Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-09-12
Terrible Railroad Disaster.

a. H. DeIN06u an excursion tram re-
turning from the State Fair at Mans
field, o., and the regular north bound
express.
MANSFIELD, O., Sept. Cit has
heen very difficult to get additional
particulars worthy of credit in regard
to the terrible railroad accident near
independence about o'clock last
evening. From physicians and others
who visited the scene, we CLEAN that
six persons were killed outright, and
one other died sc on after removal to
a house in the neighborhood, and that
about forty five were wounded. Be
sides the names telegraphed last night,
[ have been unable to secure anv
others of the killed. save that of Eddie
White, of Independence The two
additional names have been unobtaina
BILE, either from railroad officials, sur
geons or passengers.
In regard to the cause of the acci-
dent. it is difficult to fix the response
bility. It lies between the dispatcher
at Newark, the operators whe sent
and received the order, and the con-
ductor of the Chicago express Ac-
cording to one account orders were
sent by the dispatcher and received
by the conductor to meet and pass the
excursion train at Independence, by
some reason he seemed to be ignorant
Of the second train, which closely
followed the first He therefore
pulled out after the first train had
passed, and had scarcely proceeded n
quarter of mile before the collisi on
took place, Mr.. Patrick, the cond uc-
tor, is one of the oldest employees on
the road, and has been noted for his
care and intelligence in running, as
has also Mr. E. NJ Livingston, the
dispatcher, in his especial capacity
Conductor Dougherty had charge of
the fated excursion train. The acci-
dent happened near the switch, just
north of Independence, at point where
two down grades meet, which gave 4
tremendous momentum to the collid-
ing trains There is a very sharp
curve at this point, and the trains were
almost upon each other before the
situation was discovered by the en-
gineers. The engineers of both trains
and one fireman jumped off, and es
capped injury. One fireman was buried
under the coal and debris of the loco
motive and tender, and was severely
but not seriously hurt. Mr.. Patrick,
the conductor of the express jumped
from the train before the engines
had struck, and escaped unhurt. The
two front cars of the express were
telescoped, and the three front cars Of
the excursion train, the latter being
crammed full of passengers, and many
standing on the platforms.
All the killed and many of the
wounded were standing on the plat
forms. Peach Harris, station agent at
Louisville, who was killed, had gone
out on the platform, and was appar-
entity in the act of jumping off when
caught between the cars and crushed
in a shocking manner. No women
were killed, and the men were mostly
young. Several ladies were injured,
one having a leg broken, but most of
the injured were men.
The surgeons dressed the injuries of
thirty eight in all, and six or eight who
were slightly hurt went to their homes,
making in all forty-fve wounded.
The scene on the ground after the
accident is described as narrowing in
the extreme; friends. mourning over
their dead, and every one rushing
hither and thither in the agony of fe ar
and suspense. The excitement and
confusion were such that some little
time elapsed before any organized eff
fort was made to remove the dead and
wounded from the wreck Superin-
tendent Quincy and corps Of assist
ants and Surgeons from Mansfield,
Frederick and Mt. Vernon were on
the ground as soon as steam could car
ry them, after the accident, and did all
in their power to relieve the suffere rs.
Mr.. LemhaFt residing near Inde-
pendence, had both his lower limbs
broken and his skull fractured 1t
was thought, when the surgeons left
him at 4 O'Clock p. M, to day, that
he could not live the day out.
Mrs. Eliza D. Francis. was on the
express train coming north, and is
now at the Pacific. Hotel in the city,
She resides at Bellaire, and was on heT
woy to visit relative at Nevada. She
was severely injured about the head
her cheeks were lacerated by splinters.
Mr.. William Jasper, ofColumbus,
Ohio, had leg broken, and his wife
was badly bruised about her body
A Mr.. Merriam, residing near Colum
| bus had the side Of his vest torn off
containing his watch; his arm was
| broken, and his hand and chest badly
bruised.
A large proportion of the wounded
are dangerously hurt-legs and arms
broken and bodies bruised.
The following is understood to bt
Conductor Patricl's version Of the
accident:
The regular passing point of thu
trains was at Independence. On hi:
arrival there from the south he found
the down excursion train behind time
but a dispatch was waiting for him
saying that the track was clear tc
Belleville, and to run to that place.
He and his engineer debated as tx
whether they would remain or ODE,
the order, and they finally concluded
to obey. The collision took plac
soon after they pulled out. Their
were thirteen cars of the excursion
train, with over nine hundred passen
gers, and the wreck of the train was
terrible scene to behold.
THE RAILROAD DISASTER AT INDIpEND
ENCE-7 KILLED AND 40 WOUNDED.
MANSFIELD. Sept. 6.But few add
tional particulars of the railroad dis
aster at Independence have come t.
hand, and it is difficult to get any re
liable information. The list of lille,
and wounded teleura1hed last niUht i