The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-28
Five or Six Passenger Coaches
Crushed and Their Burden of
Human Freight Sent Into Eter-
nifty in a Moment
PASSENGERS CAUGHT
LIKE RATS IN A TRAP
The Wreck at Once Took Fire and
Those Who Were Not Instantly
Killed Were Slowly Roasted to
Death--ACCident Occurred Near
Detroit

Detroit, Mich, Nov. 27.-one or me
most disastrous wrecks in the history
of the Wabash Railroad, or any other
Michigan railroad, occurred at SEN
eca, Mich, a small way station about
20 miles southwest of Detroit between
and 73O o'clock tonight.
An emigrant train, with two engines
westbound, collded. under full head
of steam with an eastbound train
about one mile from Seneca.
The result was that five or six
coaches Of the emigrant train were
crushed and its burden of human
freight was sent into eternity in a, mo-
ment, while one coach on the eastbound
train which consisted OF parlor car,
diner, and a baggage car, was also
telescoped and many dead bodies have
been taken from the ruins.
1t is not known how many people
there were on the emigrant train, but
the death list will be anywhere from
60 to $50.
| The people on that train we're caught
like rats in a trap and crushed. Then
the wreck caught fire and those who
were not instantly killed, were slowly
roasted to death and not one of the
few spectators who hastily gathered
from the farm houses nearby were
able to afford aid
The whole emigrant train was soon
consumed by the flames and every per-
son on that train, It is reported now,
was killed. Farmers residing along
the track rushed in on the blazing mass
to rescue those whom they thought
might be alive, The bodies hauled out
of the wreck were taken to nearby
farmhouses, which are filled with dead.
and large number of injured were
taken to a hospital at Peru, Ind.
Along the track long lines Of burn
ed bodies lie covered with blankets,
presenting a gruesome sight. 1t is ex-
pected that the number killed or their
identities win never be known. At
present, it Is impossible to get any
thing resembling a list OF injured or
dead from Seneca.
1t is said here the wreck was the
result of misunderstanding of orders.
1t is reported in Seneca that the east
bound train should have waited at Sem
eca station and the west bound should
have taken the siding. This was not
done and then the crash came.
The net result is that one whole
train, the westbound one, is burned;
the engines completely wrecked on
both trains and on the eastbound the
coach between the diner and the bag
gage car is crushed into kindllng wood.
The track in the vicinity of the wreck
is strewn with dead and dying. Many
physicians from Detroit have gone to
the scene. Number 4. the Continental
Limited, had engine 6O9 Engineer
Strong, Conductor G. j. Martin and
the emigrant train. a double header,
engine No So, Engineer Work and en-
CINE No 151. Engineer Parks. Conduct
or Charles Troll The Continental Linz
tied. it is believed, disobeyed orders in
not waiting at Seneca for the emigrant
train. thereby causing the wreck.
The track at the point where ths
collision occurred was straight, and at
first the officials could not understand
how the accident could have happened
The emigrant train, which ordinarily
is due TO leave Detroit at 2.S0 o'clock,
was two hours late. leaving at 40.
The two trains met at Montpelier,
Ohio. according to schedule, but the
Continental Limited had orders to wait
for the emigrant train at Seneca. The
blame is therefore placed on the con-
ductor or engineer OF the Continental
Had this train been held at Seneca
the accident would not have occurred
The Continental was due at Seneca az
643. according to the change in sched-
ule. but apparently orders TO wait were
disobeyed and the probabilities are
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