The sun., 1901-11-29
MICHIGAN'S DISASTER.
Deaths From Adrian Train Wreck May
S4sss.s, Number One Hundred.
MANY OF INJURED WILL DIE
Engine Driver Strong, Who Was
Hurled Three Hundred Feet, but
Escaped Unhurt, Asserts He
Got Misleading Order.

Detroit, MICH, Nov. 2S.-The latest
estimate of the casualties in the Wa
bash wreck near Adrian, Mich, is that
there are eighty dead and 125 injured.
of the latter 1t is said twenty-five will
die. Train loads of injured have been
taken to Adrian, Mich. Montpelier, o.,
and Peru, Ind OF the dead, fifty are
italian immigrants who were on the
westbound train.
The ca<sse of the wreck was mis-
reading of orders by Engineer Strong
of the Continental Limited. The order.
IL is claimed, read Pass at Seneca"
but Strong understood it 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 a siding. Find.
ing that the train was running rapidly.
the conductor put on the airbrakes
himself, but 1t was too late. The two
trains crashed together, and the cars
on the westhound train We're crumpled
up in heap of ruins.
Superintendent Burns says that En-
gineer Strong is responsible. His or
ders," says he, clearly directed him
to pass train No. 1875 Seneca. He
evidently forgot them, for he did not
stop there, and the collision resulted"
Engineer Strong stated in positive
terms that his order directed him to
pass trains Nos. 13 and 3 (the latter
closely followed No. Is from Detroit,
at Sand Greek. Strong and his fireman
We're both hurled 800 feet; but, al
though scratched, cut and terribly jar
red they We're not seriously injured
The immigrants and other passen-
gers Oh train 10 were crushed between
the splintered cars. To add to the hor-
ror, the wreckage caught fire instantly,
and in short time the bodies of the
dead and those of the injured who
were pinned down We're being burned.
A Heartrending Scene.
The scene which followed was heart
rending in the extreme. People who
came hurrying from the farmhouses in
the locality stood about the wreckage
helplessly and held their hands TO theil
ears TO shut out the frightful screams
In the SemidarknesS. illuminated
only by the glare from the wreckage
men stumbled about over corpseS
which fell from the ruins ana which
after the flames had died out, were
hauled from the debris. There they
lay along the track, some covered b!
blankets which had been brought by
farmers People came hurrying from
the nearby villages, and these witt
the help of those who escaped on traii
4. did what they could.
Some of the railroad officials assert
that the number of dead will not eX
coed fifty, but the number of cOrpses
and parts Of human forms being col
iected seems to Indicate enlargement
rather than diminution of the csti
mates.
Bodies Terribly Burned.
Many Of the burned bodies cannot y,
identified. Only six bodies have actu
ally been recovered. A small pile d
crisp, blackened fragments that GOV
cred two stretchcrS WAS all that cOul,
be found of the others.
At the Union station in this city dur
ing the night were many sad episodes
Relatives and friends Of passenger
who We're known 10 have been on tn
wrecked train heSieged the railroa
officials with Inquiries ANA eutreatles
One little girl waited until 2;30 Il. II
for her sister, Vida Degas OF rupppl
vile, Ont. and was then Informed tina
the sister was among the dead
Dead. Dead, Dead she shrieket
fastening her arms about the neck j
the operator who had announced tf
names while tears welled from III
eyes Of the spectators. The grief {
the child exhausted her so that sl
had 70 be carried away
The relief of those whose friends an
relatives We're gradually announced /
be still living was in strong contra
10 the sadness OF mourucrs. \ lara
crowd stood about anAiously awaitn
tidugs till long after sunrise Gu
side ambulances from all the city no
pitals waited for any Of the njurs
who might be brought 10 the city.