The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-27
Engineer and Fireman Horribly
Mangled,
Lying Under the Wrecked Boil
erS tor Hours.
The Fireman Died a Short Time Aftel
Being Taken Out.
A Pile Of Ruins and a Great Loss-Tel
esc0ped Boilers and Broken
Machinery.

Yesterday afternoon at 4:O7 special
train on the COnnOttOn Valley Rail-
way going north, pulled out from the
Canton depot in charge of engineer
John StOneman and fireman John
Russell, with fifteen passengers on
board. A good head of steam was on,
and going up the grade by the fair
ground, speed was increased, as the
momentum of the train required to be
accelerated in going up the hill. When
rounding the curve, next to the Reed
farm, the engineer was Mortified to see
freight train No. 7 approaching at a
comparatively slow rate, and he at once
reversed the lever, but in vain, as the
train was going at such high rate of
speed that 1T could not be checked i'll
time.
THE COLLISION
which was inevitable, occurred at once,
although, the freight train as before
stated, was running so slowly that the
engineer and fireman jumped off and
escaped unhurt, but the employees of the
passenger engine met with sad fate.
Where the engines cOllided was on a
curve, on one side being a small hill and
on the other steep declivity. Both
engines were thrown up on the hill. and
one boiler was telescOped through the
tender, while the other locomotive lay
nearly on top of it. Underneath the
boiler were the
CRUSHED AND SCALDED BODIES
of the engineer and fireman of the pas
senger engine, while the freight cars
loaded with iron and general merchan-
die were scattered around, one of them
being thrown clear down the embank-
ment.
Like wild-fire word was passed that
life had been lost by an accident on the
COnnOttOn, and street rumOr had it that
twenty persons were killed, and in an
Incredibly short time hundreds of men
rushed out to the scene Of the wreck in
order to do what they could in the way
or assistance. Strong and willing hands
were at once at work, and soon the en-
gineer was taken out from under the
engine, and it was found his right leg
was cut Off below the knee, and he was
also suffering from severe scalds from
the escaping steam.
a PITFUL SCENE.
But the most touching and heart-rend-
ing part of the scene was the case of
fireman John Russell, an unmarried
man from Hays City, Kansas, who lay
imprisoned under the shattered boiler
of his engine, which was still sending
out its murderOus steam, and parts of
the broken machinery had pinned him
down, so that he could not move. He
had not lost consciousness, and fire..
quently asked for water, which was pas
sed in to him under the steaming wreck.
Strong hands and fearful men worked
for two hours by means of levers and
jackscrews, and finally got him ont, only
to find that both legs were crushed be-
low the knees, his face blackened and
SCARED by the cruel steam; and he, not
losing consciousness, said: Gentlemen,
I'm deal man. Some of his comrades
tried to cheer him up, but it was no use.
board was brought and he was placed
upon 1t and taken up to Mrs. SnydeT's
house, where the engineer lay, but after
few minutes of untold agony he died.
DR.. A. c. Brant was the physician in
charge, and did all in his power to allie
viate the sufferers pain.
Great credit is due officers Weilandt
Schlagel, Lehnis and Joseph Rigler for
their presence of mind at the scene of
the wreck, and also Mr.. L. DumOnt and
others for their timely assistance. The
The loss to the Company will not fall
far short of $4,000.
THE CAUSE OF 1T.
Everything was in cOmmOtiOn at the
COnnOttOn depot, when the reporter
called Superintendent Sam Briggs
was wild with grief at the probable loss
of life, but still possessed presence of
mind to direct Wrecking trains from
both ends to go at once and clear the
track. Train dispatcher Smith was in
terViewed and said that he had left the
office in charge of proxy, W. H. Gray,
of MassillOn, who had misinterpreted
orders, which were to hold No. (freight)
at Middlebranch, six miles north,
until No. (eXpress) had passed. Luck
lily no passengers were injured, except
VIM. II. Heggie, commercial traveller
from Akron, who had his leg badly
bruised. Trains will be running as
usual to day.
LATEST NEWS.
A telephone message from the COnnot-
ton depot this morning states that engi-
neer John StOneman died at the Snyder
residence at 1910 a. m., after suffering
an amputatiOn of the right leg. He was
married man and lived at NeWburg.
The wreck on the COnnOttOn has not
yet been cleared away, although every
effort is being made to do so as speedily
as possible. Passengers are being trans
ferred by hack to the northern end of
the wreck, and there take the regular
train for Cleveland.