Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-08-13
AN AWFUL WRECK.
Twenty-three People Killed at
Durand, Mich.
Two sections Of Wallace Bros Circus
Train Collide In the Grand Trunk
Hallway Yards-Uisastcr was
Caused by Air Brake Re
fusIng 10 Work.

Durand, Mich. Aug S.-An airbrake
on the second section of Wallace
Bros circus train refused to work in
the Grand Trunk railway yards here
early Friday. causing a collision be-
tween the two sections in which %
people were killed and over dozen
injured.
The circus travels in two trains of
about 35 cars each. After Thursday
nights exhibition at Charlotte the
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
tion pulled into the west end of the
Grand Trunk yards here. \ red light
was hung on the rear car to stop the
second section.
Engineer Probst, of Battle Creek,
who was running the engine of the
rear train, says he saw this light and
applied the airbrake. To his horror
it refused to work. lie 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 telesCoped and the
engine and five cars of the moving
train were demolished. The rear car
of the first section, the cabooSe in
which the trainmen were sleeping
and the next two were filled with
sleeping circus employees. The great
est 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 ami
mails 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 ami
mails. 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 calmncss and were
led out of the wreck without trouble.
and cries of those pinned in the
wreck made horrifying spectacle in
the gray of early morning, when the
trainmen in the yards and the arous-
ed townSpeoplc first reached the
scene. Many feared at first that
some of the menagerie had escaped,
In discussing the question of re-
sponsibility for the horror, the rail
road officials unhesitatingly lay it to
Engineer Probst of the second sec
ton of the train. ProbSt says that
the airbrakc Of his train refused to
work. but the officials declare that he
could have stopped the train in time
to have avoided serious consequences.
The official report on the accident,
issued by superintendent Brownlce,
declares positively that the airbrakes
have been tested since the accident
and found to be in perfect condition
and there is evidence that they were
not applied.
One of the officials in discussing the
accident and its causes said he be
licvcd that Engineer probst had eX-
hausted his air in checking his train
several times between Lansing and
Durand and failed TO again charge his
tank. The head brakeman and fire
man, who were on the engine, bear
/ out Probst's statement that the
brakes refused to work.
/ Detroit. Mich, Aug. S.--Twenty-two
of the injured circus men were
brought to Detroit Friday afternoon
in a special hospital train and taken
I to Harper hospital. At the hospital
/ last nirbt il was stated that none of
/ them was likely to die, although John
/ Thomson. of Peru, Ind; George
! Clough. of Geneva, O., and James
/ Stewart, of Denver, Col, are in a
/ serious condition ana may not re-
cover.
The Pullman car that brought the
/ INJURED from the scene of the wreck
was a pitiful sight when ii pulled into
/ Detroit. The interior looked like
/ battlefield after a fierce encounter.
/ Suffering men lay in every imaginable
posture in the berths, Swathed in
/ crimsoned bandageS that bore silent
/ witness to their wounds. Means and
stihed cries told the story of their
agonies. 1T was impossible to carry
the StretcherS through the narrow,
crooked doors of the car and the suf-
fering men were put through the
windows as gently as possible and
taken to the hospital. Those able to
talk told graphic tales of their suffer-
ings and agonies, mental as we'll as
physical, while pinned down in the
wreck
a Humane order.
Was hinptOn. kup S-Thp SECRETARY