Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-02
SCENES IN
WRECK ON TRUNK
ROAD IN MICHIGAN
Fast Running Train Crashes
Into Pullman Car at End of
a Stalled Train on
Sidetrack.

Durand, Mich, Aug. 27.-Probably
eight persons were killed and eight in
tured, three perhaps fatally, when
Grand Trunk train No. 4 crashed into
the rea of train No. IA, stalled on the
track two miles east of Durand. late
last night.
Only one body has been positively
identified. that Of Mrs. Alma Wood
ward, of Montreal, an invalid. who was
travelling with a nurse and her son,
Clifton A. Davis. One Of the other
bodies has been partially identified as
that of the nurse, Miss Swinger, OF
Bellfield, N. y. DIR. Fair, of Durand.
surgeon for the railroad company. as
serts that the charred bones so far re-
covered should represent about six per-
sons.
The engine of No, 4 plowed it's way
three-quarters Of the length of the
sleeping car Nebraska" the last ear
in train No. IA, catching IS persons
asleep. The firebox of the collidinC
engine then dropped out and the coach
in a few MINUTES was blazing from end
to end.
Flames Consume Cars.
AS the flames ate their way through
the splintered timbers the cries of the
injured ceased, and the flames deferred
the passengers of the unchanged cars,
and the farmers who had hurried from
lilSjl ALOiltCSt " d9SlSl III Alic "oih vi
rescue.
The two trains were sections OF the
Montreal and Boston express, and left
Chicago yesterday afternoon. No. IA
passed through Durand at 1909 D.. m.
and No. 4 at 10: 35. The air brakes of
engine No. II went wrong, and two
miles out of the city Engineer Mitchell
stopped the train and, with his fireman,
got down underneath the engine to
make repairs.
Brakeman G. r. Graham, Of Detroit,
was sent back TO place a torpedo on the
track and flag the expected second sec
ton. But No. 4 came rushing on at a
speed of 40 miles an hour and ripped
its way through the Pullman car. The
shock of the collision sent the whole
standing train Il little forward and the
engineer and fireman underneath the
stalled engine were badly hurt.
Different Stories Told.
Brakeman Graham declares hat he
placed the torpedo a mile from the rear
OF No. IA, but that No. 4 paid no at
tention to IT. Engineer Spencer's story
is different.
I'VE were almost upon No. IA when
we struck the torpedo" he says. 81
heard ii all right, but there was no
brakes and called to Nelson, my
fireman, to jump. l made a
leap and landed in the ditch. Nell
son did not get away fast enough and
was caught. Both my ankles were
crushed and I could not move.
"The tail lights of No. "A were not
burning and the torpedo was placed so
close to the train that ] did not have
time to stop"
The crew Of No. IA, except the engine
crew, are said to nave been hired dur
ing the recent strike and retained after
the settlement. 1t is believed that n
charred bodies are those or four wom-
en-, one child and one man.
Story of Engineer.
Engineer Spencer, of Train No. l..
when interviewed at Durand today
said:
Il only recall hearing one torpedo
explode. hen / saw the white light
streaming out the rear end door of
the Pullman. / knew what was going
to happen and jumped"
G.. M. Graham, rear end brakeman
on No. IA, said hat he carried a red
lantern when he went back to place
torpedoes IN the track and tried TO
wave No. 4 down, but failed to get a
respons until after the torpedo went
off.