The Detroit times., 1910-08-25
SIX LIVES sNUFFED OUT
~ In CRASH ON GRAND TRUNK



No. Ia had gone back a long way to
nag No. 4. That's the way the situa
ton appeals TO me just now. OF course
the further investigation OF the cor.
oner's jury may bring out something
new.
Samuel Kelly. OF Lansing. secretary
OF the state railway commission, ar
rived here Thursday morning to make
an investigation for the commission.
MY chief duty" said Mr.. Kelly
will be to find out II possible just
what signals were displayed for No
4 by the. crew OF No. IA. am told by
the railway authorities that the brake
man of No. IA went back To flag No. 4
with red lights and torpedoes. We
shall make an effort to find out just
how far he went back, II he went back
at ALL"
How far do the commission regu-
lations say the brakeman shall so
back?" was asked OF Mr.. Kelly.
There is no particular distance
specified," he replied. THE distance
for a brakeman to go back In case OF
breakdown depends altogether on
the topography of the country wnere
the accident occurs"
Jury Goes To Scene Of Wreck.
Mr.. Kelly went out to the scene OF
the wreck shortly before noon In
SUPERINTENDENT Ehrke's private car,
and Mr.. Ehrke and Prosecutor HICKS
were also aboard, as were the mem
bers of Coroner 8. G. Patcheirs Jury
The Jurors are Durand men, as foi-
lows ]. C. Cole. Louis Bisonett, Il.
II. Povey. Henry Roussin and Carl
Holmes. The jury looked over the
scene of the wreck, viewed the bodies
at the morgue. and adjourned to meet
later for the inquest. Superintendent
Ehrke declined to allow the news
paper men to make the trip In his car
with the official investigating party,
saving he would give out any informa'
ton he had on his return.
While Prosecutor Hicks ID nrE IN
his belief that Engineer Spencer dis.
obeyed the signals, the majority OF
the Durand citizens are convinced
that the non-union crew OF NO. IL
was responsible. They refused to be-
lieye that the crew OF No. IA hagged
No 4, az they claim they did. me
citizens appear to be still aggrieved
at the Grand Trunk over the roads
action In sending the troops here our
ing the strike. They also snow py
their demeanor that they sympathize
with the strikers, few OF whom are
back at work here, In spite OF the fact
that the strike was settled some
weeks ago.
Morbid Crowd BesIeges Morgue.
Mapes' morgue. where the dead
bodies lie, is besieged with the NOR
bidly curious at all times and the at
tendants are courteous enough to
reveal the scalded and charred re-
mains to them all. During the morn
ing George Harrison, OF Port Huron,
called and identified the body OF Mrs.
Alma Woodland, of Bellefeld, N. ID.
She was to have stopped of at his
place Wednesday night ON her way
to Montreal When he heard OF the
wreck he lost no time In getting here.
something having told him that she
was injured. Mrs. Woodland, about 60
years old, was an invalid and was
being cared for by q nurse, who also
lost her life. The nurses body Is
supposed to be In Mapes' morgue.
Clinton A. Dais, OF Montreal, son
of Mrs. Woodland, was travelling In
the wrecked Pullman with her. He
was seriously injured and as yet has
no knowledge of his mothers death.
He Is being cared for at the Junction
House, Durand, and his doctors have
forbidden any one to see him. The
doctors attending Fireman George
Nelson, of No. 4, who. was injured,
because Of sticking to his post after
his engineer, Spencer jumped, also
gave out similar orders. Nelson Is
at the Junction House also. His con-
dition Is serious.
Engineer Spencer deserted his cab
when his engine struck the torpedoes
placed on the track by the signal
brakeman of No. IA. He was only
slightly injured and was able to re-
turn to his home In Battle Creek
Thursday morning, after being secret.
ly cioseted with Superintendent Ehrke
and other railway officials for a long
time. He declares he saw no signal
and knew nothing of danger ahead
until he struck the torpedooes within
a short distance OF the stalled train.
Pinned Under Engine.
Conductor Bert Haynes, of Mont
real, who was in charge Of the Pull
man sleepers attached to No. IA, re-
NAMED in Durand at the request of
the Grand Trunk for the purpose of
getting a statement from him. He
says he was talking to Engineer
Mitchell of No. IA, who was under
his engine trying to fix the break,
when the collision occurred.
"Mr. Mitchell was pinned under the
engine in such way that he could
not release himself, and had a hard
time setting him Free" said Mr..
Haynes When | released him and
did what l could for him | then hus-
tied back to the rear Pullman, which
was burning. The other part of the
train had been cut loose from the
doomed car and only those in the
last coach were in danger. There
was no screaming to speak of, but
there were some awful sights. After
we saw that the people in the other
coaches were not injured, the train
was sent on to Port Huron. The in
jured were later brought to Durand
and also the dead bodies and I shall
never forget the sight az long IA I