The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-10-14
COAL GAS Costs
lives Of SIX. MEN !
TRAIN BREAKS IN TWO WH1L1
PASSING THROUGH GREAT
ST. CLAIR TUNNEL. g..
Three Employees and Three Brave
Rescuers Are suffocated by Gas
The Terrible Fate Of = Heroic
Engineer. .e-. T. ..

Port Huron, Mich, Oct. 1O.-Six en-
Moves of the Grand Trunk railway
were suffocated to death by coal gas
early Sunday in the st. Clair tunnel,
which runs under the st. Clair river
from Port Huron to Ssarnia, ontario
A coal train broke in two while passing
through the tunnel and three OF the
train crew were suffocated while part
Of the train lay stalled in the tunnel:
The engineer lost his life Wnen ne r.
turned and endeavored to push the
stalled cars back to safety and two
other rescuers persisted in vain at
tempts to penetrate the gaseous Al
mosphere of tho great tube.
The Victims.
The dead are: =. ~ l.|.
AS. Begg, of Port Huron, superintend-
ent of terminals.
Engineer John Coleman, Port Huron.
Conductor D. T. Tinsley, sarnia, Ont
Brakeman Thomas McGrath, Sarnia,
ONT
Brakeman D. A. Gillis, Sarnia, Ont. >
Heroic Engineer Dies. -
The train which entered from the
American side; of the tunnel was made
up of II coal cars. When it broke, En-
gineer Coleman realized that the acc1-
dent had happened and with the three
cars that were still attached to the
engine, steamed out of the tunnel into
the sarnia yards. He hastily detached
his engine and went back into the tube
for the stalled cars. When his engine
reached them he attempted to push
them back through the tunnel and out
of the American portal. The grade
proved too steep, however, and the at
tempt was g. failure. The engine and
cars rolled back into the gas-laden tun-
mel and Engineer Coleman was suRo-
Gated at his post in the engine cab.
His fireman, Fred, Forester, with great
presence of mind. jumped into the
partly filled water tank of the engine,
where there was enough air to preserve
his life, although he is in a serious
condition.
Rescuers Perish. :
When the 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 q short
distance when, the coal gas became
sitting and Begg succumbed The other
two rescuers succeeded in crawling 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 a party OF
rescuers entered the tube and had pro-
ceeded but a short distance when they
found John Haley, track walker, ly-
ing unconscious on the track. He was
taken out and again the engine plunged
into the gaseous atmosphere. The res
cuers were overcome, however, by the
gas before the train was reached and
Brakeman McGrath died. Switchman
Blake, who was member of the
party, after time made another at
tempt to penetrate the gas, and. this
time succeeded in reaching the stalled
engine, coupled it to the cars and ran
the train out into daylight. Simpson.
Tinsley and Gillis were found dead in
the caboose. Fireman Forester was in
the water tank nearly two hours before
he was rescued and his escape is little
short of miraculous.