The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-12-05
A TERRIBLE
R. R. WRECK
AN IMMIGRANT TRAIN ON
THE WABASH SHATTER-
ED In A COLLISION.



ON Board, but the Number OF Dead and
Injured will be Anywhere From 100 to
15O-The Trains Crashed Into Each
Other Going ut full Speed.
Detroit, Mich, Nov. 27.-From
100 to $50 persons were killed or
injured tonight in the most disast-
rous wreck in the history Of Michi-
gan railroads. Two heavily loaded
passenger trains on the Wabash rail-
road collided head on at full speed
east of Seneca, the second station
west of Adrian.
The westbound train of tive cars
loaded with immigrants and five
other coaches, was mashed and burn
ed with the result of awful loss of
life and fearful injuries to majority
of its passengers. The eastbound
train, the Continental Limited, suf-
fered in scarcely less degree.
The track in the vicinity of the
wreck is strewn with dead and dy-
ing. Many physicians from Detroit
have gone to the scene.
No. 4 was the Continental Limit
ed, engine 500, engineer Strong,
conductor G.. J. Martin, and No. 13,
double headed, engine SO, Engineer
Werk, engine Isl, engineer Parks,
conductor Charles Troll. No. 4 it is
believed, disobeyed orders in not
waiting at Seneca for No. 13, there
by causing the wreck. The track at
the point where the collision occur
red was straight and at first the
officials could not understand why
the collision should have occurred.
No. 13 which ordinarily is due to
leave Detroit at 2:30 o'clock, was
two hours late, leaving at 4:2O. The
two trains met at Montpelier, Ohio,
according to schedule, but No. 4 had
orders to wait for No. 13 at Seneca.
The blame is therefore placed on the
conductor or engineer of No. 4. Had
this train been held at Seneca, the
accident would not have ACQUIRED.
No. 4 was due at Seneca at 6:43 ac-
cording to the change in schedule,
but apparently orders to wait were
disobeyed, and the probabilities are
that the true story of why will never
be told as the train crew undoubted-
ly met instant death.
Advice from the wreck at mid.
night state that the country for
miles around is lighted by the burn.
ing cars ana that the flames could
not be quenched because of lack Of
proper apparatus. Mangled bodies
were picked up along the track by
the farmers before the special train
arrived. In some places the bodies
were mangled beyond all recogni-
tion. The bodies which the res
ours managed to pull from the burn
ing ruins Of the immigrant cars
were so badly burned that their
identity will probably never be
established.
1t is not thought that any Detroit
people are injured, as train No. 3,
Immediately behind No. 13 con-
tained the Detroit passengers for
Chicago.
No. 4, eastbound, was made up
of an engine, baggage car, combina-
tion coach and sleeper. The trains
came together one mile east of
Seneca under q full head of steam.
All but the two rear coaches of No.
13, the westbound train, were de-
molished and the coach on No. 4
was telescoped. Five of the cars of
train No. 13 caught fire. The loss
of life is estimated at 100 on the
train. The loss of life ON No. il
skid to be 25. Engines No. S8 Ot
train ID exploded and engine 609 or
No. 4 turned over into a ditch
Two firemen and one engineer on
No. 13 wer. killed and the fireman
and engineer on No. 4 jumped and
escaped.