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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ============================================================================= Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ============================================================================= Jackson Daily Citizen Friday, 10 October, 1879 A RIDE OF DEATH Terrible Collision on the Central, East of the Junction. The Pacific Express Runs Into a Switch Engine. Havoc and Death the Result Fifteen Dead Bodies Taken from the Ruins Twenty-six Persons Wounded Names of the Dead and Injured. At 1:20 this a.m. the Pacific express west, due at the Air Line Junction at 12:35, was nearly one hour late. Upon rounding the curve just east of the last switch at the high bridge, east of the Junction, the engineer, MILTON GILERT, saw through the fog an engine and train but a few rods ahead on the main track. The whistle sounded for brokes, and supposed the engine was reversed and all efforts made by the engineer and fireman to save their own lives and the mass of living freight behind them, but they do not live to tell the tale. The engineer and fireman upon the switch-engine, which thus mysteriously appeared upon the main track at just the time the express might be expected, jumped and saved their lives. They had just pulled out of the big switch, which forms the gateway to the Jackson yards, to back up on the side track, and were just preparing to back, when the express appeared coming at full speed around the curve. The express train was composed of the engine, baggage-car, smoking-car -- in which there were about twenty passengers -- two car-loads of emigrants, mostly French-Canadians going up to the lumber woods of northern Michigan; one first-class car, and seven Wagner coaches -- twelve cars in all. The two engines grappled like two great living monsters, piled one over the other, the lighter switch engine of coarse upper- most, and both fell to the north side of the track, a mount- ain of iron, burying beneath it the crushed bodies of the engineer and fireman. The baggage, smoking-car and engine tender were broken to splinters and most miraculously, both the express-messenger and baggage-man escaped with their lives, though badly injured. The next car to the smoking-car -- the first second-class car -- was the one in which the terrible carnage took place. The car in its rear left its trucks and telescoped completely through it and six or eight feet beyond, crushing over and through the seats and killing and mangling their occupants in manner that cannot be described, as scarcely an eye wit- ness from that fated car is left, able to tell anything. It is, however, miraculous that out of, at least fifty passen- gers it contained, there are but fifteen deaths known to have resulted at this writing. There were none in that car, however, that escaped death or serious injury. In the car that telescoped this one and did the fearful work, there were none killed, but many were injured. Back of this there were none hurt, as the force of the collision carried the entire wreck along several rods, and the long line of rear cars lost the greater force of the shock and kept on the track. Indeed there were many in the sleeping-coaches who did not even wake up, and knew nothing of it until this morning. Some of the horror of the wreck may be obtained from the fact that trucks of five cars were all crowded close to- gether upon the track, and occupied less than one-fourth of the length of the cars they belonged to. In other terms, the wreck of the five cars occupied a space along the track of less than two. The train was manned as follows: J. LADD, of Detroit, con- ductor; MILTON GILBERT, of Detroit - a brother-in-law of SAMUEL W. FISHER, the shoemaker and, and EBGERT NORTHRUP, of this city - the engineer; E. B. SMITH, of Detroit, fire- man, a young man; JOHN HOWELL and WILLIAM PRINGLE, brakemen; E. BENNETT, baggageman, and M. CARLISLE, express-manager. The only ones killed of this list were the engineer and fireman, the express and baggagemen were badly bruised up, by no bones broken. The work of getting out the dead and wounded was at once commenced by a large force of railroad employes and others, and continued through the night. The wounded who needed care were taken as quickly as possible to the Hurd and Hib- bard Houses, and the dead bodies to the undertaking rooms of Potts and Olmstead and Sammons and Quivey. Nearly all the wounded had friends among the killed, and the moans of an- guish from the poor sufferers in both mind and body were agonizing beyound description. A full corps of physicians, and surgeons, chief among whom were Drs. NORTH, WALDRON and McLaughlin, and many noble ladies were busy all night long, and to noon to-day, making the wounded as comfortable as possible while the undertakers were assisted by able hands in performing the last offices of the dead who were identi- fied. Those who were not were left as they were found until the coroners take action in regard to them. Inquests will of course be held upon these, but at this writing (noon) no juries have been impaneled, as it is not certain that all the dead bodies have been taken from the wreck. THE KILLED Thus far fifteen, as follows: MILTON GILBERT, of Detroit, engineer, aged about 35, no family E. B. SMITH, of Detroit, fireman, aged about twenty-five, no family LEWIS MONGEON, a French Canadian WILLIAM JOHN RICE, of Philadelphia Mrs. W. J. RICE, wife of the above of Philadelphia Mrs. GARTLIND, Philadelphia ANNIE GARTLIND, daughter of the above aged ten years MOSES GREEN, Troy, Vt., aged twenty-seven WILLIE ELKINS, Troy, Vt., aged twenty-four Mrs. S. M. SPARKLIN, of Philadelphia, Pa., and two children aged three and six years. Two men unknown at this writing Child of MRS. GEORGE A. JONES, of Chalado, Pa., eighteen months old, killed instantly, and body not recovered so as to be recognizable THE WOUNDED: As nearly as we can at present give the list of wounded, it is as follows: Child of E. J. PARNELL, of St. Catherines, Ont. S. M. SPARKLIN, Philadephia, whose wife and children were killed, contusion in the face and sprained wrist. The family were bound for Chicago. HORMIS DES MAISONAIV, of Angers, Ont., no family, bound for Roscommon. P. DES MAISONAIV, of the same place, probably a brother of the former, bad contusion of heart. ARTHUR ROGERS, of Philadelphia, the brother of MRS. GARTLIND, and a cousin of Mr. and Mrs. RICE - all bound for Sterling, Kansas - badly bruised all over, but no bones broken. MILTON CARTISLE, express-manager, fracture of clavicle and cut in hand. ALFRED A. BENNETT, baggage-man, bruised generally but no fractures. WILLIAM BUGGY, Troy, Vt., severe contusion of right leg; bound for California. DANIEL FINN, of Chicago, going home, cut and bruised generally. JOHN JEFFRIES, Newark, N.J., going to Chicago, fracture of jaw and humerus, will probably die. Little WILLIE RICE, mother and father both dead, leg broken. E. J. PARNELL, St. Catherines, Ont., leg broke at ankle joint, hands and face injured from splinters. MRS. J. F. PARNELL, St. Paul, Minn., about the head, deep gash in forehead. GEO. A. CUNNINGHAM, Janesville, Wis., left arm brok in three places, bad scalp wound. MRS. PARNELL, cut over left eye, and left limb sprained. REUBEN CARTER, of Gardner, Ill., just returning from England, right arm and hip contused, little finger cut off. ROBERT NEILD, of Trenton, Canada, severe injury in back and body. LEOPOLD HOFFMAN, of Randolph, Mass., severe cut on the head and foot. DELBERT M. BENJAMIN, of Jersey Heights, N.J., injured on knee, elbow, hip, head, and in lungs, but very severely. WILLIAM BRINNY, Galt, Ontario, leg bruised quite severely. MRS. A. W. STEELE, of Detroit, left leg badly prained (sic), slightly bruised on body. The shock caused temporary deafness. MRS. THOMAS CLEMENT, of Lockport, New York, arm and side of head badly cut, and severely bruised in back and side. Her daughter, a little girl about six years old, was slightly bruised on side of face. MRS. B. B. HART, of Clinton, Iowa, cut about the head severely, but not seriously. WILLIAM MURCHIE, Iverness, Ont., finger broken. HENRY BURROWS, Newfoundland, Pa., severe cut in forehead. MRS. GEORGE A. JONES, of Chalado, Pa., - whose child was crushed by her side - severe cuts and bruises. ===============================================================================