The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
EtTghtuI accident on the Pere
Marquette Rail70ay, Six Miles
from Grand Rapids, Mich.
Last Night.
Collision Bet7geeH Passenger
Trans That Were CrO7gded
7CIfh People Returning from
Holiday Visits.
Baggage and Smoking Cars
Smashed and Their Occupants
MangIed--Sey10n AccidentS on
Other R0il70ayS.

GRAND RAPIDS Dec. 26-Eighteen
persons are dead and thirty-One injured,
several Of them fatally. as the result OF
collision early this evening between two
passenger trains on the Pere. Marquette
Railroad. one-half mile west of East Paris
and six miles east OF this city. The COLI
sion. which was nead-on. was caused, ac-
cording TO a statement issued by the Off
cials of the road at the general offices in
Detroit, by the high wind blowing out the
red signal lamp at McCOrd's, where the
west-bound train should have stopped and
received orders TO pass the east-bound at
Fox The officials deny a report that a
misunderstanding OF orders on the part OF
one OF the engineers was responsible for
the collision. According TO the statement
of the officials the trains were originally
TO have met and passed at Oakdale Park,
but TO help the east-bound train the dis
patcher issued new orders, fixing Fox as
the meeting place. The east-bOund train
received its orders 70 this effect and the
west-bOund should have received this order
at McCords. Instead. it rushed by the sta
tion and the operator there. after reporting
this fact. found on going out TO the plat
form, that his red signal light, which had
presumably extinguished by the high wind
that was blowing
The Dead
CHARLES A STODDARD, engineer, De-
troit.
WILLIAM HEINRICH. baggageman,
Grand Rapids
CHARLES A. DEvINE. Grand Rapids.
WILLIAM SMITH. farmer. near Saranac.
Mich.
ALLEN H. WELLS, Big Rapids. Mich.
PETER w. WIERENGO. Grand Rapids.
LESTER WILLIAMS. Boston, died in
hospital
OSCAR WAGNER. baggageman. Detroit;
died in hospital
TEN BODIES, unidentified.
Fireman Ed Burns, missing and supposed
TO be under wreck
The Injured
CHARLES WEST. Saranac. Mich skull
fractured. both legs broken, left hand torn
of: probably fatally injured
GEORGE PALMER. American Express
agent east-bound train, scalp horribly
gashed, injured about head and breast
MICHAEL AIALBURGE Hart. Mich,
badly burned about legs, hand and breast
by steam.
TIMOTHY QUAELEY. 597 Broadway.
Grand Rapids, seriously injured about
back.
j. T. GOULD. Grand Rapids, injured
about shoulders and hands
injured
l. A WILLIAMS, Lansing. left arm torn
off at socket. injured about head and body.
REV JAMES HUMPHREY. badly cut
about head.
MRS. H. r. STREETER, Grand Rapids.
HOWARD MINER Grand Rapids.
". ]. BARBER. Muskegon Heights. Mich.
HARRY MARCUS, president E. IL. Mar
Gus Company. New York city.
T. q. MOON, Detroit. fireman.
OSCAR WAGNER, haggageman east
bound train. Detroit.
MRS II. KENT. Grand Rapids.
c. W. BOTSFORD, Pennington, Mich,
mail clerk.
MRS. ]. A. GRAY. Grand Rapids.
H. o. BRANSH, Sunfeld Mich.
MRS. II. o. BRANSH.
GEORGE CRAMMOND, Detroit.
ANDREW sPRAGUE. AHegan. Mich.
MISS GALE SPRAGUE. Allegan, Mich.
MISS SPRAGUE, Allegan, Mich.
JOHN POST. Clarksville. Mich.
CHARLES T. CHAMBERS, Ionia, Mich.
CLAUDE BROWN. Grand Rapids.
FRANK WATERMAN, Detroit.
]. c. WOODWORTH. Salem, Mich.
GERRITT MOTMAN, Grand Rapids.
ED WEIGEL Grand Rapids.
GEORGE MEL, Grand Rapids, conduc-
tor.
=. l.. GhA1t DtlTOlls brakeman.
The trains met with a terrific crash, the
baggage and smoking cars behind each To-
conotive being instantly reduced to pile
OF kindling-wood. The engines were COM
pletely wrecked. the boiler Of the one that
had pulled the east-bound train being torn
completely from The running gear and
standing perpendicularly in a ditch at the
side OF the track
LIKE RATS IN TRAP
Engineer Frank Waterman. who survived
the accident, says he and his fireman, f. b.
Moon were caught like rats in a trap be-
fore they had time to save themselves. He
says he never saw the east-bound train un-
I'll the crash. No person occupying cars
other than the baggage and smoking cars,
with very few exceptions, was seriously
injured Within two minutes the unin-
jured male passengers and those of the
train crews who not hurt had be-
gun the work of rescue.
Travelling Agent Frank Hewitt of the
Fere Marquette. who was on the train
bound for Detroit. and who escaped with
slight injuries ran 10 the nearest telegraph
office and telegraphed for a wrecking train
and surgeons.
Guided by grOans and cries from the
wrecked cars the rescuers by the light of
lanterns delved into the wreckage and with
pieces OF the nearGy fence and with tim
bers for levers. pred out the sufferers
\ special train bearing surgeons and Of
fcials was made up here Immediately after
the news was received and arrived AT the
wreck at = Is o'clock. Those of the injured
who had been cNtricated were Immediately
taken into the train and given emergency
surgical aid. and the officials joined In the
rescue work. When all the injured had
been taken out OF the wreck the hospital
train was rushed back 10 Grand Rapids
where ambulances were in waiting 10 carry
them 10 the hospitals The uninJured pas
sengers were also brought back here.
TERRIBLY CRUSHED.
The first body discovered in the wreck
ago was that of Engineer Stoddard OF the
east-bouud train. Terribly crushed and
mangled IL lay under part Of his engine
Close by was "a body 50 crushed that posi-
tive Identification was then impossible. but
Il was supposed 90 be Stodcard's firemtn
Edward Buns. Charles T. Chambers OF
1onia, and John Post, Of Clarksviile
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