Evening star., 1936-07-18
NINE DIE AS TRAIN
AND AUTO CRASH
Members of Two Pennsyl.
vania Families Hurled 80
Feet Into River.
b. the Associated Press.

DUNDEE, Mich, July ls.-Nine
members of two Pennsylvania families
were killed today when the sedan il;
which they were riding was struck By
an Ann Arbor passenger train q few
minutes after they leQt the home where
they had been visiting here.
The locomotive smashed into the
automobile, dragged it rs feet to d
high trestle. and hurled the bodies Of
the victims 80 feet into the shallow
water of the Raisin River. Wreckage
Of the automobile burst into flames
and ignited ties Of the bridge. but the
IRE was quickly extinguished.
The victims were identified as Mr.
and Mrs. Harry schuster and their
daughters, Vina, 10; Anna, II. and
Sandra Jean, 9 months old, and M
and Mr.. Sam Pisano and their daugh-
ters, Betty, 3. and Mary, 8.
The Schusters lived in Farrell. Pa,
and the Pisano family in Wheatland
Brother Collapses.
The two families had stayed over
night with Schuster's brother, Carl,
who collapsed on learning Of the
tragedy. Mrs. Pisano and Mrs. Harry
Schuster were sisters.
The northbound train operating
between Toledo and Ann Arbor
smashed into the car at high speed,
witnesses said. The crossing Is guarded
by signal lights, but the view to The
south is obscured by buildings. There
Is . sharp rise in the highway as 1t
reaches the crossing.
Ray Wilson, operator of . filling
station nearby, was the first to reach
the scene.
II heard . terriffic crash" he said
"and rushed out. I saw the bodies in
the river, and the flaming wreckage
scattered along the trestle and faI
down the right-of-way. Parts Of the
car dropped OF each side of the
bridge and the bodies we're hurled ir
all directions. All Of them fell ir
the river in about foot and hall
Of water.
Signal in Operation.
Wilson said the warning signal wa.
in operation.
State police and local officers re.
covered the bodies, which were taken
to Monroe by Coroner Edward Rupp
Carl Schuster, who had gone tc
Pennsylvania for the funeral last
Tuesday of another niece, Mary
Schuster, IA, accompanied the two
families when they csme here. He
rushed to the scene of the crash, un-
aware that the victims were member.
of his family, and collapsed as the
bodies were dragged from the river.
The crossing is in the east par,
Of Dundee. The crash occurred les.
than 10 minutes after the two fam.
lilies had left Carl Schusteris home.
Used Boats to Recover Bodies.
Ohicers were obliged to use row.
boats to retrieve the bodies, and tc
row about 800 feet upstream In orde,
to take them to the waiting ambu.
lances from Monroe. The bodies were
badly mangled.
Members OF the train crew said the
train was travelling about 45 miles
an hour when the crash occurred.
The train Travelled about half q mile
before it could be brought to q halt
It was backed up, and crew members
tested the signal light and said it was
functioning properly.
The Schusters leave one son, Harry,
jr., II, who did not make the trip
and the Pisanos are survived oy seven
boys, all ut home.
Mrs. Schuster aud Mrs. Pisano. are
survived by . sister, Mrs. Sadie Black
Of New Castle, Pa, and two brothers
joseph Baker Of Sharon, Pa, and
Conrad Baker Of Farrell.
Harry Schuster was . welder em-
ployed ct . steel concern in Sharon.
Both he and Mrs. Schuster were 45
years Of age. Pisano was SO and hi,
wife 4S.