The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-08
Horrifying Spectacle.

l He escaping steaEl ana screams ana
cries Of those pinned In the wreck made
horrifying spectacle in iha gray Of the
carly morning. when the trainmen In the
yards and the aroused towns pee
pie first reached the scene. Many feared
at first that somo Of the beasts had es.
capped, as some of the animals could BE-
heard crying.
The fire whistle was Immediately sound
ed and tho whole town was aroused. The
rescuers could see unfortunatas through
the tangled wrec1age, and went furiously
to work without waiting for tools to ex-
tricate them. A wrecking crew is kept
In the yards here, and 1t was on the scene
In very few minutes, bringing tools
and equipment in plenty. All the physl-
clans and trained nurses in town were
sent for and those in nearby places were
rushed to the scene on hand cars rhe
Hotel Richolicu was converted into
temporary hospital and scores Of volnn-
teers with stretchers were In readiness to
carry the Injured there as fast as the
rescUors could extrlcate them. The
dead, many ot them so terribly manBlcd
that Identification seemed we'll nigh i'm
possible. were carefully laid on the green
sward n short distance from the scene.
Engineer Probst. Fireman Golfer and
Head Brakeman Benedict, who was also
en- the engine of the second section. all
agree II the brakes had worked as they
ought to have when the engineer tried
to use them there would have been no
collision. Fireman Golfer and Brakeman
Benedict, when they saw that collision
could not be avertcd, jumped Engineer
Probst remained at his post. vainly try
ing TO get the brakes to work, until his
train was within less than hundred feet
Of train No. I. Then he, too, jumped
H.. l.,
onds of sure death In the crash. He was,
OF course. shaken up. as we're the fireman
and brakeman, but not badly injured.
None OF the crew of either train was
hDrt. At the time the crash occurred
train No. 2 was running probably fifteen
miles an hour.
TIE Responsibility.
In discussing the responsibility for the
horror the railroad officials unhestatingy
lay 1t on Engineer Probst, who was run
ming the second section. Probst says that
his brake refused to work, but the off,
cials say he could have stopped the train
IN tlrne to avoid serious consequences.
General Manager McGuegan said this af-
ternoon:
"Proast knew that fia was coming into
yard where CIR tSa,s.s 'tsually stand
and take on water. The ru;es sey plainly
with their trains under co2trc:. A brake
man sent back by the first train warned
him OF the danger three-quarters OF mile
before he got to the standing section.
For nearly half mile before he got to
the first train the track Is straight and
clear and he should have been able to
see the red lights on the back OF the train
ahead in time to stop his train. OF
course, he, like every one else. will try
and avoid such dreadful responsibility
Discredit Story.
The os:lcal repors OF the accident, is-
sued by Superintendent Brownee. declares
that the air brakes have bcrN tested aimee
the accident and found to be In perfect
CONTROL and there is evidence that they
were not applied
One Of the officials, In discussing the
accident and It's cause, said he believed
that Engineer Probst had exhausted his
air in checking his train several times
between Lansing and Durand. and failed
to again charge his tank. The head
brakeman and fireman. who were on the
engine bear out Engineer Probst's state
ment that the brakes refused to work.
The bodies Of the dead have been placed
In caskets and are being shipped to their
homes as rapidly as possible. The injured
who are still here at the temporary hos
pital in the Hotel Richelieu. are those
suffering from lesser hurts. the seriously
wounded being removed to Detroit this
afternoon.
The Grand Trunk tracks have been
cleared, and tho officials of tho road place
their loss at s4700.
e. A. Guillaume, Of Louisville. has tel
erra, he'd to Mayor Potter inquiring
whether his brother was killed. and It is
believed that he is one OF the unidentified
dead.