Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-08
REFUSED DUTY.
An Air Brake Causes Smashup
in Michigan.
Circus Train Piled Up, With % Killed
and Many Injured.
Officials Charge Engineer With Fault
HE Denies 1t.

list, as a result of the collision, early
today, in the Grand Trunk yards be-
tween two sections of Wallace Bros.
circus train, stands, tonight, at %, sew
en- of whom are in the morgue unident-
flied. Coroner Farrer. this afternoon,
impanelled a jury, which viewed the
remains and adjourned until Aug. 14th,
when the inquest will be held.
In discussing the question of respon-
sibility for the horror, the officials I'M
hesitatingly lay it to Engineer Probst
of the second section of the train,
whose home is in Battle Creek. Probst
says that the air brakes on his train
refused to work, but the officials de-
clare that he could have stopped the
| train in time to have avoided serious
consequences.
| General Manager, F. H. McGuigan
said, this afternoon:
"Probst knew that he was coming
! into yard where trains usually stand
and take coal and water. The rules
say plainly that engineers shall APP
proach such yards with their train UNI
der control. A brakeman sent back by
the first train warned him of the dam
ger, three-quarters of mile before he
got to the standing section. For near
| ~ half a mile before he got to the first
! train the track is straight and clear
and he should have been able to see
the red light on the back of the train
ahead in time to stop his train. Of
course he, like anyone else, will try to
avoid such a dreadful responsibility"
! One Of the officials in discussing the
&C. cntI 1oh hn1
ed that Engineer Probst and exhausted
his air in checking his several times
between Lansing and Durand and fail
ed to again charge his tank. The head
brakeman and fireman, who were on
the engine, bear out Engineer Probsts
statement 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 hospital in the hotel Rich
elieu, are those suffering from lesser
| hurst. the seriously wounded being re-
| moved to Detroit, this afternoon.
| The Grand Trunk tracks have been
cleared. The officials place their loss at
$500.
The official report of the accident
issued this afternoon, by Supt. w. G..
/ BroWnlee says:
'The proper danger signals We're dis
played by the brakeman of the first
section, who had been sent back three
quarters of a mile with lantern. fuses
and torpedoes. The engineer of the
second section answered the signals
! Ill, TO, H. Nf
the air brakes. but found that the
| train was not charged with air and
was unable to stop, colliding with the
rear end of the first section.
Engineer Probst states that his air
brake worked all right at Lansing,
where he took water and that he had
no occasion to use it again until he was
| tagged west of Durand, where he
| found that the train was not charged
with air. The air brakes in the train
have since been tested and found to be
! in perfect condition.
The circus travels in two trains of
| about SIS cars each. After Thursday
/ nights exhibition at Charlotte the two
j trains left for Lapper over the Grand
| Trunk road. the second section leaving
! half hour after the first.
| 1t was 3.45 o'clock when the first sec
| ton pulled in to the west end of the
| Grand Trunk yards here. A red light
| was hung on the rear car to stop the
| second section. Engineer Propst Of
| Battle Creek, who was running the
engine of the rear train said he saw the
| light and applied the air brake. To his
horror it refused to work. He reversed
| his l,Ilt tho of tho
| heavy train was too great and with
! crash that aroused all the town near
| the station the two trains met
| Three cars of the stationary first sec
tion We're telescoped by the engine.
! The rear car Of the first section was
caboose in which the trainmen were
! sleeping and the next two were filled
with sleeping circus employees. The
greatest loss of life was in the caboose.
One of the wrecked cars of the second
section was occupied by five elephants
and several camels One of the
F., elephants and two camels were killed
! outright while the other animals and
their trainer escaped. With the excep-
ton If this car none of the menagerie
( was wrecked.
The other cars containing canvas or
wagons we're demolished and there was
comparatively little excitement among
the wild animals.
! At the first shock the trainers ran out
anxiously. The elephants in the wreck
ed car behaved with surprising calm
ness and were led out of the wreck
without trouble
/ The escaping steam and the cries of
! those pinned in the wreck accentuated
/ the horror when the trainmen in
the yard and the aroused townspeople
first reached the scent. Many feared at
/ f1rst that some of the menagerie had
escaped. Viii stiles were at once sound
Ell and the whole town aroused. 1t
was impossible to see through the
tangled wreckage and men went flu
rlously to work without waiting for
tools. The wrecking crew is kept in the
yards here and it was on this account
they We're but q very few minutes in
/ bringing implements in plenty
/ physicians We're sent for and those in
1 Surrounding places were rushed to the
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