New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-08
CIRCUS TRAINS WRECKED.
TWENTY-ONE KILLED.
1;r Brakes Refused to York
Three Cars TeIescoped.

pf
1s - work in the Grand Trunk Railway
.are early to-day. causing a collision be-
SdI-1 - two sections. in which twenty-one
MIA and more than twenty injured.
TIE DEAD
- .-s-su NeW-Yorll state; caavasman
rer HoNLeA A w special officer Grand Trunk. Battle
cresk -. cs,brt4so. Ohio. six horse team driver
LDy LAi robn Springfield. M boss Of ring stock
u .,-sen port Huron and Battle Greek
wooL W :, columbus ''''' ''-'' WIN sue
r,-r@r-1, John Peru IND; boss canvasman.
rT~r Robert residence unknown; haTnesszlsker.
r. LAIR. Harry. residence unknown: reserved aeat
e,xos ,harleg Peru Ind: crver
.,,,-f4 Gecrrc residence unknown; blacksmith.
-IIoslAs. G. residence unknown member of stake and
-B5RP srank. Dundee Mich. tranmasser circus
,-usoN Joe Pittsburg.
YORK Edward. TeEre Haute. Ind
r-t-ht raea unidentified.
The circus travels in two trains of about
tbirtv-nve cars each After last nights exhi-
hilton at Charlotte the two trains left there for
Lapeer over the Grand Trunk road. the second
section starting half hour after the first.
Il was $40 o'clock when the first section pulled
into The west end Of the Grand Trunk yards
hera. A red light hung the rear car TO
stop the second section. Props the engineer
Who was running the engine of the rear train,
SAYS that he saw this light and applied the air
brake To his horror it refused TO work. He
reversed his engine. but the momentum of the
heavy train was too great and with a crash
thar aroused all the town near the yards, he ran
into the first section. Three cars of the hrst
train were telescoped, and the engine and five
cars OF the second train were demolished.
The rear car of the first section was a ca
boose. in which the trainmen were sleeping and
the next two we're filled with sleeping circus en-
ployes The greatest loss Of life was in the
caboose One of The wrecked cars Of the second
section was occupied by five elephants and sew
eraI camels One of the elephants and two
camels were killed outright. while the other ami
mails and their trainer escaped With the eX-
ception Of this car, none Of the menagerie was
wrecked the other demolished cars containing
canvas or wagons, and there was comparatively
little excitement among the animals. AS soon
as they recovered from the first shock the train
ers rushed among the cages, quieting 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 the screams and
cries Of those pinned in the wreck, were horri-
flying When the trainmen in the yards and the
toWnspeople first reached the scene, many
feared at first that some Of the menagerie had
CRYING The fire whistle was Immediately sound
ed and the whole town was aroused. The res
cuers could see unfortunates through the tan
gIed wreckage and went to work to extricate
them, without waiting for tools
A-wpeeking crew is kept in the yards here and
IL was OF the scene in q few minutes bringing
tools and equipment in plenty All the physi-
clans 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
or volunteers with stretchers, were in readiness
10 carry the injured there as fast as the res
c,;ers could extricate them. The dead many Of
Them so terribly mangled that Identification
seemed wellniEh impossible. were laid on the
greensward a short distance from the scene.
By o'clock a corps Of twelve physicians was
operating on the injured and dressing their
wounds in the temporary hospital. Four Of the
injured died at the hospital. When the wreck
ing train crews had finished pulling 10 pieces the
tangled and broken cars, seventeen dead men
were lying on the grass. majority Of them
we're killed While asleep. The circus performers
were on the rear Of the moving train. and
escaped injury.
Wallace Brothers say that their loss will be
very heavy. but have given no estimate Of it
vet This is the second wreck that the Wallace
shows have suffered within month The Off
cial report of the accident issued by superin-
tendent W. G. Brovnlee, says:
The proper danger signals were displayed by the
brakeman Of the first section (who had been sent
hack three quarters Of mile)-lautern. fuses and
iCrpedoes. The engineer of second section an
plication Of the air brakes bur found that the
train not charged with air ana was unable TO
stop. coding with the rear END Of the first section,
demoltshing the caboose, one coach in which circus
canyasr;en or a3orers were asleep and two stock
cars. ore containing camels and elephants and the
ether horses. Tialnmaster Mccarthy. Chief Special
Of Locomotives J. Hazel we're riding IN tbe ii@L can
boosc. The FRS tTP were killed outright and the
poy killed Instantly and three were seriously
ra scyeT.I, niTea and many ofF Ieg NlEe more
scratched ana brnised
Engineer Prospt states that his air brake worked
aa had no occasion 10 use II again until he was
aaggeo west or DuT2nc, where he found that the
5rain was not CHARGED with air The i've sIeepers
iaS Gbout TWO coacn lengths IRON the end Of the
train after the accident with the drsWbead IN
zen broken apart ~ Inc accident and 'n{ II had
when tie train stopped which IS evidence thar tbe
trsin have since beer tested and found 70 he 'ie m
leTfect condition.
Prospt. the engineer; Golfer, the fireman. and
Benedict, the head brakeman, who was also
on the engine OF the second section. all agree
that If the brakes had worked as they sbo,,d
have when the engineer tried to use them there
would have been no collision. Golfer and Rene
dict when they saw that a collision could NOT
be averted jumped. Prospt remained at his
post vainly trying 10 get the brake TO work
until his train was within less than a hundred
feet OF train No. ]. He also jumped when he
within only few feet OF death.
None OF the crews of either train were hurt Al
the time the crash occurred train No . was
running at probably fifteen miles hour The
circus people have pitched their tents and
camped near the scene OF the wreck.
TWENTY-TW0 TAKEN TO DETROIT
Detroit. Aug 7.-Twenty-two of the injured cir