The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-08-12
ALL ABOUT THE. WRECK!
Ry MAN who Went Over and saw II.

JACKSON, ONO, August ., 1880.
To the Editor Of the Standard:
Having heard so many reports about the wrccIint
the Niagara excursion train at the canal bridge
Wayerly. as they were returning the Falls, OIL
the evening of the 9th inst thought would give
short statement of the facts, learned them tina
! night and next morning. upon the scene' Inc con
ductor, Mr.. Semon, and the Engineer, Mr.. Ralph
Leete, both told me the train running slow, and
the circumstances go to shows slow rate of speed
Had it been otherwise. four instead of two coaches
would have been precipiated into The canal on top OF
each other, which doubtless would have killed many
fnot all the people the train. There was but one
passenger car and the baggage went down through
the bridge The second coach was detached from the
that went down. by the coupling breaking leay-
ing the second partly the abutment, and thrown
from the track turned fully halfway over, and lodged
against post suppOrtedby the coupling of the sleep
behind. which remained upon the track uninured.
The engine and tender, by the lightning thought and
act Of Mr. Iece. the engineer, who upon discovering
the of the track and the bridge breaking down,
at once pulled open the throttle to its fullest extent
hoping to break the coupling from the engine that
the falling might not drag the locomotive down
upon them and their human freight He did not
cced in breaking that coupling, hut instead broke the
one between the first and second passenger coaches.
which left the second coach upon the abutment
coach and that went down pulled far enough
over to allow the locomotive and tender barely rest
upon the abutment the east side of the canal Had
ii not been that the locomotive and tender remained
the wreck below great would have been the havoc
by its weight, hot water The distance the
cars fell about 20 to % feet. the spanning
the canal lying upon its side with the side tmbers
the bridge and the body of person Davfe Dungan
beneath the shattered mass. 1 surveyed the ruins,
soon saw there chance to the bodystll
the broken timbers and rubbish cleared away.
There were at least one hundred at work in all
conceivable ways, TO clear away the wreck. Never
did see men, citizens well railroad men, more
fIithful and NiOuS %
ing the missing body learned the whereabouts of
the different persons who injured, and visited
them TO and' know the extent of their injuries
First found Artie Monahan, who hurt in the
knee and bruised in the hip, not seriously next
W. F, Scott, cut under the chin, bruised about the
head, knees some skinned and bruised, not serious
feeling very well next Mrs. Jacob Bertsch who
was suffering from nervous shock, and some severe
bruises, no bones broken, reported next
Tom DUNCAN, who badly shook up, and badly
bruised about the head and back will recover; next
l saw Jas. Mclaughlin, of Wellston, who was hurt
in breast and shoulders by falling about 10 feet and
alightng upon his back and shoulders. He was suf-
fering considerably. think he will soon be better.
The rest who injured were but slightly hurt.
Their names follows: Miss EHe Claar, Mrs.
Geo. Davis, Jessie Laird, jun, Geo. Blagg, Berry
Steele, P. H. Washam- Ed. Crossland Maggie Snider.
Many others were shocked and all right
again. There not fractured bone in any
of those reported There is also a report that the
body of Davie DUNCAN severed in twain in order
to remove him from the wreck, which is not true he
was carefully taken out Soon the could get
to him. after which he taken the rooms of Mr..
Gehres undertaken where he washed and nicely
dressed, placed in the freezer in which he
brought home Lwish also to say the good people of
Waverly, well the railroad officials and railroad
men generally, are entitled to praise, as well
thanks for the kind well for the efficient
manner in which the terrible catastrophe was dis
posed Of All We're ready, willing and anxious do
something for the relief of those who were injured,