The Irish standard., 1900-08-18
COLLIDE At HIGH SPEED.
Worst Wreck in History of G. R.
& I. Road Occurs at Pier
son, Michigan.
SEVEN PEOPLE ARE REPORTED KILLED,

Many of the Passengers Injured, Some
Observation-Disclosures of Operator Re-
suits In the Complete Wrecking of
the Northbound Northland Exprexs
and Other Passenger Train.
Grand Rapids, Mich, Aug. 16.-The
most terrible wreck in the history of
the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad
occurred about five a. m. Wednesday at
Pierson, 20 miles north of Grand Rap
ids. The north-bound Northland ex-
press, which left this city at 4:O5, col
Notwithstanding with passenger train No.
due here at six a. m. Seven lives were
lost, one fatally injured, and many
passengers were injured, some severe
ly. Both engines and baggage cars
were completely demolished.
When the trains met day was Just
dawning and the fog as SO thick that
the engineers could not see more than
100 yards ahead. The trains were to
have passed at Sand Lake, two miles
south of Pierson, at 4:52. No. 2 was
evidently late, and was trying to make
the siding at Pierson. The Northland
express had the right of way and was
scurrying along at nearly full speed.
Either the engineers blundered in their
orders or were unable to see the sig
nails on account of the fog.
A telephone message from Pierson
says the engineers and fremen on both
trains were killed as well as five other
persons. The express train was made
up largely of Pullman cars. 1t was the
finest train on the road. 1t carried the
Grand Rapids coach, day coach, sew
eral sleepers from Cincinnati and the
south, and buffet-breakfast car, and
the baggage cars.
The Killed and Injured.
THE DEAD-Letts, Charles NJ, Grand
Rapids; conductor north-bound train No. s..
Groetveld, Gilbert, Grand Rapids; en-
gineer No. 5.
Fish, William H., Grand Rapids; engineer
No. 2.
Woodhouse, Edward D., Grand Rapids:
fireman of No. S.
Boyle, Louis c., Grand Rapids; fireman of
No. 2.
Pierson. c., passenger, of Franklin, Ind.
Levan, Ralph, son of baggageman Levan,
of Grand Rapids, who was in the car with
his father.
FATALLY INJURED-Blossom, Mark.
Grand Rapids, news agent; base Of skull
fractured.
THE INJURED-Dennis, H. A., Grand
Rapids, passenger, cut on head, legs
damned, left shoulder hurt; Graves, w. M.
Grand Rapids (colored), waiter on No. s.,
compound fracture of right arm and badly
cut; Ford, c. NJ, Grand Rapids (colored).
nnrfar No ipinra6 1arS nd
chest; Powers, David c., Grand Rapids,
baggageman of No. 2, scalp wound, throat
cut, Commissions on limbs, both eyes closed !;
Boroff, Frank, Traverse City, trainman,
head badly cut; Barnes, William, Grand
Rapids, dining-car conductor, left of chest
hurt, head cut; Taylor. Harvey, Grand
Rapids. colored waiter, both hands lacerat-
ed, arms cut; Hartsaw, w. G., passenger,
badly hurt about face and chest.
Th4Siremen of both engines are sup.
posed to be dead. Six bodies have been
taken from the wreck and it is believed
that the bodies of several others are
still buried in the mass Of broken iron
and wood. Eight persons, supposed to
be fatally injured, were taken to the
hotel at Pierson.
Men are at work endeavoring to
reach the dead and in ured who are
still imprisoned. Several physicians
accompanied the wrecking train to the
scene.
Fault of the Operator.
According to the railway officials,
the collision was the fault of Operator
Wells, stationed at Mill Greek, four
miles north Of this city. The trains
usually met at Sand Lake, two miles
south Of pierson. An order was is
sued that they meet at Woodstock,
four miles north Of Picrson. Later,
Operator Wells was asked if the ex-
press had passed his station yet. He
answered.: NO" He was then told
to countermand former orders and
give orders to No. 5 to meet No. at
Sand Lake. Similar orders were given
to No. 2. Train 5 never got the order,
having already passed Mill Creek.
They collided, therefore, while both
were going at full speed. The for
ward ears were telescoped. The bag
gage, mail and diningcars on No. S
saved the Pullmans in the rear and
the passenger coaches on No. 2 were
saved by three freight cars which
happened to be attached next to the
engine. There were IL cars on train
No. 2 and ten on No. S. Only six cars
remained on the track and the en-
gines were literally torn to pieces.
Report Eleven Killed.
Columbus, o., Aug. 16.-A report
received by the Pennsylvania officials.
which road operates the Grand Rapids
& Indiana railroad, tells of wreck
which occurred on that line shortly
Wednesday. The superintendent says
No. and No. collided, head-on,
killing both engine crews and seven
passengers and injuring % passen-
gers.
Dynamiter Identified.
st. Louis, Aug. 16.-Maurice Bren-
nan, who is under arrest charged with
being a dynamiter. was identified as
one of the men connected with the