The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-07

teleScoped ana the engine and hVe cars
of the moving train were demolished.
The rear car Of the first section was a
caboose in which the trainmen were sleep
ing and the next two were filled with
sleeping circus employees. The greatest
loss of life was in the caboose.
Elephant and cameIs Killed.
One Of the wrecked cars of the second
section was occupied by five elephants
and several camels. One of the elephants
and two camels were killed outright, while
the other animals and their trainer es-
capped. VIII the exception of this car,
none OF the menagerie was wrecked, the
other demolished cars containing canvas
or wagons and there was compare lively
little excitement among the wild animals
AS soon as they recovered from the first
shock, the trainers rushed among the
cages, quieting the few beasts that were
excited. The elephants in the wrecked
car behaved with surprising calmness and
were led out of the wreck without trouble.
The scaping steam and screams and
cries Of those pinned in the wreck made
horrifying spectacle in the gray of the
early morning when the trainmen in the
yards and the aroused townspeople first
reached the scene. Many feared at first
that some of the menagerie had escaped.
as some Of the animals could be heard
crying. The fire whistle was immediately
sounded and the whole town was aroused.
The rescuers could see unfortunates
thru the tangled wreckage and went to
work without waiting for tools to extri-
cate them A wrecking crew is kept in
the yards here and it was on the scene
in a few minutes, bringing tools and
equipment in plenty All the physicians
and trained nurses in town were sent for
and those in nearby places were rushed
to the scene on hand cars.
Hotel Becomes Hospital.
The Hotel Richelieu was converted into
| a temporary hospital and scores Of vol
unteers with stretchers were in readiness
! to carry the injured there as fast as the
| rescuers could extricate them. The dead,
many of them so mangled that Identified
| ton seemed impossible, were laid on the
| greensward, short distance from the
! scene.
] BY 6 clock corps of twelve physicians
| was operating on the Injured and dress
| ing their wounds in the temporary hos
pital. Four of the injured died at the
hospital before $40 clock.
/ When the wrecking train crews had
finished pulling to pieces the tangled and
broken cars, seventeen dead men were
| lying on the grass awaiting removal to
the n1orgue. A majority of them were
| killed while asleep. The circus performs
| ers were on the rear Of the moving train
| and escaped injury. Wallace brothers say
/ that their loss will be heavy, but have
yet given no estimate Of it. This is the
second wreck that the Wallace shows
have suffered within month. -z
| Engineer Propst, Fireman Color and
Head Brakeman Benedict, who was also
on the engine of the second section, all
agree that If the brakes had worked as
they ought to have when the engineer
tried to use them, there would have been
no collision. Fireman Coler and Brake
man Benedict, when they saw that a co.'s
llision could not be averted, jumped. En-
gineer Propst remained at his post yainly
trying to get the brakes to work until his
train was within less than a hundred feet
of train No. 1. Then he, too, jumped
when death was imminent. He was, OF
course, shaken up, as was the fireman.
land brakeman, but not badly.
Drays Used as AmbuIances. 1919.
All the available drays and express
wagons were used for ambulances The
dining room of the Hotel Richelieu was
used as an operating room by the sur
geons. A score of wives and daughters Of
the rescuers volunteered as nurses and
worked with the surgeons all the morn
ing. More than twenty Of the injured
were pinned down in the wreckage so
that they had to be chopped and pried
out. Their groans and cries were pitiful
and spurred the wreckers on to redoubled
efforts It was late in the morning be-
fore all had been extricated and removed
to the hospital. All Of the animal cars
were unloaded and the cages removed to
neighboring fields.
i Edward York died at noon. Fifteen Of
the injured were placed aboard a special
train at noon and will be taken to Harper
hospital In Detroit for treatment.
The circus people have pitched their
tents and have camped near the scene
! | ~ the wreck