Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-10-10
SIX DIE IN TUNNEL
Grand Trunk Railway Disas-
ter at Port Huron.
RAILROAD MEN SUFFOCATED BY Gas
Frafn Broke, Engineer Died mt His
Post In CRb-Ffreman Found Alive
In Engine Tank-Brave
Workers Perish.

PORT HURON, Mich, Oct. 10.-Six
employees of the Grand Trunk rail
way have been %suffocated to death by
coal gas in the st. Clair tunnel, which
runs under the st. Clair river from
Port Huron to Sarnia, Ont. 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 when he re-
Observation-Disclosures to push the
stalled cars back to safety, and two
other rescuers persisted in vain at
tempts to penetrate the gaseous atmos-
phere of the great tube. Z
Tie dead are: A. S. Begg, Port TIu.
ron, superintendent of terminals; En-.
gineer John Coleman, Port Huron;
Conductor J.. B. Simpson, Sarnia, Ont;
Conductor ID. II. Tinsley, Sarnia, Ont;
Brakeman Thomas McGrath, Sarnia,
Oat., and Brakeman D.. A. Gillis, Sar-
md, Ont.
The train, which entered from the
American end of the tunnel, was made
up of seventeen coal cars. When it
broke Engineer Coleman realized that
the accident had happened and with
the three cars that were still attached
to the engine steamed out of the tun-
mel 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 at
tempted to push them back through the
tunnel and out of the American portal.
The grade proved too steep, however,
and the attempt was a failure. The
engine and cars rolled back into the
gas laden tunnel, and the engineer was
suffocated 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 Il
serious condition.
When news of the broken train
reached the American side of the tun-
mel Superintendent Begg, accompanied
~ two other employees, started in Oh
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 Il short
distance when the coal gas became
sitting and Begg succumbcd. The two
other reseuers succeeded in crawling
10 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 en-
tered the tube and had proceeded but
a short distance when they found John
Haley, q track walker, 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, and
Brakeman McGrath died. Switchman
Blake, who was a member of the party,
after a time made another attempt to
penetrate the gas and this time sue
ceeded in reaching the stalled engine,
coupled it to the cars and ran the
train out into the daylight. Simpson,
Tinsley and ellis were found dead in
the caboose. Fireman Forester was
in the water tank of the engine near
ly two hours before he was rescued,
and bis escape is a little short of mi
30 crIod1s