Gilpin observer., 1903-05-07
TRAIN KILLS SEVEN
FAST EXPRESS STRIKES CROWD
OF EXCuRSioNISTS
Had swarmed Through the Gates on
Track-Msngled Bodies Of Dead and
Injured Are Hurled in Every Dircc.
ton by Fast Moving Train.


ton by Fast Moving Train.
Detroit, May "A day Of nc--J-
making and celebration by 1900 Pol
ish excursionists from Toledo was
brought to close by frightful catas-
trophe at the corner of Canfield and
DeQuinder streets, in which at least
seven of the excursioIists were killed.
The excursion was given by the Polish
Lancers of Toledo, over the Lake
Shore. The excursionists left the
train at the corner of Garfield and
Deuuinder streets and were met by
number of local Poles and Polish so
cieties, who escorted the visitors to St
Josephat's church. An entertainment
was held later at Harmonica hall.
About o'clock the visitors began to
gather again at the corner of Garfield
and Dequinder streets to take their
train back to Toledo. Both the Lake
Shore and Grand Trunk tracks run
out from the Brush street station on
Dequinder street. Four policemen
stood at the corner of Garfield street
and endeavored to keep the excursion
lists from crowding through the gates
onto the track Despite their efforts
hundreds crawled under or over the
gates and walked down the dark
tracks to await the arrival OF their
train, which could be seen coming
slowly up from the station.
Probably 1000 persons were scat
tered along the tracks for two blocks
waiting to board the Lake Shore ex-
cursion train. 1t was only few
blocks away, creeping carefully along.
Suddenly from out of the darkness
came the Grand Trunk Chicago and
New York express. known as the Pan
American flyer. 1t plowed through the
mass of people, throwing them to both
sides of the track, bruised and manned
and grinding few of them under the
wheels.
The flyer was stopped as quickly as
possibly and backed to the scene of
the accident, where for two blocks
the track was covered with mangled
and dying people. Four of the dead
We're killed outright by the train and
the others died while being taken to
the hospitals. The tracks are very
dark below Garfield street and Ian
terms had to be brought into use to
find the victims. Every ambulance
in the city was called to the scene
and the injured were very soon under
the care of surgeons in the hospitals.
The dead; Mrs. Helen Palixki.
Frank Rosinski. Watson Ludwig. To-
ledo; four unidentified.
Engineer Hart's Story.
When Thomas II. Hart, the engineer
train which ran into the crowd. was
seen at his home, he gave the follow
ing version of the affair: when l.
first noticed the crowd, the people
were scattered all over the track,
and after blowing the whistle. ! ap-
piled the brakes, but could not stop
my train in time. We were running
speed at that place. and 1T was impos-
sible for me to bring my train to
stop before running into the crowd.
Many persons became excited and
threatened to take my life. They
threw bricks and stones through the
cab windows and l was forced to send
for the police to protect me. Several
of the officers came into the cab with
me-"
Patrolman Fred Schultz, John Syn
da. prominent local policeman. and a
numbers of others who were at the
crossing assert that the flyers whistle
was not blown nor was the bell rung.