The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-08-28

Four Men Killed or the Hills
bOrO & Cincinnati Accom-
m0faff0n Train.

Il
Cincinnati, resulting in the instant death of
three of the employees of the train, the bag
gage master, Samuel w. Howard, fireman,
Charles Rother, and one of the brakesmen,
James G. Perrigo, and the fatal injury of
Walter Rhodes, express messenger, who
lived about hours after the disaster. The
engineer, Edward Rother, saved his life by
jumping from the engine, but was severely
bruised, and is still confined to bed from
the effects of his injuries and the shock to
his nervous system caused by the terrible
death of his son, the fireman, boy of Is,
who was standing by his side the moment
before he was crushed in the fearful wreck
The particulars of the sad affair are brief
ly as follows:
The Accommodation train had just left
Montgomery station, and was coming round
the sharp curve about half mile east, when
the engineer saw freight train coming west
at full speed, and only about hundred yards
distant. He instantly whistled down the
brakes and reversed the engine, while the
brakesman. and baggage master sprang to
the brakes between the baggage car and the
first passenger car. The momentum of the
two trains was too great, however, to be
materially checked in so short distance,
and scarcely an instant after the sigual of
danger was sounded the two powerful en-
gines came together with shock that made
both almost complete wreck, and crushed
the tender and baggage car into a mass of
ruins. The two brave men at the brakes
perished in the performance of their duty,
yainly endeavoring to stop the train, but
perhaps saving the lives of some of the pas
sengers by their noble self-sacrifce. They
were both found crushed to death by the
fragments of the baggage car, their bodies
shockingly mangled, but their faces still
recognizable and but little disfgured. They
must have died instantly.
Young Rother also must have been killed
at the first shock. His body was complete
ly crushed out of all semblance of life, and
his head nearly severed from the trunk.
Young Rhodes, the Express Messenger,
was scalded by the steam from the boiler,
and suffered intensely for nearly; 8 hours be-
fore death came to his relief
Fortunately the conductor, Mr.. L. A. Null
ton, escaped with only slight injury to one
arm, and only one of the passengers, Mr..
Daniel Flock, the well known householder,
of Cincinnati, was injured, beyond slight
bruises, though nearly all were thrown out
of their seats by the force of the collision.
The two passenger cars remained upon
the track, and it was well they did, as the
embankment is of considerable height.
As soon as the wreck could be cleared and
another engine procured, the passengers and
the victims of the disaster, excepting young
Rhodes, were brought to this place, where
they arrived about midnight News of the
accident having been received by telegraph
several hours previous, many of our citizens
stayed up till the train arrived, and render
ed assistance in taking care of the dead.
The funeral of young Rother took place
on Friday afternoon, from his fathers resi-
dence near the Depot, and was numerously
attended. The remains of young Perrigo,
the brakesman, were taken to the Kramer
House, where he had boarded for some time,
and were taken in charge by the Odd Eel
lows, to which order he belonged. On Fri
day afternoon the members of the Lodge
bore the remains to the Depot, and after a
brief but impressive burial service consign-
ed them to the care of the Adams Express
Co. to be conveyed to his home, near Mil
ford, Mass. He was quite young man, un-
married, but it is said he was to have been
married in few months to young lady of
this place.
The. remains of Mr. Howard were taken
to his residence here, and on Saturday were
conveyed to Spring Grove Cemetery, near
Cincinnati, and inferred beside those of his
first wife and child. He was about 40 or 80
years of age, man of steady and excellent
habits, and had been employed on the road
for number of years.
Young Rhodes was taken to the residence
of his brother, J. H. Rhodes, Esq, Super
intendent of the Adams Express Co., in
Cincinnati, and his remains were inferred
from there on Sunday last. He was about
21 years of age, and had filed the RESPONSE
bic position of Express Messenger for sons
time past, to the entire satisfaction of his
employers and the public. We had fire.
quent occasion to appreciate his accommo-
dating disposition and promptness in the
discharge of his duties. His untimely fate
is rendered still more sad by the fact that
he was to have been married on Tuesday of
this week to the daughter of one of our cit
izens-Miss Inez Rittenhohse. 81
The freight train which ran into the Ac-
commodation was out of time, the latter
having clear right to the road. An inquest
was held on Friday morning at Loveland,
when the conductor of the freight train tes-
tilted that he mistook the time of the Ac-
commodation at Montgomery for $40 in
stead of Sol, the actual time, and thought
he could make the station before the Ac-
commodation got there. He discovered his
mistake Just before the latter train came in
sight and ordered the brakes down, but too
late to prevent the collision. He and the
engineer saved themselves by jumping, and
the latter disappeared Immediately and has
not since been heard of.
The jury returned verdict that the acci-
dent was caused by the criminal negligence
and carelessness of VIM. Puett, conductor,
and George Smith, engineer, of the freight
train, and that they deserved punishment to
the extent of the. law Puett was arrested
and held to bail in the sum of $1,000, and
warrant is out for Smith. 1t is time an ex-
ample were made of laundering and reck-
less railroad officials, and as this seems to
be clear case, let a commencement be
made here.
1t also came out at the inquest that Puett
and Smith had been quarreling ever since
their train left Chilicothe, and that Smith
choked the conductor just before they left
Loveland, few minutes before the collis-
ion occurred! There was no evidence, how
ever that either of them was intoxicated or
of incorporate habits.
A Card. re-
Iwish to express my sincere thanks