The Memorial for the Victims of the “Wreck of the Wabash”

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Story of a Tragedy

In 1901, 135,996 Italians arrived in the United States to start a new life full of hope. Some were never heard from again. It was the Eve of Thanksgiving, November 27,1901, 115 years ago. Two trains, number 4 and number 13, collided head on at 6:46 pm between Seneca and Sand Creek, Michigan, in what became known as the “Wreck of the Wabash,” after a book by Laurie (Dickens) Perkins, a local historian from Adrian, MI. Number 4 was heading east to Detroit and carrying passengers returning home for the family gatherings the next day. It was the “Continental Express” in Montpelier, Ohio made up of the engine, six coaches and two sleepers, one a restaurant, and another the luggage car. The second, the number 13, was traveling west full of hope.

It was the worst train accident in Lenawee County and one of the worst in the United States. Between 75 to 100 Italian immigrants, perhaps even more, who were traveling from New York to Detroit, on their way to Trinidad, Colorado, to work in the mines and seek a new life, were killed and burned beyond recognition. The scene was horrific. Even though the people from Seneca and Sand Creek came quickly to try and save anyone they could, the cauldron of fire repelled them and most of the immigrants were trapped inside the burning cars and died. The flames could be seen from as far away as five miles. There are pictures in newspapers kept in the archives of the Lenawee County Historical Museum taken on the day after the tragedy, November 28, with smoldering embers of the wreck.

The remains were buried in five coffins and the burial site was unmarked and unknown, but it was known that the remains were somewhere in the local cemetery of Oakwood in Adrian, which ironically opened in the same year, 1901.

Search and Discovery

The Assistant Superintendent of the Lenawee Intermediate School District, Dr. Kyle Griffith, once a history teacher himself in Morenci, had inspired his students to become involved with investigating this tragedy. He had always wondered what happened. Griffith taught his students about the event and they would recreate it. He had been especially haunted by the mystery of where the bodies were buried. His students always asked the question, “What happened to them?” Dr. Griffith always answered, “I don’t know.” They would even discuss how we treat immigrants today versus in 1901, and talk about how history has a tendency to repeat itself. He is the catalyst behind this great discovery. Since their remains were hastily buried in an unmarked grave, their whereabouts were unknown and remained so until last fall when they were located. This story had always moved him.

In the fall of 2015, Dr. Griffith contacted the Mayor of Adrian, Jim Berryman, and told him the story of the Wabash tragedy of 1901. He asked if there was a way they could pursue this story and do something special in the name of the local community to honor the victims and their burial site. They could then give recognition to the victims, give them a special burial, and maybe even have a monument, albeit 115 years late. To his credit, the Mayor, himself a history buff, took the lead. He formed a committee: Sergio De Giusti, the world renowned Italian born American artist, who was commissioned to create a sculpture that would be dedicated to the victims; Dr. Kyle Griffith, Assistant Superintendent of the Lenawee Intermediate School District; the Consul of Italia, Detroit, MI, Dr. Maria Luisa Lapresa; and Adrian City Commissioner, Lad Strayer.

Mayor Berryman went to Dennis Viscelius, the Superintendent of the Cemetery, and to the Assistant Superintendent of the cemetery, Charlene Goven, and asked them for their help. They went through some fragile cemetery records more than a century old. Ms. Goven struck gold and came across one record indicating that there were five unmarked coffins, all buried on November 29, 1901, in row 5, graves #4, #5, #6, and #7, and #8 in the northeast part of the cemetery. Until last winter, 2015, no one knew where the unmarked graves were. Going through other sources to verify this, they confirmed that they had located the burial site.

On January 13, 2016, on a cold morning at the newly discovered site in Oakwood Cemetery, with the Cemetery Superintendent Denny Vescelius present, Mayor Jim Berryman, and his newly appointed committee addressed a small crowd. Mayor Berryman said, “We are here today to start the process of what should have been done 115 years ago. Historically, I am embarrassed for our state and country for the lack of respect given the individuals and the families of the individuals that lost their lives in the tragic Wabash rail accident on Nov. 27, 1901.” Dr. Maria Luisa Lapresa spoke and said travel conditions for many immigrants were poor and noted how recalling the tragedy of 1901 can help us better appreciate the magnitude of more recent catastrophes, such as those that involve refugees throughout the Middle East. She went on to say, “Understanding the Italian immigration past, filled with tragedies such as the one in Adrian, is a key for our comprehension of the current situation in the Mediterranean Sea, with the periodic shipwrecks involving African and Middle Eastern immigrants.”

