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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. ============================================================================= The State Republican, Lansing, MI Sunday, 27 December, 1903 EIGHTEEN KILLED {*21 total killed) Awful Wreck on Pere Marquette , Near Grand Rapids Early Last Evening Eighteen are dead and thirty-one were injured as the result of a terrific head-on collision between two Pere Marquette passenger trains. Heavily loaded with human freight and going at the top speed, two Pere Marquette passenger trains came together head-on shortly before 6 o'clock last evening six miles this side of Grand Rapids. Several were killed instantly, and when the balance finally swings as between life and death in the case of those whose recovery is questionable the victims of the catastrope may number a score. To possibly 100 occupants of the trains the collision inflicted wounds of a more or less serious nature, and in the case of many, the injuries may be permanent. Both trains were behind time and were running, it is esti- mated, at forty-five miles an hour when the smash came. They met on a curve in a slight cut, which was partially drifted with snow. That some one feared the collision was immiment and made an effort to prevent it is evidenced by the story of the postmaster at East Paris, near where the wreck occurred, who says that he received a telephone message to stop the west bound train there, but it was too late. It had passed the station and half a mile west of it the crash came. Who it was that telephoned him the postmaster does not know. Clearly it was some one who discovered there had been an awful mix- up in the orders given the two trains. Engineer STODDARD died at his post, probably instantly. Engineer WATERMAN, who is among the injured does not know. He says he did not see the train which banged into his. He and his fireman were caught like rats in a trap, and he con- siders himself fortunate not to have met instant death. Immediately after the crash, which was heard for several miles, came the agonizing cries of the wounded and the fran- tic cries for help from their terrified fellow passengers. Luckily the farmers floced to the scene, and lent assistance to the uninjured passengers in extricating the maimed bodies pinned under ghostly heaps of debris, through which wisps of scalding steam percolated, cooking many of those whom death had spared at the initial impact. The farmers offered to open their homes for use as temporary hospitals and morgues, but it was found the Pullman coaches had escaped injury and these were made Bethels for the crushed forms of the victims of one of the worst wrecks Michigan has had in her history. As soon as the bewildered passengers could collect their senses after the crash, the men and unhurt employes of the train hurried to the piles of splintered timbers that had been the smoking and baggage cars of the ill-fated trains. From beneath woodwork came groans that struck terror to the stoutest hearts. Willing hands pulled at heavy beams and scraps of iron which were upon quivering humanity. Many of the bodies taken from the wreckage were frightfully mangled. To them death had been merciful; for it came quickly. Those who still lived were, in many instances, almost as badly mangled. Some had arms torn off, or legs crushed into pulp some were blissfully unconscious; some shrieked in agony; some bore their pain like stoics. Beneath the vestiblue of one of the Pullmans and the end of the day coach ahead the workers found two men pinned. One was, CHARLES T. CHAMBERS; the other, JOHN POST. Heavy timbers rested upon their bodies. CHAMBERS was conscious and directed the efforts of his rescuers. Fence rails were used as levers, and the mass of debris was loosened, only to fall closer about the trapped victims. CHAMBERS screamed in agony as the wreckage gripped him closer. Then he fainted. Both were finally released alive. Similar scenes were enacted in removing others from the shattered heaps which enfolded them. As the hours of the night wore on the injured and dead were placed tenderly in the Pullmans, the work of rescue progressing faster after the relief trains arrived. Among those on the trains were Traveling Freight agents HEWITT and W. T. MARIGOLD of other railroads. Bot are veterans and knew what to do. HEWITT ran several miles to the nearest telephone office and notified Grand Rapids of the wreck and called for help. This came as speedily as trains could be made up and surgeons and nurses summoned. As evidence of the frightful mangling