Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-05
A Driving Storm OF Sleet Adds to the
Suffering -Heartrending Scenes.
Two Trains Collide on the Cincinnati
S0uthern-Three Men are Killed.
A CRASH ON A CURVE.
Sickening Details of the Wreck Near Meads
vile, Pennsylvania.


vile, Pennsylvania.
MEADsvILLE, Pa, Dec. 31.-The details
of the wreck which occurred on the New
York, Pennsylvania d Ohio road, five
miles west of this city, this morning,
proves the disc ster TO have been the most
horrible that mas ever occurred IN this
vicinity. The cOlliding trains we're
the through New York express from
Chicago and dOUble-header west
bound freight train. Both trains
were over two hours late and the express
being entitled to the right of way was
running without orders. Conductor Muir
ray Of the freight train taking it for
granted that the express train was IN,
pulled out for Geneva. The two trains,
the express running 45 and the freight Is
miles an honr, met on q long forest
hidden curve with terrible crash.
The engine Of the express train and the
first engine of the freight raised bodily
in the air and stood on the furnace ends,
the pilots pointed upward and the driy-
ing wheels locked. Both engineers and
fireman were pressed between tie iron
ruins.
THE SIGHT WAS sICKENING,
but was soon covered from view by
friendly blankets. The baggage car, ex-
press car and. the smoker of the passen-
ger train were completely wrecked. The
baggage car telescoped into the smoker
splitting It open and sweeping every
seat from the floor. The total number of
passengers on the train was 53, Is of
whom were in the smoker. All
of these were more or less
injured and William II. Stephenson, of
Il. A.,I-o
from the ruins. The crash was heard for
a great distance and soon the neighbOr-
hood was aroused, and the people living
in the Vicinity came to the scene. The
passengers who we're not injured seemed
dazed, and for few minutes everybody
stood speeches.. The groans and cries
thai came from the ruins soon brought
them to a realization of the terrible
situation, and in q short time a large
force of men were at work systemati sally
doing all they could. Two wrecking
trains soon arrived, followed by a pas
senger train on which to transfer the
passengers ald tho wounded and dead to
Meadville. The wrecking crews worked
with will, and soon portion of the
MANGLED REMAINS OF HERMAN HUME
we're taken from the wreck. The almost
unrecognizable form presented a sicken-
ing sight, the limbs and lower part of the
body having been ground to pulp.
Hume's aged father had arrived, and
his cries and means when he gazed upon
the mangled body were heartrending.
The body of Engineer Swan was exposed,
but it was so tightly wedged in the wreck
that no attempt was then made to move
it. A portion OF the body of Engineer
Comm nd ols 81
of Fireman Irving could DE
seen, The work of clearing the
wreck was prosecuted in the face of the
driving storm of sleet that lasted the en-
tire afternoon. Those of the passengers
who were not injured were transferred
and sent forward, while the dead and
wounded were brought TO this city. The
officials did everything in their power for
the comfort of the injured.
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
The following is list of the casualties:
Killed-Engineer Swan, Meadville; En-
gineer Googe, MeadYille; Fireman Irwin,
Meadville; Fireman Hume, Cambridge,
Ohio; William Ii. Stephenson, Toledo.
Injurcd-H. e. Holm, New York, leg
crushed, Adolph Wagner, Buffalo, leg
broken; Adolph Hohen, Paterson, n. j.,
leg crushed; II. MalvilIe, Mid5leford, O.,
one leg crushed and the other broke n
Michael Obrien, Buffalo, leg broken; F.
n. Newton, Shinglehouse, Pa, leg crush
ed; David Beauland, Titusville, leg
broken; Charles E. French, Sterling,
Mass, leg broken; F. Graham, Kent, O.,
hips crushed; M. f. Wyman, brakeman,
feet crushed; Joseph Bodonon, baggage
man, leg cut, and body and face badly in
iured; j. NJ. Woods, Greenville, Pa, badly
bruised; f. a. Malone, Salamanca, leg
broken; Adolph Buser, Cincinnati, legs
crushed; Fireman Chas. Ccumb, bruised
about head and shoulders.