The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-10-13
SIX MEET DEATH
IN A TUNNEL.
Grand Trunk Employees Suffo.
Gated by Deadly Coal
Gas.
THE TRAIN BROKE IN TWO
While Trying to Move the Stalled Train
Three Trainmen Perish; Others
Meet Death Rescuing
Them.

Port Huron, Mich, Oct. 11.-Six EN-
ployes of the Grand Trunk railway
were suffocated to death by coal gas
in the ST. Clair tunnel which runs un-
der the st. Clair river from Port HUI
ron to Sarnia, Ont. A coal train broke
in two while passing through the tun-
mel and three of the train crew were
suffocated while part of the train lay
stalled in the tunnel. The engineer
lost his life when he returned and en-
deavored to push the stalled cars back
to safety, and two other rescuers per-
ished in vain attempts to penetrate
the gaseous atmosphere Of the great
tube.
The dead:
A. S. BEGGS, Port Huron, superin-
tendent of terminals.
ENGINEER JOHN COLEMAN, Port
Huron.
CONDUCTOR d. T. TINsLEY. sar-
mia, Ont.
BRAKEMAN THOMAS M'aRATH,
Sarnfa, Ont.
BRAKEMAN D. A. GILES, Sarnia,
Ont.
The train, which entered from the
American side Of the tunnel, was made
up of seventeen cars. When it broke
Engineer Coleman realized that the ac-
cident had happened, and with the
three cars attached to the engine
steamed out of the tunnel into the Sar-
MIA yards. He hastily detached his
for the stalled cars. When hts 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 a failure. The engine and
cars rolled back into the gas lader
tunnel n Engineer Coleman was suf-
located at his pest in the engine cab.
His fireman, Fred Forester, with pres
ence 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 condi-
ton.
Superintendent a Victim.
When the news of the broken train
reached the American side of the tun-
mel, Superintendent Beggs, accompa-
MED 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 ont some Of the
crew. They had gone but q short dis
lance when the gas became sitting and
Beggs succumbed. Other rescuers sue
ceeded 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 esouers en-
tered the tube and had proceeded but a
short distance when job Haley, a
track walker, was found lying uncon-
scious on 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, n Brakeman
McGrath died, Switchman Blake, who
was a member of the party, after a
time made another attempt to pene-
trate the gas and this time succeeded
in reaching the stalled engine, coupled
1T to the cars, and ran the train out into
the daylight.
Simpson, Tinsley and Giles were
found dead In the caboose. Fireman
Forester was in the water tank
of the engine nearly two hours before
he was rescued, and his escape is little
short of miraculous.
Des Moines, Ia, Oct. 10.-Mrs. A. E.
Mcfarland and Arthur Beggs have
been summoned to Port Huron, Mich,
by the news of the death of their
father, A. S. Beggs, in the tunnel disas-
ter there. Mr.. Beggs is ar old time
Iowa railroad a having been su-
perintendent Of bridges and buildings
for a number of a with headquar-
tiers at Des Moines, Council Bluffs and
other points,