The Gainesville star. [volume] (Gainesville, Fla.) 1903-19??, 1903-08-14
TWENTY-FIVE DEAD
In FrightfuI Wreck of Circus
Trains of Wallace Bros.
DISASTER WAS APPALLING
List Of Injured Reaches Thlrty-VIo'
Tins Horribly ManaIed-EngIneer
Of Second Section 10 Blamed
for Wreck.

Wallace Brothers circus was wreck.
ed in the Grand Trunk yards at Du.
rand, Michigan, at 4 o'clock Friday
morning and twenty-five men, most
ly employees OF the circus, including
few Of the performers, we're killed out
right. Thirty more were injured.
some fatally.
Tho show was travelling in two sec
lions over the Grand Trunk tracks
from Lansing to Lapere and the alcl.
dent, It is said, was caused by the fail.
ure of the second section OF the train
to stop on time. The two sections
were travelling near each other, and
the second ran into the first at full
speed.
Tho engine Of the second section
and four cars Of the first section wero
completely demolished. Much valua.
Bile property was destroyed and the
loss to the circus people will be heavy.
Some of those killed and few OF
those injured were railroad people t.
tached to the train. These include
THainmaster J. Mccarthy, Of the Grand
Trunk.
Some of the animals were killed, the
scene In the Grand Trunk yards after
the collision being appalling. The
wreckage OF the engine and four cars
were strewn about and piled hign,
while the shrieks Of the injured and
the believing Of the frightened ant
mails could be heard above the hiss Ct
escaping steam and the excited shouts
of the rescuers
II was some hours before all the In
jured were rescued from the wrecked
cars. Some Of them were In terrible
agony, and It is feared that many will
die. Fifteen of the injured were
placed aboard special train and taken
to hospital In Detroit for treatment.
The wreck, according to the state
ment of the engineer Of the second sec.
ton, was caused by the failure of the
airbrakes to work.
It was 3:46 o'clock when the first
section pulled into the West end Of
the Grand Trunk yards. A red light
was hung on the rear car to stop the
second section.
Engineer Probst, of Battle Creok,
who was running the engine of the
rear train, says he saw this light and
applied the brakes. To his horror, II
refused to work. He reversed his en-.
glne, but the momentum of the train
behind was too great, and with
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 Gu
CINE 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 and the
next two were filled with sleeping cir.
Gus employees. The greatest loss of
life was In the caboose. One of The
wrecked cars Of the second section
was occupied by Ave elephants and
several camels One OF the elephants
and two camels were killed outright,
while the other animals and tnelr
trainer escaped
With the exception of this car, none
Of the menagerle was wrecked, the
other demolished cars containing can.
vas or wagons, and ,Iere was com.
paratlvely little excitement among the
wild animals.
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 tne
wrecked car behaved with surprising
calmness, and were led out of tho
wreck without trouble.
The escaping steam and screams and
cries OF those pinned IL the wreck
made n horrlfying spectacle.
Coroner Fnrrar Friday afternoon i'm.
panelled jury, which viewed the re,
mains and adjourned until August IA.
when the inquest will be held.