Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-08-15
CIRCUS TRAIN WRECKED
Twenty Three People We're Killed ia the
Collision.
ENGINEER LAYS 1T ON THE BRAKES.
Two Sections of the Train Came Together
With Fearful CraslI-The Victims Suffer.
ed Torture Before Death Relieved Them
Pitiiul Condition of the Wounded as The,
We're Taken 10 the Hosp ital.

Durand, Mich. (SpcciaD.-An air
brake on the second section OF Wallace
Brothers circus train refused to WORK
in the Grand Trunl, railway yards here.
causing collision between the tive
sections, in which % people were kill
ed and about 50 injured.
IN Official statement issued by the
Grand Trunk road says that the air
brakes were not applied by the engineer
oi the second section, Is he had claim.
ed.
The circus travels in two trains Of
about thirty-fiyc cars each. .Aitcr the
nights exhibition 1t Charlotte the two
trains lett tx l.apccr. OYER tine Grand
Trunk road. the second section leaving
hall hour alter the first 1t was 81:
O'Clock when the tirSt section pulled
into the west end 81 the Grand Trunk
yards here. y red light was hung or
the rear car to stop the second sec
ton.
Engineer Propst II Battle Greek who
was running tic engine Of the rear
train, says he saw t!i;, light, and applied
the airbrake. To his horror j, refused
to work He reversed his engine. but
the momentum ii the heavy train be
hind WAS too great. and with crash
that aroused Al. oi the town near the
yards. the second section crashed into
the first
Three cars OF the stationary first sec
ton were tcie>eorcd. and the engine
and five cars ii the moving train we're
demolished
Engineer pro?St. Fireman Golfer anc
Head Brakeman Bencs.:ct. who was also
on the engine al the second section.
al 2grcc that ii the brakes had worked
there would have been no accident.
The escaping steam and screams anG
cries oi those pinned i'll the wreck made
a horriiyirg spectacle i'll the gray O
the early morning. when the trainnca
in the yards and the aroused townSpco-
pie first reached the scene Many fear.
cd ut first that some oi the mcnagcrie
had escaped. as some OF the animal:
could be heard CRYING. \ fire whistle
was sounded and the whole town wa:
aroused The rescuers could see I'M
iortuna.es in the tangled wrcckagc and
went iuriously to work without waiting
for tools TO eNtricate them. y wreck
ing crew is kept IN the yards here anc
il was on the scene in Jew minutes
bringing tools and equipment in plenty.
All the physicians and trained nurses
in Durand were sent for and those in
nearby places were rushed TO the scene
on handcarS The Hotel Richcleu was
converted into temporary hospital. and
the injured persons were taken there
as fast as the reScucrs could eXtricate
them The dead. many OF them so ter
ribly manglcd that identification seemed
we'll nigh impossible. were carefully laid
on the green sward short distance froir
the scene.
BY & o'clock corps OF IL physicians
was operating on the injured and dress
ing their wounds in the temporary hos
pital Four OF the injured died II the
hospital before $50 o'clock and fifth al
noon.
When the wrccking-train crews had
finished pulling to pieces the tangled and
broken cars Il dead men were lying on
the grass awaiting removal to the
morguc \ minority Of them were killed
while asleep.
Wallace Brothers say that their loss
was very heavy. but have given no esti-
mate OF it as yet. This is the second
wreck that the Wallace shows have
suffered within month.