Jackson, MI Train Wreck, Oct 1893

HORRIBLE R. R. WRECK

Seventeen Passengers Killed and Fifty-two Others Injured.

THE AIR BREAKS FAILED TO WORK

And Causes a Heavily Loaded Second Section to Crash Into the First Section Causing Loss of Life to Many and Serious Injury to Others --- Every Undertaking Establishment in Jackson is Overrun With Dead Bodies – List of the Killed.

JACKSON, Mich., Oct. 13. --- One of the most frightful railroad accidents of the year occurred here at 9:40 this morning. The second section of an Oswego special ran into the rear of the first section, telescoping two coaches, smashing cars and crushing the life out of scores of people.

Inside of twenty minutes six dead bodies were taken out and the work had only been begun. A wrecking train was just coming to the scene to shift the cars. The wreck is just east of the Michigan Central depot on the main track.

Engineer BILL WHALEN, who was running the last section, in explaining the cause of the wreck said: “I saw a signal in the yard to keep back, and had my engine in hand, as I thought, but when I came down near the train which was standing still, my air brakes would not work and I ran into the coaches. The failure of air made in impossible to stop. I never had such an experience before.”

WHALEN was badly burned and had one leg broken, but will live.

All the dead and injured have been taken from the wreck and the wrecking crew has removed the cars.

The list of injured reaches fifty-two and the dead list reaches seventeen. The most of them are frightfully mangled. Following is a list of the dead and their addresses.
MAGGIE McMASTER, aged 20, Pennyan, N. Y.
MRS. J. H. KELLER, Hammondsport, N. Y.
MRS. NORTHERN BEARDSLY, Canton, Pa.
MRS. HARRIET BUELL, Pine City, N. Y.
MRS. CHARLES STARR, Elmyra, N. Y.
MRS. DARWIN GIBBS, Wheeler, Steuben county, N. Y.
JAMES WOODBURY, Bath, N.Y.
MRS. LEONIE WOODBURY, wife of LLOYD WOODBURY, Bath, N. Y.

An unknown baby found besides MRS. DARWIN GIBBS. No inquiry up to noon has been made for the child and it is believed the parents were killed.

There are two dead at Bolton and Pittsburg besides the babe. One is a man with dark skin, flowing gray beard, about 60. There is no means of identification. The other is a woman of 35, dark hair, sallow complected, having some sign of beard on upper lip.

The scene at the wreck and in the town of Jackson is beyond description. LLOYD WOODBURY, of Bath, N.Y. , called up the Western Union Telegraph company at this home and wired the following: “My father and wife are both killed. Every undertaking establishment in the city is overrun with the dead.”

A telephone message from the hospital physician says all the injured up there are no worse and seen in no danger of death except JOHNNA HEALY. The scenes at the wreck were heartrending. Two lovers on their wedding trip died in each other's arms. One old man sought in vain for his wife. He found her among the dead with her head cut off. He fell and died at her side with the word “MARY” on his lips.

Aspen Weekly Times Colorado 1893-10-14
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!