Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-28
FOUR SCORE PEOPLE
KILLED IN COLLISION
Two Passenger Trains Come Together at
Full Speed Near Seneca, Mich. Cause
OF Accident, Misleading OF Orders.

Detroit Mich, Nov. 2S,-Two passen-
ger trains on the Wabash railroad, one
going west, the other east met In q
frightful collision while going at al
most full speed, one mile east of Sen
eca, Mich, a village eleven miles west
Of Adrian, shortly after o'clock last
night Both trains we're wrecked In
the dreadful impact entalling tre-
mendous loss Of life. estimated from 50
to 100. The list OF injured will probably
reach l25.
The westbound train was known as
No 10 and was regular, which, be-
sides It's regular coaches, had several
coaches filled with Italian immigrants
going west from New York. The east
bound train was known as No. 4, the
Continental limited 1t was vesti-
buled train, consisting of baggage
car, combination coach and sleepers.
CAUSE OF The WRECK.
The cause Of the wreck was a mis-
reading Of orders by Engineer Strong
pf the Continental limited. The order,
II is claimed, read Pass at Ceneca," but
Strong understood II TO read Sand
Creek. The conductor of the train did
not know that the engineer had mis-
understood the order and supposed that
his train was going ON o siding, Find
tng that the train was running rapidly,
tbs conductor put on the air brakes
himself, but 1t was too late. The two
trains crashed together and the cars
on the westb0und train We're crumpled
up In q heap of ruins.
Engineer Strong stated In an inter-
view TO an Associated Press reporter
that his order directed him to pass
trains Nos IL and (the latter closely
following No. 10 from Detroit) at Sand
Creek. Strong said
ENGINEER sTRoNG's STATEMENT.
II saw the headlight OF No. 10 four
or five miles before the collision oc-
CURED, but j supposed the train was
sldetracked at Sand Creek waiting for
us to pass. The glare OF the powerful
electric headlight made 1t impossible 10
see the exact location of the other
train. MY fireman and both Jumped
from the right hand gangway."
Strong and the fireman were both
hurled 800 feet but although scratched,
cut and terribly Jared, they were not
seriously injured.
The immigrants and other passen-
gers on train No. 10 were crushed be-
tween the splintered cars. II any es-
capped without injury It will be consld-
cred miracle.
WRECIiAGE CATCHES FIRE.
To add to the horror, the wreckage
caught fire instantly and in short
time the bodies Of the dead and those
OF the Injured who were pinned down
were being burned.
The scene which followed was heart
rending In the extreme The spot where
the wreck occurred was In the open
country with but one farmhouse near
by and facilities for aiding the In
cured were extremely inadequate.
AS soon as the news OF the disaster
reached Supt. Burns here a relief train
was dispatched to the scene with a
score or more Of surgeons on hand.
Farmers from nearby and those who
escaped from the wreck alive made
heroic efforts to rescue the less fortu-
nate. The condition of the wreck was
such that In the darkness II was Inn
possible TO render immediate aid
Immediately after the collision six
cars Of the westbound train, crowded
with immigrants, burst into flames. The
unfortunates fought madly in their at
tempt 10 crawl out OF doors and win
dows thus hindeIing each other so that
the bulk OF them were unable to escape,
fiha tf1art ttff nj trai IN ~ of
nine cars behind two engines. Six Of
these ears were jammed together. Very
soon the wreckage began burning
fercely and those In the cars were
slowly roasted to death. There were no
means at hand with which to fight the
fire and the agonlzed shrieks of the
poor unfortunates were appalling.
A vERITABLE HE'LL OF FIRE
1T was veritable hell of fire." said
Victor c. Greenbaum OF New YORK
city, who escaped with slight injuries.
People who came hurrying to the
scene from farmhouses In that local
ity, stood about the wreckage hopeless
ly and had their hands to their ears
TO shut out the frightful screams, and
turned their eyes away because It was
more than they could bear"
The scene Immediately surrounding
the wreck was terrible. In the semi
darkness. Illuminated only by the glare
from the fire OF the wreckage. men
stumbled about over corpses, which fell
from the ruins. and which after the
,!alnes had died out were hauled from
the debris. There they lay along the
track. some covered by blankets, when
had been brought by farmers who had
ilorked to the scene from the surround
ing country People came hurrying
from the nearby villages, and these
with the help OF those who escaped on
train No, 4, did what they could.
The immigrants who were lucky
enough TO get out alive from the lasc
ono or two immigrant cars were un-
able TO speak English and could give
no Idea apparently Of the number or
people that were In each car. The con-
tuctOT OF this train could not be found.
FOR this reason the estimate OF the num-
Der OF Gead must be considered purely
us app oximate, railroad doctors and
Others agreeing that the number must
approximate 100,
When the relief trains arrived, as
many OF the injured as could be car
rled were taken 10 Montpelier, Ohio.
Peru, Ind, and to the hospitals at
Adrian.
Partial and meager list OF dead and
injured Is as follows:
THE DEAD.
william d. Down. 1908 Deerborn Ave,
Detroit, fireman No. 49,
Cal Baldorf Ashley, fireman No. IS,
James Brown, porter.
- Enndell, Detroit
Geo. N. Youmans, Kansas City.
job Wltohell, Of WItchell Sons & Co.,
Detroit.
Vida Decas, Tupperville Ont.
Dominica Crebororo, burned to death
In cars.
n. n. Ruela, Pontiac.
slster-in.law of poenco Posterano
and her child.
Girolono Trlono.
Carlo Triono.
Dominlo crebaro.