Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1901 — DEATH GUIDESATRAIN [ARTICLE]

DEATH GUIDESATRAIN

And Reaps a Rich Harvest When It Runs Headlong to Destruction. PASSENGERS ARE DEAD BY SCORES Collision Wrecks an Emigrant Train and Fire Does the Rest. Frightful Dinanter Happens on th© Wabash, ami Probably Kills Everybody In the Wreck Hon « of Corpses. Detroit, Nov. 28. —-The latest reports from Adrian are to tlie effect ttiat there are eighty dead and 150 injured. of which twenty-five are serious. Fifty of the eighty dead were killed out right. Detroit, Mich., Nov. 28.—One of the most disastrous wrecks in the history of the Wabash railroad—or any other Michigan railroad—occurred at Seneca, Mich., a small way station about seventy miles southwest of Detroit, between 7 and 7 :30 p. in. yesterday. Train No. 13, an emigrant train, -with two engines, west-bound, collided under a full head of steam with train No. 4, east-bound, about one mile from Sen- ] eca. The result was that five of the | six coaches on the emigrant train were : crushed, and its load of human freight sent into eternity in a moment; while one coach on train No. 4, which consisted of a parlor ear, diner and a baggage ear, was also telescoped and four dead bodies have been taken from the ruins. No Person on the Train K*cape*. It is not known how many people there were cm tlie emigrant train, but the number of dead and injured will be over 200. Those on that train were caught like rats in a trap and crushed. Then the wreck caught fire, and those who were not instantly killed were slowly roasted to death, and none of the few spectators who hastily gathered from the farm houses nearby were aide to afford aid. The whole emigrant train was soon consumed by the flames, and every person on that train was probably killed. , Farm Hoti*eK Turned Into Morgue*. Farmers residing along the track rushed in on the blazing mass to res*i cue those whom they thought might be j alive. The bodies, hauled out of the | wreck were taken to nearby farm i houses, which are filled with dead, and a large number of injured were taken 1 to a hospital at Peru. Ind. Along the [ track long lines of burned bodies lie ; covered with blankets, presenting a gruesome sight. It may lie possible that the exact number of killed, or who I they are. will never be known. At present it is impossible to get any- . tiling resembling a list of injured or j dead from Seneca: WAS SOME BOOT'S Utl NDER. StTKE But Tlio-e Kenpniii.nile Met Their Pate in Their Own Lark of Thought. The tra< k at the point where the collision occiTvml is straight, and at first the officials <<mld not understand how the accident could have happened, but when it came out that No. 4 had orders to meet No. 13 at Seneca the Illume was placed on the conductor or eng}-, i neer of No. 4. ilttd tiiis train been j held at Seneca the accident would not | have occurred. Train No. 4 was due ■ at Seneca at 0:43. according to the | change in schedule, but orders to wait ; were disobeyed, and the probabilities | are that the true stojy of why will ; m ver be told, as the train crews un- | doubtcdly met instant death. Advices from tlie wreck state that ; the country for miles around was lightj ed up by tlie burning cars, and that the | flames could uot be quenched la-cause ;of lack of proper apparatus. Mangled I bodies were picked up along the track ! by the farmers before the special train j sent from Adrian arrived on the scene. 'ln some instances tlie botlies were mangled beyond all recognition. The bodies which the rescuers managed to pull from tlie burning ruins of the immigrant oars were so badly burned that their identity will probably never be ascertained. It Is not thought that any Detroit people were injured, as train No. 3. immediately behind No. 13. contained the Detroit passengers for Chicago. The loss of life is estimated at 100 on No. 13. The loss of life on No. 4 is said to be 25. Engine No. 8S of train No. 13 exploded, and engine No. ISOO on No. 4 turned over Into a ditch. Two firemen and one engineer on No. 13 were killed and the fireman and engineer on No. 4'B engine jumped and esesqied. As feoon as the news of tlie disaster reached Detroit a special train from Detroit carrying thirty-two physicians and surgeons started for Seneca and was given the right-of-way. When it reached the scene of the wreck the work was at once commenced succori ing the wounded, who had so far l>een attended to by all the doctors and physicians In Adrian. All the wounded were taken to Adrian.