Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-07
The Air Brakes Refusal to Work
Cause Of Accident
TWENTY-oNE PERSONS DEAD

Injured Were Heart-Rendlng-Hot
Turnel into Temporary Hospital and
Nurses and Doctors Summoned.
Durand, Mich, Aug 7.-An air brake
on the second section Of Wallace Bros
circus train refused to work in the
Grand Trunk railway yards here early
to-day, causing collision between the
two sections in which 81 people We're
killed and over dozen injured.
Dead: .. ... <..y
James Mccarthy, trainmaster.
Grand Trunk road between Port Hu-
ron and Battle Greek.
a. w. Large, special officer Grand
Trunk, Battle Creek.
John Purcell, Peoria, Ind, boss can
vas man.
Lafe Larson, Cambridge, O., six
horse team driver.
q. Thomas, residence unknown.
member of stake and chain gang.
Harry stellar, residence unknown,
reserved seat man.
John Leary, Springfield, Ill, boss OF
ring stock.
Andrew Rowland, New York state,
canvas man.
Frank Thorpe, Dundee, Mich, train
master of circus train.
Robert Rice, residence unknown,
harness maker.
George Smith, residence unknown,
blacksmith.
Charles Sands, Peru, Ind, driver.
Joe Wilson, Pittsburg.
w. j. Mccoy, Columbus, O., canvas
man, with side show.
Unknown man, driver of band
wagon.
Unknown man, home said to be In
dianapolis, rider in circus races.
Unknown man, home said to be In
Louisville, four horse driver.
Unknown man, four horse driver.
Unknown man, suffocated to death.
Two unidentified men are dead i'll
hospital.
Seriously injured:
James S. Foley, special officer
Grand Trunk. Detroit, shoulder dis
located, bruises.
Joseph S. Benton, New Milford,
Cnon, internal injuries.
w. H. Roe, Armstrong, Ill, internal
injuries.
Frank Tilley, Rising Sun, Ind, hip
dislocated, very bad bruises and inter-
nal injuries.
Bole Abrams, Sandusky O.
Burt McGrath Connellsville, 0.
John w. Koons, Bairdstown, o.
George BARLEY, Los Angeles, Cal.
The wreck, according to, the state
nent of the. engineer of the second sec
ton was coused by the failure of the
anr brakes to work.
Three cars Of the stationary first
section were telescoped and the engine
and five cars were demolished.
The rear car of the first section was
"a caboose in which the trainmen were
sleeping and the next two were filed
with sleeping circus employees. The
greatest 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 sur
prising calmneSs and were led out of
the wreck without trouble.
The escaping steam and screams
and cries of those pinned in the wreck
accentuated the horror, when the
trainmen in the yards and the aroused
townspeople first reached the scene.
Many feared at first that some Of the
menagerie had escaped. The fire
whistle was Immediately sounded and
the whole town aroused The res
cuers could see unfortunates through
the tangled wreckage and went furi-
ously to work without waiting for
tools to extr1cdte them. A wreck
ing crew is kept in the yards here and
1t was on the scene in a very few mill
utes. bringing tools and equipment In
plenty. All the physicians and
trained nurses in town were sent for
and those in nearby places were
rushed to the scene on handcars. The
Hotel Richelieu was converted into a
temporary hospital and scores of vol
unteers with stretchers were in readi-
ness to carry the injured there as fast
as the rescuers could extricate them.
The dead, many of them so terribly
soohSteu LAdI IuenIHCdUlOn seemed
well nigh impossible were carefully
laid on the green sward short dis
tance from the scene. BY 6 o'clock a
corps of twelve physicians was oper-
ating on the injured and dressing
their wounds in the temporary hospf-
tai Four of the injured died at the
hospital before $50. O'Clock
When the wrecking crews had fin
tshed pulling to pieces the tangled
and broken ears. seventeen dead men
were lying on the grass awaiting re-
moval to the morgue. A majority of
them were killed while asleep. The
circus performers were on the rear of
the moving train and escaped injury.
Wallace Brothers say their loss will
be very heavy, but have given no esti-
mate of it as yet. This is the second
wreck that the Wallace shows have