Memorial Ceremony

Saturday, September 24, 2016, finally arrived. Ernesto Sandona, President of our Club and I, Trustee Greg Carnevale, went to Adrian, Michigan, on behalf of the Club for the memorial to the victims and its dedication. Ernesto took the lead for our Club and contacted Mayor Berryman. They stayed in touch. The Club had given a sizeable donation for the creation of the memorial. Donors from the IACWM for the Train Wreck Memorial were: the Italian American Club, Ernie and Jane Sandona, Donna DeFilippo, Frederic Paladin, Rose and Ron Thomet, Gregory Carnevale and Diane Mahon. Because of our generous contribution, Mayor Berryman included the Italian American Club of West Michigan in the dedication plaque on the memorial itself.

Brunch

We all gathered on the campus of Siena Heights University, founded by the Adrian Dominicans, who hosted the event. We were all escorted to the Benicasa (St. Catherine of Siena’s maiden name) Dining Hall where, at 11:00 am, we were invited to a wonderful brunch.

Fr. Enzo Addari, SdC, an Italian priest from the St. Louis Center in Chelsea, MI, himself an immigrant, led us in grace. Fr. Enzo showed his deep compassion throughout the day. As a member of the male branch of the Servants of Charity who serve the poor and handicapped (Mother Teresa is perhaps the best known Servant of Charity), he emphasized how immigrants ought to be treated and showed how fragile we all are, that we are all one.

Mayor Jim Berryman spoke first. He then introduced our host, Sr. Peg Albert, O.P., President of the University. The other members of the Committee followed: Adrian City Commissioner Lad Strayer, Dr. Maria Luisa Lapresa, Consul of Italia, and Dr. Kyle Griffith, Assistant Superintendent of the Lenawee Intermediate School District.

They showed by their words and the action they have taken their compassion about how immigrants should be treated. As the speakers spoke, pictures of the 1901 tragedy from the archives were flashed onto the screen. They were sober and frightening and made us all think of the carnage and loss of life on that tragic day.

Lino Scamardella was born in Napoli and was, until last year, involved deeply with and led the Italian Cultural Society of Detroit. He has his own successful real estate business in Clinton Twp. The president of COM.IT.ES (Committee for Italians Living Abroad), Domenico Ruggirello could not be present; hence the Vice-President, Giovanni Catalano, stood in for him. Enzo Paglia, an Italian in Abruzzo, who is now President of the Federazione Abruzzese del Michigan, came later and joined us.

Ernesto and I made some very important connections which will benefit the Club in the future. Those at our table, and others whom we met, had no idea that we had a Club here in West Michigan. All we had to do was to mention Ambassador Peter Secchia and the light bulb went on. It was a pleasant encounter with Italians and Italian Americans who are very passionate about Italia, its history and the contributions Italians have made to the United States. This was a gathering celebrating the hope that all immigrants have when they come here, even if we were there for the dedication of a memorial that recalled a horrible tragedy.

Mayor Berryman wanted to share one thing more. He had met Ronald L. Batory, President & Chief Operating Officer of ConRail, in the spring of 2016, at Adrian College. The Mayor made clear that he was not ashamed to ask anybody and everyone possible for money to make this event even happen. He called Mr. Batory and told him what he was about and asked his help. Mr. Batory said that the former Wabash was not his R.R. line, but rather it was now Norfolk Southern, which purchased the Wabash R.R. However, he told Mayor Berryman that he still wanted to a part of this community project. Mr. Batory said he knew contacts at Norfolk Southern and put him in touch with Bruno Maestri, Vice President of Government Relations & Corporate Communications of Norfolk Southern Corp.

Mayor Berryman called Bruno Maestri. Mr. Maestri knew the story and he too wanted to be involved with this great community project. He asked if he could provide the brunch for the expected 125 guests. Mayor Berryman was floored. Mr. Maestri was present at the brunch and Mayor Berryman asked us to recognize and thank him, which we did with a round of applause. What a generous spontaneous gesture, a sign of what kind of a community Adrian is.

When I called Mayor Berryman for some clarification on certain facts, he was most kind and helped me immensely. As we ended our conversation, he said, “You know, Greg, this is the most exciting thing I’ve ever done in my political career. Can I call myself “Cugino?” Did I pronounce that right?” I assured him he did. That says it all.

The committee came together in the cemetery in the spring of 2016, to pour the foundation. Denny Viscelius dug the shovel into the ground to start the digging for the foundation and struck something. It was a railroad spike, dirty and rusty. What a happy coincidence. They all agreed it was meant to be and wanted the spike imbedded into the base of the monument. Denny wanted to clean it up. Mayor Berryman said, “Absolutely not. This is going into the foundation as it is.” They poured the buckets of cement into the hole and then Sergio put the spike into the base. Most appropriate.

After the brunch was over and the speakers had finished, Ernesto and I had a mini break, a time to socialize and come to know some of the Italians from the east side of the state. We then headed out to Oakwood Cemetery for the dedication ceremony which was to begin at 1:00 pm. The cemetery was just down the street, west from the University.

