Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-01
Wreck KILLED TWENTY-FIVE
WIND BLEW OUT RED LIGHT AND
PASSENGER TRAINS MIX.
Over 81 People tnjured-Acciden DC.
CURED Six Miles East of Grand
Rapids, Michigan - Baggage and
Smoking Cars Reduced to Splnters
Quick Care for injured-Special
Train.

Grand Rapids, Mich, Dec. 2S.-Sev-
enteen are dead and 81 injured, several
of them fatally, as the result of the
collision early Saturday evening of two
passenger trains on the Pere Mar
quette railroad, one-half mile west of
East Paris, and six miles east of this
city. The collision, which was head
on, was caused, according to state
ment issued by officials of the road,
at the general offices in Detroit, by
the high wind blowing out the red
signal lamp at McCord's, where the
west bound train, No. 5, should have
stopped and received orders to pass
the east bound at Fox.
The officials deny the report that IA
misunderstanding of orders on the
part of one of the engineers was re-
sponsible for the collision. According
to the statement of the officials. the
trains were originally to have met and
passed at Oakedale Park, but to help
the east bound train the dispatcher is.
sued new orders, fixing Fox as the
meeting point. The east bound train
received this order and the west bound
should have received the same order
at McCords. Instead it rushed by
this station, and the operator there,
after reporting this fact, found on
going out on the platform that his
red light, which had been burning
two minutes before, was out, presuma-
bly, extinguished by the high wind
that was blowing.
The trains met with a terrible crash,
the baggage and smoking cars behind
each locomotive being instantly reduc-
ed to pile of kindling wood. The en-
gines were completely wrecked, the
boiler of the engine which had pulled
the east bound train being torn com
pletely from the running gear and
standing perpendicularly in ditch
at the side of the track,
Engineer Frank Waterman, who sur
vived the catastrophe, says he and E
B. Moon, the fireman, we're caught
before they had time to save them
selves. He says ne did not see the
east bound train until the crash came
No person occupying the cars Other
than the baggage and smoking cars
with very few exceptions, were serious
ly injured. Within two minutes the
uninjured male passengers and those
of the train crews who had not been
hurt had begun the work Of rescue
Travelling Agent frank Hewitt Of the
Pere Marquette, who was on the train
bound for Detroit and who escaped
with slight injuries, ran to the nearest
telegraph office and telegraphed for a
wrecking train and surgeons.
Guided by groans and screams, the
rescuers, by the light Of lanterns,
delved into the wreckage and, with
fence timbers tor levers, pried out the
sufferers. A special train, bearing
surgeons and officials, was made up
here Immediately after the news was
received, and arrived at the wreck
at Tbs o'clock. Those of the injured
who had been extricated were imme-
diately taken into the train and given
emergency surgical aid, and the offic-
ials Joined in the rescue work. When
all the injured had been taken out Of
the wreck, the hospital train was
rushed back to Grand Rapids, where
ambulances were in waiting to carry
them to the hospitals, where all ar
rangements had been made for their
reception. The uninjured passengers
were also brought back here.
When the special train returned to
Grand Rapids 1t brought five bodies,
in addition to its load of injured. Res
cuers claimed that they saw at least
three more bodies under the wreck
age, where only derrick could ex-
tricate them, when the special train
left the scene.
Later.
Grand Rapids, Mich, Dec. 2S.-The
death list tonight resulting from the
collision between two Pierre Mar
quette railroad passenger trains near
East Paris yesterday, stands at %,
with go persons injured, several of
them fatally.