1893 — Oct 20, World’s Fair excursion trains collide head-on, burn, ~Battle Creek, MI– 28
–28 Blanchard estimate.[1]
–28 Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Another Victim Dead. Albert Bradley…” 10-23-1893, p.1.
–28 Marshall Statesman, MI. “Appalling Details…Grand Trunk Accident…” 10-27-1893, p. 1.[2]
–26 Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “An Awful Holocaust. Twenty-Six…Lost,” 10-21-1893, 1.
–26 Marshall Statesman, MI. “Terrible! Dreadful Railroad Accident…Battle Creek,” 10-20-1893, p1.
–26 Michigan Dept. of Transportation. Michigan’s Railroad History 1825-2014. 2014, p. 15.
–26 Railroad Stories. “October in Rail History,” October, 1935, p. 52.
–26 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 96.
Narrative Information
Michigan Dept. of Transportation: “Oct. 19, 1893 [20th]. Grand Trunk Western’s passenger train wreck at Battle Creek killed 26 persons.”
Railroad Stories: “1893 – Head-on collision between 2 Grand Trunk trains at Battle Creek, Mich. One train is bringing excursionists home from Chicago World’s Fair. Wreck catching fire adds to casualty list; 26 killed, 50 injured.” (Railroad Stories. “October in Rail History,” October, 1935, p. 52.)
Newspaper
Oct 20: “The news of a most direful railroad accident at Battle Creek reached this city this morning. A telephone message from the Battle Creek Moon to the Statesman at 8:10 a.m. gives the following horrible particulars:
“Train No. 6 eastbound and train No. 9 westbound on the C. & G. T. railroad collided in front of the company’s shops at 5 o’clock this morning and at this hour 24 bodies have teen taken from the wreck. After the collision, which was of such force that the passengers in the fatal cars must have been most dreadfully mangled, the wreck took fire and before the flames could be subdued it was a smouldering heap….
“The collision was between two world’s fair specials. The fatalities were confined to the second and third coaches of the westbound train which telescoped and then got on fire. It is stated that all of the passengers were from New York state.
Death List Increasing
“At 11 a.m. 26 bodies had been taken out of the wreck, all so badly burned as to beyond recognition. It will be several days before a list of the dead can be had, if at all. Certain it is that many cannot possibly be identified. A man named Van Dusen from Fort Plains, N.Y., was taken out of the wreck badly injured and has since died. His wife was also killed. These are the only names known….
The Injured.
“The Moon telephones that 20 are injured but not seriously and everything possible is being done for them. Another report places the injured at 50.
No. 6’s Engineer to Blame.
“11:30 a.m.–The accident is laid to the engineer of train No. 6, who got orders to wait for No. 9 a little east of Battle Creek. He read his orders wrong and went past Nichols. The engineer of train No. 9 was running at the usual speed. The collision occurred on the main track just in front of the round house while both trains were under quite a headway. The engineer who caused the accident cannot be found….” (Marshall Statesman, MI. “Terrible! Dreadful Railroad Accident…Battle Creek…” 10-20-1893, p. 1.)
Oct 21: “Battle Creek, Oct. 21.–Twenty-six heaps of charred, blackened flesh, all that remains of what less than 36 hours ago, were men, women and children in the enjoyment of life, health and happiness, rest upon the floor in an improvised morgue in the basement of a furniture store in this city. A mile away in the city hospital are a score or more of human beings with gashed bodies and broken limbs. Add to this, an engineer in jail and a conductor a fugitive from law…
The Dead.
“Of the 26 human remains at the morgue conjectures can only be made as to the identity of six. Twenty remain entirely unidentified. Those identified by letters or articles in their clothing or by other means are as follows:
- C. Van Dusen of Sprout Brook, N.Y., died at the hospital.
Mrs. C. C. Van Dusen of Sprout Brook, N.Y., burned to death in the wreck before she
could be extricated.
- W. Henry of Woonsocket, R.I.; burned to a crisp.
Mrs. F. R. M’Kenzie of Middletown, Conn.; burned to a crisp.
- A. M’Garvey of Toronto; mangled and burned to death.
- W. Beardsley of Watkins, N.Y.; burned and mangled….
