The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-07-23
DIE WITH HYMNS
ON LITTLE LIPS
Children Singing Joyously ns They Return
from Picnic Are killed-Their Train
Wrecked-Nineteen Dead
Many Injured.

wreck the side OF the track was covered
with, wounded and dying for distance
of quarter of mile. The mutilation
caused by the breaking wood and smash
ing iron was horrible.
Where the two wrecked cars stood was
mass of human, mangled flesh and
bones. Those In charge Of the picnic are
loud in denouncing the railway COM
pany.
; II was a slaughter of innocents. The
little children. who had been on the only
outing provided for them for the sum-
mer, an excursion heavily patronized by
the poorer people because of the cheap
rates, were in the dangerous place. AS
the second car telescoped the baggage
car the hundred or more occupants of
both coaches we're caught in the mighty
crush.
Witness Tells Of Crash.
A. H. Blakemore, who lives few rods
from the scene of the collision, was an
eyewitness.
II saw the trains come together and
with George Gerron and George Stanford
rushed to them," he said. The passen-
ger train came down the grade at fast
clip, probably 40 miles an hour, and
struck the coal train just at our house.
was eating supper at the time and
jumped up and ran over. We climbed to
the baggage cars and took out two chill
dren alive, One was boy Of eight with
both legs severed and another girl with
both arms and legs broken. Others be-
gan to arrive at that time and we all
turned in and started pulling out the
bodies. We had q row Of 80 dead and
wounded on the grass before the physi-
clans came. Several died after We had
removed them.
1T was the most trying ordeal ever
went through. The little things did not
cry, even those conscious. They we're SO
stunned by the shock that pain was not
appreciated or felt. Two dead bodies we
took out were those of bride and groom,
who we're taking this trip as their honey
moon. There were two little girls among
the dead whose mother is i'll in Chicago
hospital and who were with another
woman. The woman was killed too. One
mother, with four children on board, lost
her brood, but was unhurt herself She
stood at the car entrance and watched
the bodies taken out, but never recog-
nized them. Few we're identified here.
Cause Of Disaster.
In explanation OF the accident the
trainmen say that the freight train
parted at Chicago Heights and the break
ing Of the coupling between the second
car from the way car and the car in front
OF it was unnoticed by Engineer Hoxie
until he had reached Glenwood. Then
they declare the engineer switched his
train to the south-bound track in the be-
lief that he would escape possible COL
lision with the excursion train, which
he believed was on the north-bound
track, andt started back to Chicago
Heights to pick up the freight and the
way car. The engineer of the freight
train said he had been given orders to
switch to the south-bound track, and
was delayed by the breaking of the train
near Thornton. The passenger train
had likewise been given instructions to
go on THIS track, and was approaching
the coal train at speed of about 30 miles
an hour when the collision occurred.
Engineer Blamed.
Chicago. July 15.-Engineer F. r.
Hoxey, who had charge'of the special
freight train against which the lives
of IS persons were dashed out, is be-
ing held in detention as responsible
for the terrible catastrophe at Glen
wood on the Chicago & Eastern Hi
nois railway Wednesday evening. d.
vision Superintendent J. F. Russ, who
is conducting the investigation into
the disaster. has ordered Hoxey held
in custody at Dalton station until
called for by Coroner Traeger.