The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-09
THE RED SIGNAL SHONE'
But the Engineer Says the Air Brakes
Refused to Work and the Momentum
of the Heavy Train Drove the Loco
motive Headlong Into the First Sec
tion of the Train.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Durand, Mich, Aug. Twenty
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 uni
Identified. Over twenty were more or
less seriously injured. Coroner Farrer
this afternoon impanelled jury, which
viewed the remains and adjourned until
August 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
canvasman.
LAFE LARSON, Cambridge, O., six
horse team driver.
G. THOMAS, residence unknown, re-
served seat man.
JOHN LEARY, Springfield, Ills, boss
of ring stock.
ANDREW ROWLAND, New York
State, canVasman.
FRANK THORPE, Dundee, Mich,
trainmaster of circus train.
ROBERT RICE, residence unknown,
harness maker.
GEORGE SMITH, residence unknown,
blacksmith.
JAMES TOFFELMIRE, Orient, Ia.
CHARLES SANDS, Peru. Ind, driver.
JOE WILSON, Pittsburg.
w. J. MCCOY, Columbus O., canvasman
with sideshow.
EDWARD YORK, Terre Haute, Ind.
Unknown man, driver of band wagon.
Unknown man, home said to be Indian
apolis, ring circus rider.
Unknown man, home said to be Louis
VILE four horse driver.
Unknown man, four horse driver.
Unknown man. suffocated to death.
Two unidentified men are also dead at
the hospital.
James S. Foley, of Detroit, special officer
of the Grand Trunk was seriously injured
and J. j. Meadow, of Anderson, S. c., was
also among the injured.
The circus travels in two trains Of
about thirty-five cars each. After last
nights exhibition at Charlotte the two
trains left for Lapeer over the Grand
Trunk road, the second section leaving
half hour after the first. 1t was 3:45
when the first section pulled into the west
end of the Grand Trunk yards here. A
red light was hung on the rear car to
stop the second section. Engineer Probst,
of Battle Creek, who running the en-
CINE of the rear train, says he saw this
light and applied the airbrake. He says
it refused to work. He reversed his en-
- il~,,4 h Of hn hoo wv
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
telescoped and the engine and five cars OF
the moving train were demolished. The
rear car of the first section was a caboose.
in which the trainmen were sleeping ana
the next two cars were filled with sleeping
circus employees. The greatest loss of life
was in the caboose.
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 escaped.
With the exception of this car, none OF
the menagerie was wrecked, the other de-
molished cars containing canvas or
wagons, and there was comparatively
little excitement among the wild animals.
As soon as they recovered from the first
shock, the trainers rushed among the
cages quoting 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
horrifying spectacle in the gray of the
early morning, when the trainmen IN the
yards. and the aroused townspeople first
reached the scene. The many feared at
first that some of the menagerie had es
capped, as some of the animals could be
heard crying. The fire whistle was i'm
mediately sounded and the whole towr
was aroused. The rescuers could see un-
fortunates through the tangled wreckagt
and went fufiously to work without wait
ing for tools to extricate them. A wreck
ing crew is kept in the yards here, an(
it was on the scene in very few minutes
bringing tools and equipment IN plenty
All the physicians and trained nurses "
town were sent for, and those IN nearby
places were rushed to the scene on hant
cars The Hotel Richelieu was converted
into a temporary hospital, and scores G
volunteers with stretchers were in readi
ness to carry the injured there as fast a
the rescuers could extricate them. TIL,
dead many of them so terribly manglec
that identification seemed well nigh i'm
possible, were carefully laid on the greer
sward a short distance from the scene.
Engineer Probst, Fireman Golfer AM
Head Brakeman Benedict, who was also OF
the engine of the second section, all agre
that if the brakes had worked as the,
ought to have when the engineer trie'
to use them there would have been n
collision.
Fireman Golfer and Brakeman Benedic
when they saw that collision could no
be averted jumped Engineer Probst re
manned at his post, vainly trying to ge
the brake to work until his train wa