“Direct disobedience of orders on part of a Chicago and Grand Trunk engineer and conductor, both of whom had seen long service with the company and were regarded as model employes, was the cause of the tragedy.
“A Raymond and Whitcomb special of eight palace cars filled with eastern folk who had been taking in the sights of the world’s fair left Sixtieth street depot of the road at Chicago at 9:15 as the first section of night express known as No. 6. The train was in charge of Engineer Henry Woolley and Conductor Burt N. Scott, both residents of this place. All went well until the Battle Creek depot was reached at 3:37. From here to the yards, a distance of a mile and a half, there is double track.
“When the Whitcomb special came to a full stop in the depot the night operator handed to Conductor Scott two copies of an order for the train to proceed to the double track east of Main street, about a half mile distant, and there wait the passage of the west-bound Pacific express, known as No. 9. This train, which was nearly three hours late, was composed of 13 day coaches and two baggage cars. Most of the day coaches had seen many years service, and were in poor condition to withstand a collision. Every one of the fated number was packed with eastern people, the majority being women taking advantage of cheap rates, who were on their way to take in the last week of the exposition.
“The Pacific express was in charge of Engineer Cranshaw and Conductor John Bird, both of whom had received orders at Lansing to look out for the eastbound train on double track and were accordingly on the alert. After receiving orders at the Battle Creek station Engineer Woolley proceeded up the double track, but instead of stopping in accordance with orders until the westbound express had passed, he continued on and entered again on the single track. He had hardly gone more than an eighth of a mile when the headlight of the Pacific express was seen coming around the slight curve behind the telegraph office of railroad yards. It was speeding westward at 40 miles an hour. There was no time to apply airbrakes or reverse levers, the engineers and firemen of both trains jumped for their lives, and a second later the giant locomotives came together with a crash that could be heard a half mile away.
“With fearful force the engine of the special plowed nearly half way into that of the express, driving it backwards into the baggage car, and the latter in turn into the day coaches behind. The shock was so terrific that the first four of them were telescoped, the first coach cutting through the second and the second through the third, like a flash, the roof of each passenger car passed over the sleeping passengers heads and swept the mass to the north end. To add to the horror the wreck took fire from the stoves or lamps and as the flames mounted up the groans and shrieks of the maimed and injured were succeeded by heart-rending agonizing cries and appeals for help from the scores imprisoned by the heavy timbers, or held down by the seats and iron framework….
“…firemen were prompt in responding, but the nearest hydrant was nearly 2,000 feet away, and when a line of hose was laid the pressure was not enough. Finally a stream was got from another hydrant, the firemen meanwhile attacking the blazing wreck with axes, hatchets and lengths of rails found in the yards, but by the time that a supply of water was available the telescoped coaches had been reduced to fragments of charred timber, little more than the trucks remaining.
“The first body was found about 6 o’clock and a few minutes after a dozen were discovered in a heap around the stove of the second car. The task continued until 26 bodies or portions of human bodies were brought out of the debris….
“After the wreck Engineer Woolley of the special train remained on the scene and viewed the horror that had been caused by his neglect of orders. After the last of the injured had been taken away he went to his home. In the afternoon a warrant was sworn out by Prosecuting Attorney Clark charging Woolley and Conductor Scott with manslaughter. A search by Deputy Sheriff King, developed the fact that Scott had skipped to Port Huron and a telegram was sent to the police of that place requesting his arrest. Woolley was found at his home by Deputy Sheriff King and taken before Justice Henry who set the preliminary hearing for Monday and fixed the bail at $3,000.”
“Battle Creek, Oct, 21.–Conductor Bertram M. Scott returned to the city Friday night and at once arrested by Chief of Police James Elliott, on a warrant charging him with criminal negligence. He was taken before Justice Henry and gave bond in $3,000 to appear on Monday. He made a brief statement to the effect that he have the engineer a duplicate of the order he received; that he supposed he understood it, that he afterwards went into the baggage car and did not know that the engineer had gone over the siding and taken the single track till the collision occurred.” (Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “An Awful Holocaust. Twenty-Six Lives Lost in a Railway Wreck,” 10-21-1893, p. 1.)
