Year: 1873

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH, August 3d.
From the testimony given in the first of
the examination before the corOner's
jury, and statements made by the brake
men to a reporter, it would seem that
the accident on the Detroit and Milwau-
kee railroad near Muir, was due to the
neglect of the brakemen sent by the
conductor Of the passenger train TO flag
the freight, to go far enough away


from his train to show the signal. There


was a heavy fog at the time, and the
freight was moving on the down
grade. The express passed No.
13 through-freight at Owasso.
1t usually passes at Lowell, thirty-eight
miles west of Owasso. The express
which was due at Muir village, six miles
of lonia, at half-past four O'clock ia the
morning, was approaching Muir, still
twenty-five minutes late as when it
left Detroit. AT one and quarter miles
east of Muir the drive-wheel broke off at
the axle, and when the train came to
stop 1t was ten minutes to five, and in
five minutes more it should have ar
rived at Muir. The conductor sent
Brakeman Mcneil to the front, and
telegraphed back to ST. John to
stop No. Is, but it had
passed. There were two other small
stations between st. John and Muir, but
no night operator. Mcneil returned to
the train on hand-car with the section
foreman, Isaac McMullen. Conductor
Knill had sent Baggage-Master Darvey
and Brakeman w. Z. Brown back TO
flag No. 10. 1t was foggy, and they
could not see more than one hundred
yards. The fiagman went only one
third of mile and waited at the bridge
across Stony creek. Mcneil returning
followed the fiagman, and either he or
the conductor put torpedoes on the track
one hundred yards east Of the bridge
the customary fog signals. The section
foreman, McMuller, also went to the
fagmen, saying they had better go on
further. They replied "WhO is doing
this fiaggIng?n He said no more.
Said Brown, fiagmaD, he waited there
fifteen or twenty minutes after Nc
Miller came before number thirteen
came In sight. Engineer MOntrnel
heard the torpedoes and saw the flag
signal one hundred yards ahead at the
same time, and whistled down brakes.
The brankemen quickly responded to
it. There is down grade of forty TO
fifty feet to the mile into the valley of
the Maple river from Pewamo, a small
station four miles east of where the
train was tagged the last few
times. The fact Of heavy
grade there is well known and they
had not used steam for the last mile be.
fore. Seeing the signal, he reversed. The
engineer opened the sand-box while the
fireman set up the brakes on the tender
Having done all that was possible to
lessen the catastrophe, the engineer and
fireman jumped from the engine
There were thirty freight-cars, loaded,
running at the rate of fifteen miles an
hour, in the rear of the express, out
ward bound. The track was wet
with fog and the train could not be
checked, but slid rapidly on at the rate
Of at least ten miles an hour, when
it struck the rear of the express.
the engineer testified that be could have
stopped the train for certain if tagged
one and half miles further away, and
probably In half mile further. Judging
from all that was done between the
stopping of the express and catastrophe,
there was time for fiagmen to walk to
Perram0 where they would have found
a freight-train taking wood and water.
A reporter says he walked from
the place of the disaster to the
bridge over Stony creek, where
the fiagmen say they stopped, and
the engineer and conductor of the freight
say they have walked it easily on the
track In eight minutes. After the accident
Express-Brakeman Mcneil walked to
Muir, one mile and quarter, and
awoke the section foreman, who dressed
and got out a handcar and both went
back to the express train. Then Mcneil
was sent by the conductor to Darvey
and Brown, fiagmen, and all oompla-
Gently waited from ten to twenty min
utes, as they severally estimated, till the
freight came tearing along. The invest
igation will be continued to-day.