The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-01-12
THE ASHTABULA MANSLAUGH-
TER.
The Fearful Disclosure that is Made
by One or the New York Suryiv.
From the y. Y. Tribune.l

ors.
From the y. Y. Tribune.l
B. b. Lyons, Of 24S West Forty
,inth street, who received injuries in
he Ashtabula disaster from which he is
till suffering, made a statement in Buff
10 which contains some startling asser-
ions. They bear chiefly upon the action
'f the railroad and fire department an.
Ihorities in refusing or neglecting to
employ the means at hand for extin
gushing the flames. He said that with
in a few minutes after the disaster one
steam Ere engine and two hand engines
were az the spot, and there was abund-
ance OF water at hand. Furthermore,
half way up the bank was an engine
house, with an engine used to pump wa
ter from the river into the railroad COM /
pany's tanks. In this engine house were |
500 feet Of hose, and altogether about
5000 feet Of hose were near enough at
hand to be available in extinguishing
the fire. But no attempt was made to
bring these appliances into use. Mr..
Lyons said that il was the opinion of
those with whom he conversed that not
more than six persons would have been
burned to death, and that not single
body would have been burned beyond
recognition il water had been thrown on
the FIRE. With regard to the authority
which prevented the use of the engines
and hose, Mr.. Lyons said that be had
what seemed to him ample evidence
that the railroad officials were RESPONSE
5le. He himself heard after the disas-
ter that a dispatch had been received
from railroad headquarters ordering
that no water should be thrown upon
the wreck, ito the effect that all should
sink into oblivion" Mr.. Lyons quoted
this in the hearing Of fireman, who at
once said, "those are the.very words of a
despatch received by Superintendent
Strong" and the assertion was afterward
corroborated by other iremen, who gave
their names and addresses to Mr.. Lyons.
Mr.. Lyons remarked that il was an aw-
full thought. that the railroad officials
would deliberately plan not to save life,
for the pecuniary advantage Of the road
and yet one could not help remembering
that the Lake Shore Company would
not get insurance money for cars smash
ed, while they would get it if cars were
burned, and that, Furthermore, by the
Ohio State law, they were required tc
pay $1,000 damages for deaths caused
by their fault, while damages for injur
les caused were likely to range consider
ably higher, at the discretion Of jury
Mr.. Lyons said that it was at least Ger
tain that those who arrived at the seen,
Of the disaster the same evening urged
T that water should be thrown upon th,
: burning cars, and that Mr.. Strong ano
{ Mayor Hepburn of Ashtabula, who wa
/ civil engineer in the employ Of tn
, road, objected, refusing to allow tn
fremen to make use Of their engines
{ Mr.. Lyons thought it singular that tn
Chief Of the Fire Department did no
3 overrule these directions. He. had al
, ways supposed that fire department
, possessed, in case Of fire, the authorit
. to act upon thir own discretion.
. Again, there had been gross mis-
. statement of the number of passenger
!, on the train. Conductor HEM sal
{ shortly before the accident that ther
: were one hundred and sixty persons o
: the train. After the disastsr he place,
}, the number considerably lower, while j
: fact there were many more than on
e hundred sixty on board. From the Pa
q atine all were taken out alive; from th
e Yokohama one man was taken out; froI
o the City of Buffalo none were taken OF
j. at all; from the Osseo all were taken o,
/, alive; from the first day coach two me
e were extricated alive, and from the Sc
% ond day coach Mr.. Lyons did not kno
1t il any were saved; from the smokir
l. car considerable number were take
10 out alive. All those rescued and ab
W to discuss the matter spent some lit
m time in comparing notes and estimatir
ll the number Of passengers on each ca
Mr.. Lyons said this had been done car
a. fully and the result had not been exa
a. gerated in the slightest degree. Th
v made the total two hundred twenty.s
or passengers on board at the time of t
te disaster, not counting twenty or twent
- FIVE children.