Oct 23: “Battle Creek, Oct. 23.–Thirteen of the 28 dead as a result of the wreck here on the Grand Trunk railway Friday morning have been identified. Albert Bradley, who had his leg amputated Friday morning, died Sunday night. There are still 22 badly injured patients at the hospital. Of this number Mrs. Vance, who has both legs cut off, cannot live. There are at least seven bodies that cannot be identified and these will be buried in Oakhill cemetery.
Stronger Coaches
“Lansing, Oct. 23.–Governor Rich in an interview said that he had become firmly convinced that the state legislature should prescribe by law the plans and specifications to be followed in the construction of passenger coaches for use on Michigan railroads. He remarked that in such accidents as the ones at Battle Creek and Jackson, the day coaches are the ones which are telescoped, while the sleeping cars, which are more strongly built, escaped with little or no injury. He said that he could not remember of a train composed of vestibuled cars ever being telescoped in a collision, and he had no misgivings as to the authority of the legislature to enact a law compelling the railroad companies of the state to construct stronger and better coaches.” (Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Another Victim Dead. Albert Bradley Succumbs to His Injuries.” 10-23-1893, p. 1.)
Oct 23: “Battle Cree, Mich., Oct. 23.–F. H. Smith’s death at the Nichols home will probably be the last as a result of the horrible accident on the Grand Trunk railway. Saturday morning found all the injured doing well….” (Hillsdale Standard, MI. “Injured Doing Well.” 10-24-1893, p. 1.)
Oct 25: “….W. A. Ryerse, of Port Dover, Ontario, who was injured in the wreck at Battle Creek returned Sunday [22nd] to his home in company with the remains of his friend, Thomas R. Stringer, who was in the same car with him….” (Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Brevities.” 10-25-1893, p. 3.)
Oct 26: “Battle Creek, Oct. 26.–The coroner’s inquest handled four witnesses Wednesday beside Conductor Scott and Engineer Woolley of train No. 6, the one which caused the wreck. These two men were the last called, and both through their attorneys, filed a protest on the ground of being under arrest, charged with manslaughter, in connection with the accident. The witnesses were excused pending the coroner’s decision….” (Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Battle Creek Inquest.” 10-26-1893, p. 1.)
Sources
Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “An Awful Holocaust. Twenty-Six Lives Lost in a Railway Wreck,” 10-21-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-daily-chronicle-oct-21-1893-p-1/
Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Another Victim Dead. Albert Bradley Succumbs to His Injuries.” 10-23-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-daily-chronicle-oct-23-1893-p-1/
Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Battle Creek Inquest.” 10-26-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-daily-chronicle-oct-26-1893-p-1/
Daily Chronicle, Marshall, MI. “Brevities.” 10-25-1893, p. 3. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-daily-chronicle-oct-25-1893-p-3/
Hillsdale Standard, MI. “Injured Doing Well.” 10-24-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hillsdale-standard-oct-24-1893-p-1/
Marshall Statesman, MI. “Appalling Details. The Grand Trunk Accident the Worst in Michigan’s History. Twenty-eight Dead and Forty Injured.” 10-27-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-statesman-oct-27-1893-p-1/
Marshall Statesman, MI. “Terrible! Dreadful Railroad Accident on the Grand Truck at Battle Creek. 26 People are Killed and Cremated. A Head-on Collision Between two World’s Fair Specials the Cause,” 10-20-1893, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marshall-statesman-oct-20-1893-p-1/
Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Michigan’s Railroad History 1825-2014. Lansing, MI: MDOT, 2014. Accessed 7-16-2018 at: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/Michigan_Railroad_History_506899_7.pdf
Railroad Stories. “October in Rail History,” October, 1935, pp. 48-53.
Simonds, W. E. (Editor). The American Date Book. Kama Publishing Co., 1902, 211 pages. Google digital preview accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JuiSjvd5owAC
[1] One can see below the sources that note twenty-six fatalities. From our reading of accounts twenty-six people died the day of the wreck. However, over the next few days two men who initially survived, died from their injuries.
[2] Sub-heading is “Twenty-eight Dead and Forty Injured — Instances of the Wreck — The Inquest.”