The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-09-27
had APOOR MEMORY
Engineer Zimmerman Forgot to
Pull on the Siding.
TWO DEAD FIVE ARE INJURED
Freight Train CoIlides With an Elk.
cursion Train Near Cadillac, Caus-
ing a Bad mashup-claimed That
Orders Were Given Verbally.

Grand Rapids, Mich, Sept. PA
disastrous wreck occurred on the G..
X. K |. railroad near Cadillac at 1880
Sunday night
The Dead.
Engineer Fred Zimmerman of Cad
lilac.
The Injured.
Conductor Fred Volkert Of Grand
Rapids, left leg broken above ankle
and hand scalded.
Brakeman Hiram Witkop of Cadil-
lac, left leg and left arm broken and
badly scalded on neck, arms and face.
Engineer j. B. Dart of Grand Rapids,
left arm broken and badly bruised.
News Agent W. A. Sneevelit of
Grand Rapids, cut on right cheek and
badly bruised.
Albert Coon of Cadillac, badly
bruised.
The collision occurred between an
extra passenger train carrying Sunday
excursionists from Cadillac to Petos-
key and return and the regular freight
running north from Cadillac. The
passenger was in charge of Conductor
Fred Folkert Of Grand Rapids and En-
gineer b. j. Dart of Grand Rapids. The
freight was handled by Conductor A.
]. Broadway, Engineer Fred thinner
man and Fireman Fred Swan, all or
Cadillac.
1t was the excursion trains last
run of the season. A load of Al pas
sengers had been carried TO Petoskey.
On the return journey the train was
within a few miles of home when,
without the slightest warning, the
headlight of the freight rounded a
curve a short distance away. Both
engineers reversed engines, but the
trains were so close together that the
collision could not be avoided. The
engines Of both trains were reduced
to scrap iron, several cars of freight
piled up in an indistinguishable mass
behind the freight engine, and the
baggage car of the excursion train was
lifted bodily and piled on top of one
of the locomotives. The front end OF
the smoker was also badly smashed.
Engineer Zimmerman of the freight
was caught in the wreck OF his own
engine and his left side was terribly
scalded, several bones broken and In
jured internally so severely that he
died at / a. m. AS he was taken from
the wreck he gasped:
"it's all my fault; ! forgot, ! forgot
1t appears that no train orders were
issued TO the conductor and engineer
of the freight, but that verbal orders
were given to the conductors, who
transmitted them through Brakeman
Witkop to-the engineer. These orders
were to run the freight train on the
siding at Missaukee Junction, six
miles north of Cadillac, to wait fol
the passage OF the excursion train
This Zimmerman never thought of do
ing. and for some reason was not re
minded of ii by either the conducto'
or brakeman. The freight proceeded
at full speed, and the mistake was
never discovered until the headlight
of the passenger train was seer
ahead. Zimmermans forgetfulness is
supposed to have been caused by the
fact that the passenger was an extra
train and there was usually no neces
sity of arranging to pass it.
A. wrecking train was sent up from
here with company officials aboard. A
track has been built around the wreck
and traffic has been resumed.
Hiram Witkop, brakeman on the
freight train, died at 1890 at Cad
! lilac
The injured were brought to thi:
city at noon. Conductor Valkert
! whose leg was taken off, is an ole
man. and it is feared the shock will
prove fatal Engineer Dart is alsC
! believed to be injured internally.