of the victims, the railroad men tell of picking up a leg and arm five roads from the scene. At Grand Rapids the news of the wreck spread like wild- fire. Thousands crowded about the union depot awaiting the return of the relief trains. The first of these brought a few dead and most of the injured, some of whom died after reaching the hospitals. Twelve dead wagons awaited the bodies of the victims. As the caskets in which they had been hurriedly placed were carried from the train police- men were obliged to press back eager, anxious people, who crowded forward to learn news of missing friends. No attempt was made last night to identify some of the bodies, so frightfully were they mangled. Their effects will be examined today by the coroner. At 5 o'clock this morning the second relief train reached Grand Rapids. It bore eight more bodies, five men, two women and one child. This makes the death list thus far eighteen. Of the thirty-one injured several will die. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lansing Journal Monday, 28 December, 1903 - The Identified Dead - Mr. & Mrs. L. J. BALDWIN and Son LOUIS of Mulliken, Mich. LESTER WILLIAMS, Lansing; Printer MRS. DAISY GILES, Lowell, Mich BURT MYERS, Lake Odessa WALTER JORDAN, Clarksville JOSEPH HULLM, Windsor, Ont. (colored) AUSTIN I. WAGAR, 192 Sixteenth street, Detroit, baggageman CHAS. A. STODDARD, Detroit, engineer No. 6 CHARLES A. DEVINE, Grand Rapids, Parents live in Dexter, Mich WILLIAM HELMRICH, Detroit, baggageman F. M. GILLETT, Burr Oak or Portland ALLEN H. WELLS, Big Rapids, Mich WILLAM J. BURNS, Detroit, Fireman No. 5 PETER W. WIERENGO, Grand Rapids GEORGE PALMER, Detroit; American Express Agent train No. 6 WILLIAM SMITH, Portland E. F. COYKENDALL, Lake Odessa A. F. MAY, Grand Rapids, car repairer PETERSON, (or Thompson), Sioux City, Iowa - The Unknown Dead: - Man of about 30 years of age. Had initials "A. J. K." on cuffs. Weight about 150 pounds. - The Injured - GERRITT MOTMAN, Godfrey avenue, Grand Rapids; internal injury and hip crushed; dying (transcriber's note: died the following day) CHARLES WEST, Saranac; both legs broken; left hand torn off; Probably fatally injured. JOHN POST, Clarksville, Mich; skull fractured, nose broken, injured seriously about body and hips. MICHAEL MALTBURG; Hart; badly burned about legs, hand and breast. CHARLES T. CHAMBERS, Ionia; injured about head, face, body, hands and legs. FRANK WATERMAN, No. 886 Porter street, Detroit, engineer No. 5; seriously injured about head, face lacerated and internal injuries. J. C. WOODWORTH, Salem, Mich; injured about head and body. EDWARD WEIGEL, 505 Fifth avenue, Grand Rapids; right leg broken and head injured. GEORGE NIEL, Fifth avenue and Ionia street, Grand Rapids; conductor train No. 5; left leg broken and badly injured about body. R. E. GAY, 247 Michigan avenue, Detroit; head, body and right leg injured. HARRY MARCUS, New York City, president of the E. H. Marcus Company; left leg fractured and injured about the shoulders. E. B. MOON, 522 South Division street, Grand Rapids; fireman train No. 5; injured about head and body. MRS. H. KENT, Grand Rapids; injured internally. C. N. BOTSFORD, Farmington, Mich.; mail clerk train No. 6; badly cut about the head. L. H. GASSENMEIER, Lansing, badly bruised about head and spine. MRS. H. O. GRAY, 947 Elm street, Grand Rapids; badly bruised about head and hips. H. O. BRANCH, Sunfield; badly injured about head and shoulders. GEORGE CRAMMOND, pressman of the Evening Press, Grand Rapids; injured about head, leg, and collar bone broken. ANDREW SPRAGUE, Allegan; injured about head. MISS GALE SPRAUGUE (sic?), Allegan; injured about head CLAUD BROWN, Grand Rapids; leg injured MRS. H. R. STREETER, Grand Ledge; badly cut about the head. HOWARD MINER, 986 Elm street, Grand Rapids, left arm broken W. J. BARBER, Muskegon Heights; injured about head and face. REV. JAMES HUMPHREY, Lansing; badly cut about face. TIMOTHY QUALEY, 597 Broadway, Grand Rapids; seriously injured about back. J. T. GOULD, 26 Campbell street, Grand Rapids; badly cut about hands and shoulders. JOHN ROSS, 313 Capitol avenue, Lansing; injured about legs and arms. HENRY T. BOLS, 252 Chestnut street, Grand Rapids, leg badly injured. ADA KELLER, Clarksville, Mich; left leg injured The full list of injured pasengers (sic) is forty-eight, but twenty of them were injured so lightly that no record was kept of their names by the officials of the company. Fifteen were taken out of the wreck dead, and the others expired in the hospitals. ===============================================================================