Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-07
7l0enly-
People Killed.
In Reas-end Collision BeiS0eea Two Sections of Wallace
BsoihesS' Circus Tram c4irbrabe Refusing 10 Wosh
Caused c4ccidenH Engine ReUsrsed Too Late- Second
Week Wahn a cilonb

wrecked, the demolished cars contain
ing canvass or wagons. As soon as they
recovered from the first shock tho
trainers rushed among the cages quiet
ing the animals that were excited. An
elephant in the wrecked car behaved
with surprising calmness and was led
out Of the wreck without trouble.
A SCENE OF HORROR,
The escaping steam and screams and
cries Of those pinned In the wreck made
a hornfying spectacle In the gray Of the
early morning when the trainmen IN
the yards and the aroused townspeople
FIRST reached the scene. Many thought
al first that some of the animals had
escaped as some OF them could be
heard crying. The fire whistle was
Immediately sounded and the whole
town was aroused The rescuers
could see unfortunates through the
tangled wreckage, a wrecking crew
Is kept IN the yards here and II was
on the scene In a very few minutes. All
the physicians and trained nurses In
town were sent for and the Hotel Rich
ellen was converted into a temporary
hospital. Scores of volunteers With
stIechers were soon In readiness 10
carry the injured away as fast as the
rescuers could extricate them.
HARD TO IDENTIFY DEAD.
The dead many of them so terribly
mangled that identification seemed well
nigh impossible We're laid on the ground
and short distance from the scene. BY
6 o'clock a corps Of twelve physicians
was operating on the injured and dress
ing their wounds In the temporary hos
pltal. -Four OF the Injured died az the
hospital before $3.50 o'clock. When the
wrecking train crew had finished pull
Ing to pieces the tangled and broken
cars seventeen dead men were lying on
the grass awaiting removal TO the NOR
que A majority Of them were killed
while asleep, The circus performers
We're on the rear Of the moving train
and escaped injury Wallace Brothers
say their loss Will be very heavy, hut
had given no estimate OF II as yet.
This is the second wreck that the Wal
lace shows have suffered within a
month.
JUMPED FROM ENGINE.
Engineer Propst, Fireman Golfer and
Head Brakeman Benedict who was al
50 Oh e engine OF the second section,
all aRt.e that II the brakes had worked
as tAeX ought to have worked when
thu engineer tried to use them, there
would have been no collision Fireman
Golfer and Brakeman Benedict when
they saw that a collision could not be
averted, jumped. Engineer Propst re-
mained at his post vainly trying TO
get the brakes to work until his train
was within less than hundred feet
OF train No. /. Then he, too jumped
when he was within but a very few
seconds Of a sure death in the crush
He was shaken up, as were the fireman
and brakeman, but not badly. None
Of the crews OF either train was hurt
At the time the crash occurred. train
No. 2 was running probably fifteen
miles an hour.
General Manager f. II Michigan Of
the Grand Trunk system, who was on
his way from Chicago to Montreal, ar
rived at the scene at a. m. and took
charge OF the work OF clearing the
track and caring for the injured and
dead,
IN VI iAAAiA ANFi ON -
Durand Mich, Aug. S.--The official
report on the accident issued this az
ternoon by Supt Brownlee says
THE proper danger signals were dis
played by the brakeman OF the first sec
ton (who had been sent back three
quarters Of milel lantern fuses and
torpedoes In hand. The engineer Of the
second section answered the signals and
claims TO have made application Of the
airbrakes but found that the train was
not charged with air and was unable TO
stop, colliding with the rear end Of the
first section"
The report then gives the fatalities
and concludes:
Engineer Prospt stated that his air
brake worked all right at Lansing,
where he took water and that he had
no occasion TO use II again until he was
tagged west OF Durand where he
found that the train was not charged |
with air The five sleepers in the rear |
OF the second section were found stand
Ing about two coach lengths from the |
end Of the train after the accident with |
the draw-heads In one Of the cars |
jammed In. indicating that II had been |
broken apart before the accident and re- |
bounded when the train stopped. which |
Is evidence that the brakes were not |
applied. The airbrakes In the train |
have since been tested and found to be- |
In perfect condition"