People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 April 1894 — SCALDED TO DEATH. [ARTICLE]

SCALDED TO DEATH.

Seven Men Lose Their Lives in a Michigan Railway Wreck. New Era, Mich., April 11. —On the floor of Staples & Covell’s logging camp 3 miles east of here lie seven charred and scalded bodies, the result of the most frightful railroad accident that ever happened in this section. The logging crew of Staples & Covell’s road were returning from White river camp shortly before noon Monday and when within sight of camp the narrow-gauge engine struck a falling tree and was knocked over it 16-foot embankment, carrying nine men down with it. The men were thrown into the wreckage, which pinned them down and they could not avoid the escaping steam. Seven of them are dead, one is seriously injured and one slightly hurt The following are dead: Adolph Shelander, engineer, Whitehall; Gus Anderson, fireman; Frank Shippy, foreman, Newapgo county; Martin Lynch, Whitehall, walked 1 mile and fell dead; Charles Wolfe, scalded and burned; Lorren Critchell, Allen Critchell, brother of Lorren. Fred Chowker was fatally injured. Henry Starn was slightly scalded, but saved himself by jumping from a window of the engine. The men were all shockingly burned and scalded. Anderson’s scalp and forehead were completely roasted and his abdomen burned to a crisp. The bones of Shippy’s hands and arms were laid bare and his sides likewise, but he succeeded in taking off most of his clothing before he died. The road starts 3 miles east of here and runs parallel with the Chicago & West Michigan to White river, a distance of 7 miles. Staples & Covell were cleaning up adjoining land and last winter had logs skidded along the track. This crew was engaged in hauling these logs to the river and would have finished the job next Wednesday.