but
was taken from the wreck alive. He was
removed to the Nichols Memorial Home,
where he died at 10 o'clock.
Henry Canfield, one of the night clerks
at the Chicago and Grand Trunk offices,
heard the crash and Immediately pulled
the fire alarm box and then telephoned
the engine house and informed them of
the wreck The fremen responded
promptly, but the wreck was over mile
away. The distance of the nearest
hydrant from the wreck and the difficulty
of driving the hose wagon between the
cars and tracks delayed them, and the
fire had gained considerable headway
when the line of hose was finally laid, it
taking 1900 feet to reach the burning
cars A line of hose was also laid from
the Grand Trunk Water Works, but there
was not pressure enough to throw a
stream.
The awful work OF rescuing the dead
and injured was not completed until nine
O'Clock this morning. when the last body
was taken from the wreck. Sufficient
stretchers were not to be had, and the
workers nailed boards together, on which
the charred bodies were laid and carried
away as fast as they were extricated. A
temporary morgue was made of freight
car, in which The disfgured bodies were
placed in charge of local undertakers.
So horribly burned and charred are the
bodies lying in this impromptu morgue
that it is hardly possible their names will
ever be known,
At 8 o'clock twenty-six bodies had been
taken out of the ruins of the wrecked
cars.
AS fast as the charred satchels, valises,
pocketbooks, watches, ETC., We're rescued
from the debris they were turned over 80
the police officers. 1t is hoped that some
of these grim relics will give a clue to
the identity of some of those who met
such an awful DEATH Many cf the