Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-09-02
A FATAL OPEN SWITCH
WRECks A PASsEN8ER TRAIN ON
fHEI. n. e. ~.

to Grief-Reckless Bridge Hahds-Engi-
neer Iayior's Heroism- Nobody Killed.
The |. b. Il W. road was again unfortunate
this morning, and this time the wreck is OF
very serious nature, having very nearly kill |
ed the engineer injured the fireman, and
damaged the property of the road to the ex- |
tent of several thousand dollars. The wreck |
occurred at Bowlusville where there is side |
track right in the village. This morning
gang of bridge hands were coming into
Bowlusvile on hand car when passenger
train No. from Sandusky, due here at 9;50
a. m, came steaming along behind them
at twenty-five miles per hour. Instead
of throwing their machine from the track
and allo wing the train to pass, as
they should have done, they imagined they
had plenty OF time and tried TO run in on to
the side track. The fatal switch was opened
and the hands jumped as they passed it, al
lowing the hand car to 60 spinning along
alone. By this time the passenger with four
coaches of human freight, was only few
rods away. The bridge hands tried their best
TO close the switch, but whether 1t was
catch in the switch, whether they were fur
ried in their excitement, or whatever the
cause, the switch could not be worked, and in
another minute the whole thing Was over
The engine struck the empty hand car and
sent it flying in dozen different directions
Fortunately a pile Of ties and rails lay across
the side track, for il the engine had struck the
abutment squsrely, the whole train would
have been telescoped. As it was the engine,
when it struck the pile of rails lesped fully
thirty feet into the air, leaving its front trucks.
and tell on its side in the road, about fifteen
feet from the track, with its drive wheels
quartering in the air and smashing the cab
and other portions OF the engine into smith
Greens. II is an actual fact that the engine
flew so high that the cab caught a telegraph
wire annd pulled it to the ground. The ten
der also left the track the wheels sinkin gout
OF sight into the ground. So, also, did the
baggage car, but the passenger coaches re-
maiued on the track. As the engine passed
the switch, the fireman, Ed. S. Tay-
lor, jumped from the cab and fell on
his left side, rolling over and over
at terrific rate. When he stopped the blood
was streaming from his mouth and nose, and
it was found that his left ankle and right
wrist were sprsined and bis nose cut almost
off. When the brave old veteran, Bob Hay
lor, the engineer, saw his danger he reversed
his engine and stuck to his post in the en-
deavor TO save the lives OF his passengers,
though he felt sure that il was certain
death to himself. When the engine struck,
the shock shot him straight up into the air
like an arrow, far above the telegraph wires,
and he fell on bis back on the coal in the
tender. Rolling off this he was found when
the passengers came up, lying under a pile Of
timber near the tender. He was perfectly
black, and was groaning as though in
great agony. He was taken into car
and made AS comfortable as possible until
medical assistance could arrive. Strange as
it may seem, none OF the passengers were in
jured at all. TheY say that the coaches gave
n series Of convulsive jumps and finally came
to a sudden stop. Though all were very
badly frightened and shaken up, none of
them were thrown out of their seats. The
heroic engineer had accomplished his purpose
and saved his passengers. telegram was at
once sent to Superintendent Van Tassel here
and he fixed up a wrecking train at once and
went TO the scene of the wreck with an en-
gine and four coaches taking with him DR.
Vance and several officials and employees of
the road. When they arrived the injulies of
the fireman and engineer were examined and
dressed as well as could be un.
der the circumstances. Hsylors collar
bone was broken and his back
was one mass OF knots and bruses. He has
internal injuries, the extent of which can not
be determined, but it is feared they will proye
fatal. A bed was improvised in the baggage
car OF the wIecking train, and he was re-
moved toit. The passengers were transferred
to the train. as was also their baggage, etc.
All the country about gathered in yery
short time and the scene about the wrecked
train was beyond description. When every
thing was iu readiness the wreckinp train
started on its slow homework Journey and
backed down all the way to Springfield, ar
irving here at II 80. Ed Taylor, the injured
fireman, was removed to his boarding house
on West High. street by the patrol
wagon. Hsylor was taken to the Arcade
Hotel where he will remain until be can be
taken home to Sandusky.
The damage to the engine amounts to about
$4,000, aud the trucks of the baggage car are
strained out OF shape. A gang of men are
at work this afternoon clearing up the wreck.
Most of the passengers were tor the west
and made their connexion but the others were
compelled to lay over here Conductor Tom
Hines, at the time Of the wreck, stuck to his
post in the rear car aud escaped without in
jury.
Sraf