The Great Wallace Show

Train Wreck

Durand, Michigan

August 7, 1903

The Great Wallace Show

Train Wreck of 1903

Brochure

On August 6th of 1903 The Great

Wallace Show left Charlotte, Michigan in two train

sections heading towards Lapeer , Michigan. The Great

Wallace Show was scheduled to perform in Lapeer on

August 7th,. While en route to Lapeer the show would

make a stop in Durand, Michigan to fill up on water and

coal then continue on their journey, but fate had other

plans for this show.

In the early morning hours of August 7th, 1903

at around 3:45 a.m. the first section of The Great

Wallace Show pulled into the little train town of

Durand, Michigan. The second section wasn’t too far

behind the first section and within 30 minutes

catastrophe hit this little train town.

This brochure documents the history of The

Great Wallace Show and the tragic train wreck in

Durand, Michigan on August 6, 1903. Please be sure to

stop by the exhibit to hear the audio tour of this event.

On May 11th, 1907

according to the Detroit Free

Press, (above left) a trial has

been remanded to Porter

County for the $25,000

damage lawsuit case of W.H.

Thompson vs. the Grand

Trunk Western Railroad Co.

and B.E. Wallace, for the

death of John Thompson. His

death was caused by the

Wallace Show train wreck of

1903 in Durand, Michigan.

Sources:

Durand Union Station Archives

International Circus Hall of Fame

Circus World

As Compiled By:

Adeline Wharton, 2013

The Great Wallace Show

The Great Wallace Show was established by

Benjamin Wallace in his hometown of Peru, Indiana.

After he was discharged from the Union Army he

started his journey of becoming a successful local

businessman. The Wallace and Company’s Great

World Menageries and International Circus opened in

Peru, Indiana on April 26, 1884. After a few successful

seasons traveling he decided it was time to expand his

‘menagerie’ and place his show on the train. Finally in

the spring of 1886, The Great Wallace Show left Peru,

Indiana on 15 railroad cars and he never looked back.

The Great Wallace Show opened the 1903 season with a

performance in their hometown of Peru, Indiana on

April 25th. Over the course of eight months this

amazing show traveled to sixteen different states that

would take them to 188 cities.

On September

24th, 1906 according to

the Detroit Free Press,

(left) as declaration in the

suit of Emma W. Keys

who is the administrator

of her late husband,

Joseph R. Keys. This suit

is against the Grand

Trunk railway for

$10,000 in damages

which is linked to the

Wallace Show train wreck

of 1903.

On March 22nd

1906, the Detroit Free

Press (left) ,reported that

George Clough and

assistant hoister was

suing Grand Trunk for

$35,000 for the injuries

he acquired from the

Wallace Show train

wreck of 1903. This

lawsuit isn’t the only

lawsuit in regards to this

train wreck, in fact there

are five other suits

pending.

On April 25th 1905 according

to the Detroit Free Press (left), a dam-

age suit for $68,000 was filed in the

United States court by Benjamin E.

Wallace, the proprietor and owner of

The Great Wallace Show. This

lawsuit is the result of a train wreck

that took place on August 7th, 1903 in

Durand Michigan where an engineer

failed to properly apply the airbrakes

then causing a rear end. Evidently this

case states that allegedly there is a

contract with Grand Trunk railway to

transport the thirty-seven circus cars

from Charlotte to Lapeer Michigan. It

is also alleged that the company

agreed to ‘furnish’ two engines and

train crews to accommodate this

contract. With that being said this law-

suit hangs in the balance while

prosecution states that the railway

company assumes ‘all responsibility

and risk of the loss of life or injury and

damage while transporting the trains

between the two points’.

WALLACE LAWSUITS THAT FOLLOWED

ACCIDENT This schedule

(right) of shows

allowed for days off

and time to travel the

rails along the

country-side. By the

end of the season with

the loss of their

beloved animals and

crew The Great Wal-

lace Show was ready

for a winter break.

When the circus

would come to town the en-

tire area would come to see

the amazing sights and

sounds. In advance a

‘courier’ (left)would be

mailed to all of the local ad-

dresses to show the local

townspeople what to expect

when The Great Wallace

Show would come to town.

This ‘courier’ was a great

form of advertisement for

the circus and a beautiful

keepsake for the

townspeople.

August 7th, 1903 On August 7th, 1903

(left)according to the Detroit

Free Press, they spoke with

many eye witnesses to the af-

termath of the wreck in order

to paint a vivid image of what

was going on after two trains

collided. One witness stated

“My

husband’s scalp is terribly

torn”, while the injured said

“It has been a terrible day”.

