The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-10
WRONG SIGNAL
FLASHED; TRAINS
IN. COLLISION
Several Injured in Accident in
the Wabash Yards; Two
Sleeping Cars Burn
PASSENGER ON WAY TO
FUNERAL WORST HURT
Doing When Crash Comes,
Wakes Up" in st. Mary's
Hospital

A mistake In semaphore signals at
the Eighteenth-sL crossing. caused
two passenger trains 10 collide In the
Wabash yards, about 1850 o'clock.
Sunday night, injuring several and
imperiling the lives of a score OF
slumbering passengers.
TWO sleeping cars were burned and
the engine on Wabash train No. 5
was badly wrecked. #. l.. Felker,
night pressure man at the Twenty
second-st. plant OF the Detroit City
Gas Co.. heard the crash and a Sec
ond later saw the flames shooting
from the rear end OF passenger train
No. 6. He turned in q fire alarm and
called the police.
Train No. 6, bound for New York,
left nine minutes ahead OF train No.
8. Chicago bound The New York
train was back-switching at Twenty
second-st, on q diagonal track lead
Ing to the car ferry at Nineteenth-st.
Train No. hit the New York train
In the middle. topping over one sleep
er and badly wrecking the other. In
vestigation showed that the sema-
phore at the Eighteenth-st. crossing
registered clear" whereas II should
have registered blocked while the
train was switching. Traffic was held
up for five hours before the wreckaSe
was cleared from the tracks.
John f. Robertson, SO years old.
No. 57l9 Midway Park. Austin, ILL.,,
was doing In one of the sleeping
cars when the engine crashed into It
Il don't know what happened.
said Robertson In st. Mary's hospital,
Monday morning.
When | came To In the hospital
this morning, | had to call a nurse
and ask her what had happened TO
me. She told me that | had been In
jured IN a wreck, and my heart was
in my throat for fear that | had lost
my left arm. was relieved when l
found out that the bandaged member
was only broken"
In addition to broken arm, Rob
ertson is suffering from several
bruises and minor burns. He was on
his way to Chatham TO attend ths
funeral OF his brother, William ROD
ertson.
Robertson will be compelled TO re-
main In the hospital for a few days,
and will not be able TO attend the
funeral. which takes place, Monday
afternoon. Robertson is also mourn
ing the loss of $50 overcoat that
was burned OF his back and seyeral
pieces OF jewelry, including 500
scarf pin.
]. NJ Zeigler, a switchman, living
at No. 799 Fort-st. west, saved his
life by jumping from the vestibule OF
the sleeper Marshfield when the
engine struck II. The day coach In
the rear OF the sleeper was crowded
with immigrants. They we're badly
frightened when the crash came, but
nobody In the car was injured.
The Rev. Frederick p. Haggart, OF
Chicago, bound for Boston. was In
the sleeper Butterheld that overturn-
ed and he was slightly injured. He
was thrown the. length OF the aisle
by the force OF the collision.
f. Thiesen, Detroit. the fireman on
No. 5, was pinched between the ten
der and the engine cab. he was
slightly injured, but he remained on
the scene Of the wreck and helped to
remove others from the burning cars.
Robert NJ Smythe. Chicago, was In.
iured about the back. At his request
he was taken to the post hospital at
Fort Wayne. where his brother-in'
law, Capt. Blanchard is stationed.
Conductor X. Whyte, of train No
6. and who lives In Windsor, injured
his legs, and B. De Haven, OF Buffalo,
porter oil train No. 6. was bruised on
the left side. Pullman Conductor g.
NJ Bently, of Buffalo. was also slight
" injured. Albert Guardia, Chicago
was preparing to retire
when he was hurled TO the floor OF
the sleeper. He Injured his right
side. Walter Baclstahler, Buffalo,
was bruised about the body.