Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-02-13
TEN KILLED IN A WRECK,
A Horrible Railway Disaster 0c-
ours in Michigan.
VICTIMS BODIES BURN,
Fast Freight and an Accom- m cd tiou
Train in Collision at Ford
River.

Escanaba, Mich, Feb. 9.-Chicago &
North Western passenger train No. p,
known as the Felch Mountain accommo-
dation, which runs between this city and
Metropolitan. was wrecked in a rear-end
collision at Ford river switch at 6:3O last
night. Ten persons were killed, three
are reported missing, Ave seriously and
four slightly injured.
The dead are:
w. L. HILL, Escanaba; baggageman Of
the accommodation train.
WILLIAM DILLON, Escanaba,. brakeman
on the accommodation train.
MISS MARY SEYMOUR, daughter of
Charles Seymour Of Schaffer, Mich.
CHARLES MORTON, Escanaba, lumber
GEORGE R. BLAKE, Escanaba, timber
SAN GREEN. Negaunee. agent of the Up
peg Peninsular Brewing company;
UNKNOWN WOMAN; body charred be-
yond recognition.
JOHN HAMLIN of Canada.
THEODORE DE FORGE, Hardwood,
Mich, farmer.
UNKNOWN MAN, evidently jeweler.
The injured:
b. W, Brown, Escanaba, cedar merchant;
believed to be fatally injured.
Richard Roberts, Escanaba; conductor OF
accommodation train; leg smashed.
freight train No. $50: hurt in Jumping.
Cole Nee, fireman Of freight train No. 2S9;
hurt in jumping.
H. W. Reid Of Escanaba superintendent
Pittsburg d Lake Superior Iron CO., slight
~ injured about head and body.
Peter Legg of Gladstone Delta county
school commissioner, slightly injured.
Mike Green, brakeman, injured about
arms.
Mrs Seymour, Shafrer, fatally injured and
burned.
-Four passengers, who refused to give
their names, were only slightly bruised.
PpnOrtpd
missing and their bodies are supposed &c
be under the burning wreckage, but their
names could not be ascertained.
Signal Lights II id ia the Storm.
Fast freight train No. $50, north-bound
from Green Bay tC Ishpeming, drawn by
Engineer James Green and Fireman
Cole Nee, was making about nifty miles
an hour when it passed Narenta for Fore
river switch, seven miles west OF this
city. The engine was forging ahead
through a binding snowStorm, which |
made it impossible to see signal lights but
a short distance ahead. When within 1Oo
yards of the switch at Ford river En-
gineer Green saw the rear lights of u
train directly ahead, and with warning
cry to his fireman jumped.
Wrecked Cars in Flames.
The next instant the heavy freight |
struck the passenger coach of the accom- |
mediation and teleScOped it and the bag |
gage car ahead. The dozen or more pas |
sengers in the car had not a moments
warning before the crash came, and a
moment later the cries of the injured |
could be heard above the hiss of escap- |
ing steam and crackle of the flames, |
which soon envelOped the wrecked cars |
and made the work of rescue doubly |
hard. AS fast as the injured were re-
moved they were taken to Sears Bros.
store short distance away, while the
train crews fought desperately assisted
by the uninjured passengers, to gain con- |
troll of the fire, which threa tened the de- |
strEction of the wreck before all the in
jured could be removed
Relief Train from Escauaba
A call for assistance was sent to this |
city, and at 7:15 q relief train left fol |
the scene Of the disaster, with the local
officials of the road and eight physicians |
in charge Of DR.. c.. E. Booth, the com
pany's surgeon. Immediately upon thei1 |
arrival the work of rescue was rushed |
with renewed energy, and at 10 o'clock il
was announced that all the injured had
been removed. But the bodies Of the |
three unknown dead and two trainmen |
are still pinned fast in the burning bag
gage car. all efforts to reach them hav
ing proved futile.
The news of the disaster was spread !
among the surrounding towns, and scores
of people drove across country to learn
if any of their friends were on board |
the Inflated train.
A pathetic incident of the disaster was
the fact that the engine of the accommo |
dation train was III charge of James Hill |
a sen of w l.. Hill, whose dead body is
still fast in the wreckage.
Injured Placed in Hospital.
AT II o'clock the relief train returned
to this city and was met by crowd OF
mourners Only the most seriously III
jured were brought on this trip, and
these were at once conveyed to the coun
The body of Sam Green of Negaunee |
was not identified until it was taken
from the relief train here. A fresh crew
Of men and physicians was at once dis
patched to return to the wreck on the |
special train, and, with the assistance !
of the wreck train, the work of clea ring |
up the Wreckage and removing the re
naming bodies will be continued.
Caused by CareIessness.
The wreck was undoubtedly due to
carelessness. The fast freight train was
running on time and had the right OF
way through to this city. The accom-
mediation train is due at $50, but was
about a half hour late when it passed
Narenta. Yet, in spite of this fact, il
was standing on the main track at Ford
river when the accident occurred.
The Felch Mountain branch of the
Chicago & North Western leaves the
main track at Narenta and runs a dis
lance Of forty miles to Metropolitan |
Train No. q is the only one using this
branch, it leaving Escanaba in the morn.
ing and returns at 6:30 p. m. each day, |
and, while having a regulation schedule |
is allowed to make its own time largely |
1t was late last night and the supposition
Il IL