The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-08-08
IN CRASH OF TRAINS
TWENTY-THREE PERSONS WE'RE
KILLED OUTRIGHT.
BRAKES REFUSED TO WORK.
SECOND SECTION OF CIRCUS SPE-
CIAL TELESCOPED FIRST.

Roar That Walked the Town.
Citizens Worked Hard to Help
Sufferers-BIame Is Laid on En-
gineer of Second SectiOn-Seven
of Dead Are Unidentified.
Durand, Mich, Aug. 7.-Twenty-
three persons were killed in a collision
early to-day in the Grand Trunk yards
between two sections of Wallace Bros
circus train. Seven of the dead are
in the morgue unidentified. over TWEEN
ty were more or less seriously injured.
Coroner Farrer this afternoon impan-
elled a jury, which viewed the remains
and adjourned until Aug. IA, when the
inquest will be held. Following are
the dead:
James Mccarthy, trainmaster, Grand
Trunk road, between Port Huron and
Battle Creek.
A. w. Large, special officer, Grand
Trunk, Battle Creek.
John Purcell, Peru, Ind, boss can
vasman.
Late Larson, Cambridge, o., six
horse team driver.
G. Thomas, residence unknown, mem
Der of stake and chain gang.
Harry St. Clair, residence unknown,
reserved seat man.
John Leary, Springfield, ILL.,, boss of
ring stock.
Andrew Rowland, New York state,
canvasman.
Frank Thorp, Dundee, Mich, train
master of circus train.
Robert Rice, residence unknown, har-
nessmaker.
George Smith, residence unknown,
blacksmith.
James Tofflemire, Orient, La.
Charles Sanders, Peru, Ind, driver.
Joe Wilson, Pittsburg.
w. ]. Mccoy, Columbus, o., canvas
man with side show.
Edward York, Terre Haute, Ind.
Unknown man, driver of band wagon.
Unknown man, home said to be in
Indianapolis, driver in circus races.
Unknown man, home said to Louis
vllle four-horse driver.
Unknown man, four-horse driver
Unknown man. suffocated to death.
Two unidentified are also dead at the
hopsital.
James S. Foley of Detroit, special
officer of the Grand Trunk, was Sc
riously injured, and, ]. J. Meadow OF
Anderson S. c., was also among the
injured.
Brakes Refused to Work.
The circus travels in two trains of
about thirty-five cars each. After last
,,;1 axybi a Charlnffa
two trains left for LaPeer over the
Grand Trunk road, the second section
leaving a half hour after the first. 1t
was 3:45 o'clock when the first sec
ton pulled into the west end of the
Grand Trunk yards here.
red light was hung on the rear
car to stop the second section Engin-
Ger Probst, of Battle Creek, who was
running the engine of the rear train,
says he saw this light, and applied the
air brake. He says it refused to work.
He reversed his engine, but the
momentum of the heavy train behind
was too great and with a crash that
aroused all of the town near the yards
the two trains met. Three cars of the
stationary first section were telescop-
ed and the engine and five cars of
the moving train were demolished.
Valuable Animals Killed.
The rear car of the first section was
a caboOse in which the trainmen were
sleeping, and the next two were fill
ed with sleeping circus employees. The
greatest loss of life was in the caboose.
One of the wrecked cars of the Sec
ond section was occupied by five ele-
plants, and several camels. One of the
elephants and two camels were killed
outright while the other animals and
their trainer escaped.
With the exception of this car none
of the menagerie was wrecked, the
other demolished cars containing can
vas or wagons, and there was COM
paratively little excitement among the
wild animals. AS soon as they recover
ed 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 escaping steam, and screams,
and cries Of those pinned in the wreck
made a horrfying spectacle in the
gray of the early morning, when the
train men in the yards and the
scene. Many feared at first that some
of the menagerie had escaped as some
of the animals could be heard cry
ing.
Work of Rescue.
The fire whistle was Immediately
sounded and the whole town was
aroused. The rescuers could see un-
fortunates through the tangled wreck
age, and went furiously to work with
out waiting for TOOLS to extricate them.
A wrecking crew is kept in the yards
here, and it was on the scene in a very
few minutes. bringing tools and equip-
ment in plenty.
All the physicians and trained nurses
in town were sent for, and those in
nearby places were rushed to the scene
OIL hand cars. The Hotel Richelieu
was converted into temporary hos
pital, and scores of volunteers, with
stretches. were in readiness to carry
the injured there as fast as the res
cuers could extricate them. The dead
many of them so terribly mangled that
Identification seemed wellnigh i'm
possible, were carefully laid on the
green sward a short distance from the
scene.
Engineer Probst, Fireman Golfer and
Head Brakeman Benedict, who was
also on the engine of the second sec
ton, 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.
Railroad Men Jumped.
Fireman Golfer and Brakeman Ben
edict. when they saw that a collision
could not be averted. jumped. EnRin-
eer Probst remained at his post. vain
ly trying to get the brake TO work un-