The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1900-08-18
.COLUD[D DURING A FOG.
Terrible Accident on the Grand
Rapids & Indiana Railroad
at Pierson, Mich.
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED OUTRIGHT.
4 Number, Mostly Train Hands, Bad
ly Injured, One Fatally-The En-
gineers Either BIundered or the
Fog Was So Dense They Couldn't
See Their Danger.

Grand Rapids, Mich, Aug. 16.-The
aorth-bound Northland express which
left this city at 4:0j a. H., and south
bound passenger train No. 2, due
here at a. M, collided in the dense
fog of the early morning at Person,
20 miles north of Grand Rapids. Nine
lives are supposed to have been lost
and many passengers were injured,
eight probably fatally. Both engines
and the baggage cars were complete
ly demolished.
Tho Killed.
Charles M. Let's, Grand Rapids; con-
ductor north-bound train No. s.
Gilbert Groetveld, Grand Rapids;
engineer No. 5.
VIM. II. Fish, Grand Rapids, en-
gineer No. 2.
Edward d. Woodhouse, Grand Rap
ids; fireman No. E.
Louis G. Boyle, Grand Rapids; fire.
man No. 2.
C. Person, passenger, of Franklin,
Ind.
Ralph Levan, son of Baggageman
Levan, of Grand Rapids, who was in
the car with his father.
Fatally Injured.
Mark Blossom Grand Rapids, news
agent; base Of skull fractured.
II. A. Dennis, Grand Rapids; passen-
ger; cut on head, legs jammed, left
shoulder hurt.
W. NJ. Graves, Grand Rapids, col
ored, waiter on No. 5; compound
fracture Of right arm and badly cut,
c. NJ. Ford, Grand Rapids, colored,
porter on No. 5; injured about legs
and chest.
David c., Powers, Grand Rapids,
baggageman of No. 2; scalp wound,
throat cut, Commissions on limbs, both
eyes closed.
Frank Poroff, Traverse City, train
man; head badly cut.
VIM. Barnes, Grand Rapids, dining
car conductor; left side Of chest
hurt, head cut.
The Injured.
Harvey Taylor, Grand Rapids, col
ored waiter; both hands lacerated
and arms cut.
w. G. Hartshaw, passenger; badly
hurt about face and chest.
Day Was Just Dawning.
When the trains met Gay was just
dawning, and the fog was SO thick
that engineers could not see more
than 100 yards ahead. The trains
were to have passed at San Lake, two
miles south Of Pcrson, at 4:52. No.
was evidently late, and was trying
to make the siding at Pierson. The
Northland express had the right Of
way, and was going at nearly full
speed. Either the engineers blum
dered In their orders, or were unable
TO see signals on account Of the fog.
Both Engineers and Firemen Killed.
A telephone message from Person
says that the engineers and flremen
of both trains were killed, as well as
five other persons, The express train
was made up largely Of Pullman cars.
1t carried the Grand Rapids coach, a
day coach, several sleepers from Gin.
cinnati and the south, the buffet Cur
and baggage car.
Fixing the blame.
According to the railway officials,
the collision wns the fault OF Opera.
tor Wells, stationed at Min Creek,
four miles north of this city. The
trains usually meet at Sand Lake, two
miles south Of Person. An order was
issued that they meet at Woodstock.
four miles north OF Piersop. Later,
Operator Wells was asked II the ex.
press had passed his station yet, He
nnsewred mo" He was then told
TO countermand former orders, and
TO give orders to No. TO meet No. .
ut Sand Lake, Similar orders were
given to No. 2. Train No. never got
the order, having already passed Mil
Creek. They colllded, therefore,
while both were going ut full speed,
-