The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-25
Eight Meet Horrible Death
While Nearly Dozen Others
are Frightfully Injured
CONFUSED SIGNALS
CAUSE OF DISASTER
Wreck Catches Fire Immediately
After Crash and Trapped
Passengers Are Burn
ed Alive.

GANA-NDs MINI, aug Ios--El&ht
terribly scaided. mangied and lifeless
! bodies. three persons probably fatally
injured, three others missing and five
others seriously injured is the result
OF a frightful wreck on the Grand
Trunk at Duffield. near here. last night
The Montreal Express from Chicago.
consisting of nine coaches, stopped at
Duffield, east of Durand, to make some
repairs, when train No. 4, running 80
minutes late, crashed into the rear
end. splitting the Pullman In tao and
hurting it's passengers in every d'rec-
ton.
| The wreckage caught fire irnmedi-
ateiy, and the cries OF the dying and
Injured rose above the cracking and
blazing ruins. When some OF the
bodies OF the dead we're taken from
the wreck they were so frlghtfully
| burned and mangled that identifica-
ton was impossible.
Positive statements OF the rescuers
on the scene m the first hours TolIow-
ing the wreck were that 10 were kill
ed They still insist that there are
otner dead bodies beside the eight
bodies now recovered. and even rail-
readers at the scene think the list will
total the first estimate. The confusion
mas been 50 great at this little juno
zion that the Grand Trunk has not yet
made an official statement.
The crash came a few minutes be-
fore IL O'Clock. A special train with
physicians and nurses was sent from
mere Wreckers from both Durand
ana Battle Creek were ordered out,
ana the remains of the two wrecked
trains were taken TO Flint
Under Engine.
Engineer Bert Mitchell was under
ms engine when the crash came. and
sas seriously injured. His fireman.
George Nelson, was brought here this
morning, fatally scalded
Brakeman @. y. Graham. of Detrot,
was sent to the rear OF No. IA to
post danger signals. He declares he
struck his signals as ordered, but will
not commit himself as to the rear
nights OF the train. He was brought
mere pending an investigation
Engineer Charles Spencer. of No
was running rast 10 make up few
lost minutes, and declares thar he uur
on brakes and reversed as soon as he
heard the torpedo. placed on the
tracks to warn him, but that ii was
700 iafe. lie claims Ne. IA had no
tall lights. His fireman In missing
and is thought dead.
No. pioaghed through the rear
Pullman like stick through sand
Inc passengers had no chance for
their lives 1t is declared here thct
ooth crews, with the exception Of the
engine crews were strike breakers.
held over by the Grand Trunx.
one survivor here is Clinton A, Da-
vis. OF 22s Stanley street, Montreal
re was en- route from Fargo, n. d,
WIN MS Hother, an Invalid, and a
,iaineo nurse Davis states that both
"a
! fire Their bodies could not n. r..
covered. de is burned about ths fa.a
aro cut in several places, but tho
pny sleians think he will recover
!. n stadymire. the colorea porter
on the Pullman coach Nebraska the
one that was hit. says he is not sure
now many were In his car. He was
IN the forward part OF the train when
'he crash came and was uninjured.
Headless Body.
Paducah, Ky, with four othsr mar
was in the front coach OF the wreckea
train When the collision came tney
were thrown into a heap. AS soon a :
they were able TO get out they started
nack TO the rear Of the train and
assisted In removing the injured ana
those bodies that could be recovered
fferceiy nghting the flames that
were quickly making IL impossible to
KNOW the compiete cost OF the wreck
IN human lives, the rescuers biistered
their whole bodies taking out the
headless body OF man IL was ba div
burned but II Is thought can be iden-
tilted. Also they got ont the body or
woman burned to u crisp She cam
not be identified Those bodies sin
in the blazing furnace are thought RI
have been the ones who were sleeping
in the upper berths, and whose escape
was doubly cut of.
As all the killed. except the train
men. were asleep In their berths. their
Identification Is extremely difficult on
account OF the absence OF the cloth.
ing. 1t will be days before they cap
be fully established. as relatives prob
ably viii have TO come from far
points to make the identifications
Dead and Injured
The dead.
Two unidentified women, one nfty
years old. o.her sixty years old. first
taken from the wreck.
Six other unidentified believed 20 be
man. child and four women, terribly
scalded and mangled.
Probably fatally injured.
Clinton A. Davis, forty-seven wear.
old. Montreal scalded on head and
George Nelson. Battle Creek. fire-
man on train No. 1. scalded and cut.
Bert Mitchell. Port Huron. engineer
train No. ~. head crushed.
Seriously injured:
Mrs. Shelton. twenty-eight years
old. CHICAGO. badly burned: taken to
Flint hospital
- Watt. home in Canada. forty.
three years old. badly cut. taken to
the Flint
Unidentified woman, sfxty-fcur
years old. burned about face ana
body.
Unidentified man. thirty eight years
old.