The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1901-12-07
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE
EIGHTY PEOPLE KlLLEp AND:
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
lNJuREn.
ooubIe-Hsader Emlsrant Train and
an Ea.tbound Passenger on the
Wabash Road Meet at Full Speed
o'.obedlenee Of Order. the Cause Of
the Terrible Disastsr-rhe Weather
Bitterly Cold and sunsrtns Is Great.

x 0s0&eGSy OOt0 Auo outt0rlup u 1tvaIs
Z. Detroit. Nov. 2s.-Eighty persons
were killed and $50 injured, Of whom
Is are serious. in the most disastrous
railroad wreck in the history Of Mich.
igan srMlroading. Fifty Of the 80 dead
were killed outright, Two heavily
loaded passenger trains ON the Wabash
railroad collided head-on at full speed
one mile west Of Seneca, the second
station west Of Adrian. The west.
bound train Of two cars loaded with
immigrants and Ave other coaches
Eas smashed and burned with awful
loss Of life and fearful injuries TO a
majority Of its passengers. The
westbound train, the Continental lin.
tied, suffered in scarcely less degree.
The track In the vicinity of the
wreck 10 strewn with dead and dying.
Many physicians from Detroit have
gone to the scene. No. 4, the Cont.
mental limited. had engine No. 609, En-.
gineer Strong. Conductor G. J. Martin.
No. 13. double-header, had engine ss,
Engineer Work, and engine 151, Engi-
neer Parks, Conductor Charles Troll.
No. 4, 1t is believed, disobeyed orders
Ia not waiting at Seneca Tor No. 13,
thereby causing the wreck.
The track at the point where the
collision occurred is straight and at
first the officials could not understand
how the accident could have happened.
No. IS. which ordinarily is due to
leave Detroit at 2:30 o'clock, was two
hours late. leaving at 1920. The two
trains met at Montpelier, according to
schedule, but No. had orders to
meet 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 occurred. Train No. 4 was due
at Seneca at 6:43, according to the
change in the schedule, but apparent
ay orders to wait were disobeyed and
the probabilities are that
The Reason Will Never Be Known,
o the train crews undoubtedly met
Instant sdeethSS, Advices from the
wreck state thS the country for miles
around was lighted up by the burning
cars and that the flames could not be
quenched because of lack Of proper
apparatus. Mangled bodies were
picked up along theftrack by the farm.
ers before the special train sent from
Adrian arrived: on the scene. In some
instances the bodies we're mangled be-
yond alls recognition: The bodies
which the rescuers managed to pull
from the burning ruins Of the immi-
grant cars were so badly burned that
their identity will never be ascer-f
tanned.
Train No. 13 was q regular train
carrying two cars of immigrants going
West and was behind time. This train
was composed Of seven ;coashes, hauled
by two engines. Reports differ as to
the number Of coaches carrying immi-
grants. One says there were but two,
and another says there were five or
six coaches carrying this class Of tour
lists. The eastbound train was made
up OF an engine, baggage car, com.
bination coach and sleeper. The trains
came together one mile east of Seneca
under q full head Of steam. All but
the two rear coaches on the west
bound train were demolished and the
coach on the other was telescoped.
Five Of the cars Of train No. 10 caught
fire and burned. Engine No. SO Of
train 13 exploded and engine 609 on
No. 4 turned over into a ditch. Two
hremen and one engineer on No. 13
were killed and the engineer and IRE.
man on No. Jumped and escaped.
Surgeons Hasten to the Scene.
Al soon a. the news Of the disaster
reached Division Superintendent Burns
OF Detroit the wires were kept hot
ordering specials from Adrian, Peru
and Montpelier to the scene Of the
wreck. A special train from Detroit
carrying 30 passengers and surgeons
started for Seneca and was given the
right Of way. When 1t reached the
scene Of the wreck the work was at
once commenced Of 3succoring the
wounded. A special from Adrian bear
ing all the doctors and physicians in
the city had been at work for an hour,
but the flames retarded the work of
rescue. The wounded were placed on
stretchers In the coaches and sent to
Adrians The dead were left behind
to be carried In later. When the spe-
ctal train bearing the wounded reached
Adrian the injured we're carried in
ambulances, drays and delivery wag.
Ons to the hospitals until they were
alled and private residences in the
were placed in service.
The responsibility for the accident
Is laid on the crew of No. a. It IL
said that this train passed its meeting
order with the regular westbound
train, No. 13. The trains were to have
met atsSeneca; but. No.s4 ran by and
struck the westbounf trainsa nile east.
It is seSfim1fed that upwards of 500