The article made the front

page that showcased graphic

images of the wreck and

deceased animals. On August 7th, 1903 (right)

according to the Chicago Daily Tribune ,

they gave an up to date account of the

Wallace Show train wreck while

showcasing 23 dead individuals. “Officials

have so far blamed the engineer of the

second train, stating that ‘he could have

stopped the train in time to have avoided

serious consequences’.”

They further stated that “Probst

knew that he was coming into a yard where

trains usually stand and take on coal and

water. The rules say plainly that engineers

shall approach such yards with the trains

under control. A brakeman sent back by the

first train warned him (Probst) of the danger

about three-quarters of a mile before he

arrived to the standing section. For nearly

half a mile before he got to the first train the

track is straight and clear, and he should

have been able to see the red light on the

back of the train ahead in time to stop his

train.”

After the jury heard testimony from various experts

they were released to deliberate. After three hours of

deliberation they returned with a verdict that stated the

wreck was caused by the failure of the air brake system on

the second section to work, which in turn could have been

detected by the engineer if he had paid attention to the air

gauge. The jury also concluded that if the circus cars that

were provided by the Wallace Brothers were correctly

fitted with the correct hand brakes this accident could

have been avoided.

On August 27th, 1903, accord-

ing to the Detroit Free Press, (left) a

coroner’s inquest was held on the

remains of the twenty-two men that

were killed during the Wallace train

wreck in Durand, Michigan. Grand

Trunk Engineer Charles Probst stated

under oath, “I did everything possible

to stop the train, but the air brakes

failed completely.” It was Probst’s

belief that the air brakes never worked

properly in that engine.

Jurors: Leonard Soper, Hotel Landlord

Eugene Nicholas, Former Railroad Worker

Floyd Derham, Miller

Morrel Harrington, Businessman

M.H. Avery, Grocery Clerk

William Putnam, Insurance Agent

On August 13th, 1903 according

to the Detroit Free Press (left), the

Coroner Karrer will begin the inquest

into the wreck of the Wallace Brothers

train wreck. The judge is apparently

anxious for the proceedings to begin and

for the Prosecuting Attorney Austin E.

Richards will “look after the people’s

interests”. Unfortunately when the

Prosecutor’s office was questioned daily

for information about the upcoming

inquest it was difficult to locate the

Prosecuting Attorney Austin.

THE INQUEST INTO THE CIRCUS WRECK

On August 14th, 1903 according

to the Detroit Free Press (right), the

coroner’s request began on the matter in

regards to the Wallace Show train wreck.

The Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Wm.

Parker and S.S. Miner conducted the

examination while F.H. Rankin is the

representative of the railroad company.

This inquest is to determine who is

responsible for the wreck that took place

on August 7th of 1903. During this

examination the jury heard from the first

witness, Charles Propst who is the

engineer of the second section of the

circus train. The jury then heard

testimony from the fireman, Harry Colter

who is from that same train. After hearing

testimony all day it was the opinion of

Wm. Parker that the engineer (Propst)

was ‘guilty of negligence’.

On August 7th, 1903 (above) according to the New York

Times, explained the accounts leading up to the Wallace Show

Train wreck leading up to the crash. They also stated in graphic

detail the aftermath of the wreck. In an official report that was

issued in the afternoon by the Superintendent W.G.

Brownlee, “Engineer Probst states that his airbrakes worked all

right in Lansing, where he took water and that he had no

occasion to use it again until he was flagged west of Durand,

where he found that the train was not charged with air. The five

sleepers in the rear of the second section were found standing

about two coach lengths from the end of the train after the

accident with the draw head in one of the cars jammed in. Indi-

cating that it had been broken apart by the accident and rebound-

ed when the train stopped, which is evidence that the brakes

were not applied. The air brakes in the train have since been test-

ed and found to be in perfect condition.”

Images of The Great Wallace Show Train

Wreck

Durand residents with the Wallace Show gather

around the wreckage.

Image of the camels that perished in the train wreck.

James McCarthy the Grand Trunk Trainmaster of Battle

Creek, Michigan; died instantly during the collision of the

two trains. He was found in the caboose of the first section.

The Great Wallace Show Memorial of the train wreck on

August 6th, 1903. This monument is located at the Love

Joy Cemetery that is south of Durand.

This image (above) is of the train wreck that shows the

catastrophic damage along with Maude the deceased elephant

and camels.

The skinning of Maude the Tricycle riding elephant

(above), an image of Maude and the great dane that

perished due to the train wreck (right).