Source: Weekly Mining Journal, Marquette, MI
Saturday, December 28, 1
p- Bel

The Penalty of Carelessness

Shortly after midnight last Saturday, freight engine No.
94, drawing a train of 18 cars loaded withe ‘corn, crashed
into the caboose of another freight train about a miles east
of Saxon, on the line of the DSS&A railway. Two brakemen,
Henry Ryan and Michael Connors, were in the telescoped
caboose. Ryan was sfalded to death before he could be
extricated from the wreck and Connors was so badly scalded
that he died at 5:45 p. m. Sunday. The facts, as ascertained,
afford conclusive proof that the accident was the result of
neglect of duty om the part of the brakemen who paid with
their lives the penalty of their carelessness.

The first freight passed Saxon, east bound, at about 11:30
Saturday night. The water was low in the tank of the engine
tender and engineer Flynn decided to run light to Montreal,
the watering station 14 miles distant, to replenish his
tank. He adcording stopped his train on the main track
about a half a mile east of Saxon, cut his engine off and
rans into Montreal, accompanied by the conductor of the
train. Before leaving the train the conductor instructed
Brakeman Connors to go to the caboose, get Brakeman Ryan,
and together they shubid see that the rear of the train was
properly protected with denger signals. How well that duty
was performed the sequel shows.

No. 94 was running about an hour behind the preceeding train.
When he passed Saxon, knowing that an extra was ahead of him
Engineer Chatham slowed down to about ten miles per hour and
kept a sharp lookout for signals, it being customary to
stop trains near that point and run ‘lght'' to Montreal river
for water. No signals of any kind were abserved. Although a
heavy snowstorm was prevailing at the time, a lantern or
torpedo signal could not have beerrmissed at the sharp lookout
for them. The track was, therfore judged clear and the
engineer gave his locomotive more steam. He had atained a
speed of about 15 miles per hour and was rounding the curve
when, to his horror, looming up through the storm and
revealed by the glare of his headlight, he discovered the
caboose of the preceeding train less than 100 feet ahead of
him. His throttle was instantly closed, but before he could
move from his seat the crash came. The caboose was split in
two and each half crashed into the side of Chatham's cab.
The escape of the engineer and fireman with their lives,
was nothing short of a miracle, Chatham was sitting on the
right side of his cab. He was pinned against the wall, but
as the force of the blow had by that time considerably
broken, he managed to wriggle out of his horrible
predicament before any bones were broken. After he was free
pe 2 The Penalty of Carlessness . . . Dec. 23, 1889.

the thickness of a hand would scarcely fill the space from which he
had extricated himself. He has bad bruises over his chest and abdomen
and his face was cut by broken glass. His watch stopped at exactly
12:37,am, the moment of the collision.

Fireman Niel Cook was standing in the cab door when the caboose
was struck. ‘Two bed cuts on his left hand, besides a few slight
bruises, are his only injuries. The roofs of the caboose and the
first freight car behind 94, met over the latter's tender, forming
an almost complete inclosure of the car, but the two men succeeded
in getting out all right.

The fate of the negligent brakeman was horrible. Not a bone in
their bodies was broken. Very few traces of cuts and bruises, They
were literally cooked. The hissing steam scalded them so that the
skin hung in shreds. It penetrated to their lungs end the
sufferings of Ryan killed him on the spot. Connors survived until
the middle of the afternoon. He had fallen asleep in the cupola of
the caboose and had a chance to crawl out before he was scalded”
to death. Ryan was found with one foot bare, which confirms the
conclusion that he was prepared for a nap.

The fire started in the splintered wreck of the caboose. It
consumed the cab of 94 and two freight cars loaded with corn, vefore
it was brought under control. None of the cars had left the track.
A wrecking outfit was ordered to the spot as soon as the news was
received by telegraph at the general offices.

The "Boston Limited" was delayed five hours by the accident. It
brought the dead and surviving members of the crew of both freight
trains, to this city, where the injured were given prompt attention.
Connors was taken to his home at the extreme south end of Fifth
street where he died, as before stated, at 3:45 pm. The body of
Ryan was conveyed at once to Hager & Johanson's undertaking
establishment and was prepared for the burial which will take place
this forenoon. Chatham and Cook walked to their respective homes
where they were seen by the reporter who heard their statements
which were substantially as the occurrence has been related.

Ryan and Connors were both young unmarried men and were on their
first trip as brakemen. They probably did not realize the great
importance of the prompt and unquestioning obedience.

DSSKA Ry.