Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-05-14

The late C0llisOu--Thc cause If it, and
the persons who are TO blame forlt
The Cleveland Herald of the Goth, says:
The Citizens Of Chicago have called public
meeting, to be holden in Market Hall on the
goth inst, to take into consideration the steps
proper in view of the recent catastrophe @
The packages taken from the Galena mail
at the time of the accident. were those of the
23d, for Portland, Providence and Hartford,
and some packages for Albany, from the
Chicago Office; the Boston package is also
gone and several small packages. The sec
ond and third coroner's luries have been in
session. Among the killed are Susan Smith,
of Little Falls; Stephen d. Gray Of Wheock,
VI, and Mr.. Misener. Mr.. Gray was far
mer from Vermont, who came west to see
the country, was returning home to bring his
family. A man from Canada with his wife
and four children, are all supposed to be kill
ed The dead number about eighteen, with
forty to fifty wounded-some dangerously
| The conductor on the train Of the Southern
Michigan road, H. L. Whitney coming east,
testfes that the night was clear but moon
not up, that there is no rule to whistle or ring
at railroad crossings and that he knew moth
ing about the running time on the Michigan
Central road; that train with good head
| light could be seen three miles on the night
Of the collision. t.,..
The engineer on the southern Michigan
train, Edward Davis, testified that he was
running about as fast as he he could at the
crossing. being behind time; was not quarter
of mile off when he saw the sparks from
the locomotive of the Central train This
witness produced timetable for his guidance
on which was printed rule, requiring the
out-going trains for Chicago to avoid all the
trains on the Michigan Central road, and wit
ness stated that he did not knoW of that rule
until Mat morning. The conductor of Mich
gan Central road NJ. NJ, Tyler. testified tina,
he was seven hours behind time, and had no
headlight because he had no wickS; was in
structed to carry lights on the rear-car, but
had no instructions in regard to headlights;
supposed somebody lad. The engineer on
the Michigan Central road, Thomas Rackan,
stated that he had set out a hand lantern
about mile from the crossing; was required
to have head light, but his would not burn
and he had no head light for two trips. Saw
the light of Southern Michigan train half a
mile off shut off steam and whIstled down the
breaks but did not reverse the engine, because
he thought there was no occasion; if he had
reversed tie engine, tie train woula hare
stopped
The testimony of these men is enough to
hang every one. Look at it again for mo
ment. Whitney, conductor, says he knew
nothing about the running time of the Mich
igan Central road. Davis, engineer, says he
was running about as fast as he could, and
that he did not know the rules printed on
his time table. Tyler, conductor, says be
had no head lights, being out of wicks, and
did not know whose duty it was to see that
there was head light Rackan, engineer,
says be had run trips without head lights,
and that he did not reverse his engine If
that testimony will not convict these men of
manslaughter-even murder--there is no
use for testimony. 1t is the most Internal
slaughter of life by railroad officers ever re-
corded. We hope the law will deal with
those men, and that the companies them
selves may in some way be compelled to an
swer for their falling to keep the proper
watchmen at these crossings-in not proyi-
ding lamp-wicks, having been told they We're
out; and not posting before their engineers
each others time table.