The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-08
MANGLED AND BURNED.
TERRIBLE DISASTER TO TWO
WORLDS FAIR TRAINS.


full Holocaust Caused by Disobe-
dience Of Orders.
A terrible accident occurred about o'clock
u. m. in the yards Of the Chicago and Grand
Trunk Railroad close by the roundhouse In
Battle Creek, Mich, by which at least
twenty-six persons lost their lives,
and twice as many more were badlyinjured.
RAYMOND and Whitcomb special train
of passengers from New York and Boston
was returning from Chicago. The train,
made up OF six Pullman cars, with compile
ment of baggage cars, left the Si1tieth street
station of the Grand Trunk Railroad In Ch1-
cago at o'clock p. m. It ran as the first
section OF regular train No. 6. Conductor
Scott received this message:
"Carry red signals for second section OF
No. 6 from Battle Creek to Durand. Meet
No. 9 on double track"
This double track Is q sort OF siding mid
way between Battle Greek and Nichols,
small station one mile to the east. Train
No. 9 Is known as the Pacific express. The
big engine was hauling ten coaches, bag
gage car and a mail car. The coaches were
filled with Canadians and New Yorkers who
were on their way to the Fair. At Lansing
Conductor Burke, OF No. 9, received THIS
message:
HRun to double track for No. g."
Engineer Woolly of No. 6 did not run upon
the double track, as he was ordered to do,
and Conductor Scott did not see that the in
structlons were followed. On the contrary,
Scott, who had been told by Fireman Turner
that the Pacific Express had passed out OF
the yards, gave the signal to move upon the
main track. The heavy train Of Pullmans
moved of the siding and started out at q
lively speed for tie East.
It had gone quarter OF mile Wnen En-
cineer Woolly saw the headlight OF the
Pacific express bearing down upon him. He
made a frantic but unsuccessful effort to
check his train. There was terrible crash,
and when the townspeople searched the
wreck they found twenty-five bodies, most
of them burned beyond recognition, and
bleeding and dying man lying on the dry
leaves near the tracks. This man was ":
vandusen, of Sprout Brook; N: 7: he aleo
a few minutes after he reached the sanltar-
ium. -
Here IS list Of the dead. Identified:
Henry. W. W., Woonsocket, R. L, lumber
dealer; identified by business cards. Ma
COON, E. T., Providence, B. I. identified by
papers In q pocketbook. Van Deusen,
Charles, Sprout Brook, N. Y. died OF IN
iuries. Van Dsusen, Mrs. Charles, wife OF
above burned to death.
Unidentified: Man, too badly burned Tor
Identification. Man. about 145 pounds no
papers silver watch with engraved initials
ssW. A." Man, supposed to be T. A MeGar-
yey OF Ontario gold open-faced watch in
vest pocket. Man, weight about 1S0pounds /;
silk handkerchief In hand; clothing de-
stroyed no Identification. Man, apparent
ly about $50 pounds ;open-faced watch OF lul-
rois make mo means Of Identification. Man,
apparently weighed about 1S0 pounds: cloth
Ing destroyed; burned beyond possibility OF
Identification. Man supposed to be 6. w.
Baardsley, of Watkins, N. Y; IN pockets $S0
In currency and two checks, one for 5000 and
the other for s10O. Man, paper in vest poe
ket with statement from John Monroe,
banker. New York. to Charles E. Wenzel |;
also a note written in German from Charles
Z. Wenzel to DR.. Howard e. Vance. Man,
apparently about thirty-flve years old,
heavy build 1, In pocket of trousers several
English gold sovereigns; jackknife, with
horn handle, In vest f; silver watch, gold
spectacles handkerchief, with tho initials
dH. g." in old English letters trousers
vera brown. on the old English front-fap
style. Woman, weight about 100 no identi-
fcation. Woman, burned to crisp; no
clothing remaining. Woman, burned be-
yond oil possibility OF Identification. Wo-
man, badly. burned; Identification al
yond Identification; no clothing re-
naming. Woman, weight about 14o
pounds; chain bracelet, with key lock on
right wrist badly injured. Woman, burned
beyond Identification; portion OF black SILK
dress and blue striped underskirt remain
ing; also chain bracelet On right ann.
Woman, burned had in pocket OF skirt
letters addressed to Mrs. F. R. Kenzie, and
signed by Mrs. NJ. Parker; envelope post
marked Stamford, Conn. together with go
In money in another pocket was handker-
chief with name Of F. r. Mckenzie.
In red plush coat taken out OF the
debris with the remains was gold watch
In leather case. and pair OF rubbers
in paper marked "Middletown, Conn. Boy,
apparently about twelve years old face and
upper portion Of head, As well as feet, burned
to crisp few red hairs remaining on oack
OF neck in pocket OF coat, handkerchief with
red border chatelaine watch. Baby, burned
beyond recognition; charred trunk; limbs
and head missing; medical EXAMINATION
necessary to determine sex.
It was about o'clock when the two trains
came together just east OF the signal tower as
Nichols. Daylight was just breaking, and
drilling rain splashed against the windows
of the lofty room where the telegraphers sat
at their keys.
There was no time to apply air brakes OF
reverse levers. The engineers and fremen
| of both trains jumped for their lives, and
second later the giant locomotives came
| tosether with crash that could no heard a
half mile away. With fearful force the en-
CINE Of the special plowed nearly hall way
into that Of the express, driving II backward
into the baggage car, and the latter In turn
into the day coaches behind
| The shock was so terrific thht the first four
of these were completely telescoped, the first
coach cutting through the second and sec
ond into third In an instant. the roof OF eacn
passing over the heads OF the sleeping pas
sengers and sweeping them In mass to the
north end OF the car. 49,,
ImmeIiately tho wreck took fire from the
stoves or lamps. Through the dust and es-
Gaping steam sheet OF flame leapeo nom
| the wreckage.
The travellers on the special, nearly all OF
whom had been shaken out OF their oertns
| by the shock. poured out of the cars but be-
| fore the fury OF the flames they were almost
powerless to render anv assistance e1cept 10
| the injured in the fourth car.
The Fire Department was prompt In re-
| sponding, but the nearest hydrant was nearly
| 1000 feet away, and, when o line OF nose was
| laid, the pressure was not sufficient to be OF
much service. The hremen meanWnlie at-
| tackled the blazing wreck with axes, ,hstchets,
| and lengths OF rails found in the yards, but
by the time supply OF water was available
| the telescoped coaches had been reduced to
| fragments OF charred timber, little more than
| the trucks remaining.
In response to the alarm from the fire sta
! ton pretty nearly the entire town had turned
| our, and the residents, assisted by their
wives. devoted themselves 20 the relief OF
| those injured in the four cars. These were
placed in buggies and carts and taken 70
| the Nichols Home, where corps OF physi-
clans and nurses were in waiting to minister
to their suffsrings. For want OF sumclent
number OF stretchers, boards were nailed to-