Ceremony at Oakwood Cemetery

The ceremony began promptly with the Italian National Anthem, Fratelli d’Italia, followed by the Star Spangled Banner. More than two hundred people were present.

Mayor Berryman spoke first and spoke very emotionally when he said, “From this day forward, with this sculpture, we will remember their journey, we will remember their dreams and hopefully this sculpture will remind us here today, and for all of those yet to visit this site, that this country of opportunity came with the sacrifices of many.”

Those who followed the Mayor were Dr. Kyle Griffith, Assistant Superintendent of the Lenawee Intermediate School District, Giovanni Catalano, Vice President of COM.IT.ES, Sandra Tornberg, President of the Italian-American Cultural Society, and Dr. Maria Luisa Lapresa, Consul of Italia, Detroit, MI, and all echoed Mayor Jim Berryman and expressed their deep feelings for what happened to the victims. Many present were brought to tears by the genuinely meaningful and heartfelt sentiments.

It was very obvious that Dr. Griffith, in particular, had a difficult time getting through his tribute. He said he can now answer all those students from years back who asked “Where are they? What happened to them?’ “Now,” as he said, “No one will be asking anymore, ‘Where are they buried?’ and no one will have to respond anymore, ‘I don’t know.’ ” His search, after all those years, now came to a beautiful and satisfying end on a very warm and sunny fall day.

Sergio De Giusti was the last speaker. He started by saying that today was his birthday and that he is a twin. His twin sister lives in Italia and her name is Adriana. The crowd loved it. The Italians certainly loved it because it was not lost on them that this ceremony was taking place in a city whose name recalls one of the greatest of Roman Emperors, Adriano (117 A.D. – 138 A.D.). The stars were aligned. De Giusti continued and movingly recalled how, when he came the USA in 1954, he too came with the same aspirations as those who perished in the tragedy 115 years ago. While he spoke, Mayor Berryman, Dr. Griffith and Dr. Maria Luisa Lapresa slowly unwrapped the Italian flag covering De Giusti’s sculpture, Sogni Persi, “Lost Dreams.” As he finished speaking, Sogni Persi was there for everyone to see and the crowd greeted it with a prolonged applause.

Before Fr. Enzo began the formal ceremony of blessing the urn and then the sculpture, he too reminisced about his own family history. His Bisnonno, about the same time of this tragic accident, had left Italia and migrated to the States. He had gone to the Pittsburgh area to work in the coalmines. There was a tragic accident in the mines and they never heard another word from him. He said that he realizes that the incident was not on such a grand tragic scale as the Wreck of the Wabash, but it affected his family deeply. He certainly shared his empathy and his deep compassion with us.

He first blessed the urn. The urn was designed and created by city employee, Steve Chesher. After seeing the urn that Mr. Chesher made for his mother, Mayor Berryman asked him to make one for the bone fragments that were recovered from the site of the crash and never buried. They had been donated at some point to the Lenawee County Historical Museum. When contacted by those searching for the remains, those at the Historical Museum were relieved to hand them over. They felt uncomfortable having them, for they had no idea what to do with them. The urn will be buried at the foot of Sogni Persi. Mayor Berryman’s task force came to the rescue again.

Sogni Persi, “Lost Dreams.” The sculpture speaks about the tragedy. The veiled face of an ancient Roman lady/Statue of Liberty represents death. She is crowned with the mediaeval Sette Torri of San Gimignano in Tuscany. On her left is the date, 1901, of the tragedy. On her right Wabash, with a railroad track in the middle.

After the ceremony, the participants were able to photograph the sculpture and the urn, and were eager to make selfies with the Mayor, with the artist, with their family and friends. It was a cathartic moment to see some in tears of sorrow, some of joy.

It was a beautiful and touching day. Who the victims were, we do not know. That is the next step. Try and find out if there are lost relatives here or in Italia. For now they are at rest.

Acknowledgement

Sources Drawn Upon for this Article:

• First and foremost, I am indebted to Lonnie Huhman and his reporting for the Adrian Telegram who covered this story from beginning to end.
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: Memorial dedication honors Wabash train crash victims
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: 1901 ‘Wreck of the Wabash’ burial site located
• Michigan Radio: 115-year old train crash that killed 100 Italian immigrants still stirs deep emotion
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: State to commemorate victims of 1901 Adrian train wreck
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: ‘Wreck on the Wabash’ victims to be memorialized
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: 1901 ‘Wreck of the Wabash’ burial site located
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: Italian-American artist working on Adrian train crash memorial
• The Daily Telegram – Adrian, MI: Adrian artist creates urn for ‘Wreck of the Wabash’ memorial
• La Gente d’Italia, Ottobre 4, 2016

Please check out our Gallery with all the pictures of the Wabash Train Wreck Memorial.