The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-02
KILLED BY TUNNEL GAS
Train Of Coal Cars Stalled Under
St. Clair River.
BRAVE ATTEMPTSAT RESCUE FAIL

a Break in tine Train of Cars Caused One
Half of Them With Their Crew to
Become Stalled in the Tunnel etwee
Sarnia, Ont, and Port Huron. Mich
Svitcbman Rescued Those Alive.
Port Huron, Mich.-SiX employees OF
the Grand Trunk Railway were suffo-
Gated to death by coal gas in the st.
Clair tunnel, which rum under the
st. Clair River from Port Huron to
Sarnia, Ont.
A coal train broke in two while pass
ing through the tunnel, and three OF
the train crew wee sufocated Whlle
part Of the train lay stalled in the
tunnel.
The engineers lost his life when he
returned and ~endelvored to push the
stalled train back to safety, and TWO
other rescuers persisted in vain at
tempts to penetrate the gaseous atmos-
phere of the great tube.
A. S. Begg, Port Huron, superlntenc
ent of terminals; John Coleman, engl-
neer. Port Huron; D. a. ellis, brake
man, Sarina, Ont; Thomas McGrath,
brakeman, Sarina, Ont; j. B. Simpson,
conductor, Sarina, Ont, and ID. l..
Tinsley, conductor, Sarina, Ont, were
the killed.
The train, which entered from the
American end of the tunnel, was MADE
I'D of seventeen coal cars. when II
broke Engineer Coleman realized that
the accident had happened, n WIN
the three cars that were still Attached
to the engine steamed out of the tunnel
into the Sarnia yards. He hastily de-
tached his engene and went back INTO
the tube for the stalled cars.
When his engine reached them ne
attempted to push them back through
the tunnel and out Of the American
portal. The grade proved too steep,
however, and the attempt was a rail-
ure. The engine and cars rolled BACK
into the gas-laden tunnel and the en-
rineer was suffocated at his post in the
engine cab. His fireman, Fred For
ester, Jumped into the partly filed
water tank of the engine, where there
was enough air to preserve life.
When news of the broken train
reached the American side Of the tun-
mel Superintendent Begg, accompanied
by two other employees, started in on
foot, hoping that the train was near
enough to the entrance so that they
might rescue and carry out some OF
the crew. They had gone but a short
distance when the coal gas became
sitting and Begg succumbed. The
other two rescuers succeeded in crawl
ing to the portal Of the tunnel on their
hands and knees.
Meanwhile preparations were being
made at the Sarnia end of the tunnel
to rescue the imprisoned train crew.
An engine with q party of reScuerS
entered the tube and had proceeded
but a short distance when they found
John Haley, q track walker, uncon-
scious OH the track. He was taken
out, and again the engine plunged into
the gaseous atmosphere. The rescuers
were overcome, however, by the gas
before the train was reached, and
Brakeman McGrath died.
Switchman Blake, who was q men,
Der of the party, after q time made an
other attempt to penetrate the gas, and
by this time succeeded in reaching the
stalled train, coupled it to the cars
and ran the train out into the day
light. Simpson, 'Tinsley and ellis
were found dead in the caboose. Fire
man Forester was in the water tank
OF the engine nearly two hours before
no was rescued.