Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-07-26

MAcALNoi, cHAKIEs.
K KHAbEhTs Al MARTIN.
EDDY, MRS. ABRAHAM.
NAFF, HERMAN.
CORNELL N. J.
GRAMS, WILLIE, a boy.
RICHTER. MRS. AUGUST.
GALLAGHER. NED.
FINLEY. CONDUCTOR E. E.
ROGERS, DEN.
LATHAM, FREDERICK.
SMITH FRANK.
MCAGLEY, CHARLES, SIR.
TRAUTWINE, ALBERT.
WIZARD, JAMES.
REYNOLDS, HARRY.
SMITH. HOMER.
FITZGERALD, FRED.
STEIGER, WILLIAM, Kansas City, who
was working in Ionia.
VAUGHAN, FRED, South Bend, Ind.
Six Coaches Smashed Up.
The wrecked train consisted of eleven
coaches carrying employees Of the com
pany's shops at lonia on their annual
excursion to Detroit. All of the en-
ployes were accompanied by their fami-
lies. The train left Ionia at o'clock this
morning damned with gay picknlckers.
The wreck occurred on perfectly
straight level piece of track. The heavy
freight and passenger trains came TO-
gether with enormous force, and six of
the eleven passenger cars were entirely
wrecked. The smash occurred at what
is known as Washburn Crossing, two
miles east of this village.
Places Blame for Disaster.
General Superintendent Trump of the
Pere Marquette railway says that the
responsibility for the wreck rests with
some employe who failed to obey orders.
He says that the blame rests with the
crew of the freight which was a west
Trump says. to wait at Plymouth for
the excursion train, which had the right
of-way. Instead they proceeded on to-
wards Salem and the collision resulted.
Few Children Injured.
Three of the coaches were telescoped
by the terrific impact and the fourth
and fifth coaches were smashed into
matchwood. Although there were prob
ably $50 children among the excursion
lists it is strange fact that few, Of
them were severely hurt. Nearly all Of
the dead and the injured are men. Pas
sengers on the wrecked train say that
the passenger train was running about
forty miles an hour when the trains
met. Many of the freight cars were also
piled up in the heap of wreckage, which
is so great that it will take twelve
10 ClcdE lue lAdCh.
Dctors Rushed to Scene.
When the uninjured persons recovered
from the shock and crawled from the
wreckage. they at once began extricatlng
the dead and injured. Messengers were
rushed to this village and to Plymouth
and all the doctors from this place and
neighboring villages were hurried to the
scene. Farmers who heard the crash
came to the rescue also. A special train
was made up in the yards at Detroit and
sent to the wreck, a distance of forty
miles, with doctors, nurses, surgical in
struments and cots. By the time this
train arrived there were several scores
of people waiting to receive medical at
tention and over a score of bodies had
been extricated and were lying on the
grass beside the tracks.
Horror of the Accident.
The banks alongside the track at the
crossing where the collision occurred are
ten feet high and the space between
them forjseveral hundred feet is literally
filled with wreckage. The railroad
wreckers made all the speed possible in
clearing it, but even with the assistance
of steam crane at each end it will be
twelve hours before it can be definitely
stated whether all the bodies are out.
The passenger engine was completely
wrecked and it's crew killed, but in some
freight engine escaped with their lives.
A majority of the killed were men, who
were seated in the smoking car, which
was at the head of the train. This car
received the first impact of the collision
and the heavy tender and engine were
forced through it, crushing everything
before them. 1t will be many hours be-
fore some of the dead who were in the
smoking car are identified as they are
literally cut to pieces. Fire did not
break out in the ruins and add its hor-
rors to the tragedy.
Farmer Sees Collision.
The trains met in cut which is in
the arch of a four mile long curve in the
track, and the banks run up for ten feet
above the rails at the point of collision.
Z. E. Smith, a farmer living near the
crossing, was at work in his field and
saw the two trains bearing down upon
each other. Both of them dashed into
the cut and out of his range of vision.
Just the tops of the smoke stacks were
visible as they rushed along under the
ten foot banks to destruction. He saw
the stacks come together and then the
two engines reared up above the banks
and fell back as the roar of the collision
came to his ears. Almost before he
realized what had happened, the air was
pierced with screams of the wounded and
dying people, staggering out from the
wrecked cars.
Terrible Scenes at Wreck
Mr.. Smith with dozens of other far
mers in the neighborhood rushed to their
assistance. Many of the farmers
brought bedding and bandages for the
injured and as the hours wore on sent to
their homes for food for the suffering
people. The scene about the wreck as
the wreckers delved among the shat
tered cars were pitiful Men, women
and children, weeping and moaning wan
dered about searching for missing
friends and relatives.