West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-09-20
VETERANS KILLED.
A Grand Army Excursion Train
Smashed to Pieces.
A Freight Dashes Into 1t With
Fatal Results.

special train ON the New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio railroad. consisting OF nino
coaches. and carrying Grand Army OF tho
Republic members 10 tho Columbus, Ohio.
reunion, was run into by freight train near
Rittmann, Ohio. Sevon persons were killed
and twenty-five wounded, number OF them
fatally.
The excursion train waich was n special,
had the right OF way, aud was running at a
fair rate OF speed. just outside Rittmann Is
steep grade, which the train was descending
when connecting rod on the engine broke
and the train was brought to n standstill in
narrow cut
Following closely after the excursion train
was freight train No 81, running at high
rate of speed.
A iagman was sent back Co warn tho
freight, but it had already started down tho
grade and the engineer had only time 20 re-
verse his engine and jump whom his train
crashed into the rear coach OF the passenger
train, never stopping Till it had ploughed D.
way through three coaches, throwing them
sluarelY ON top OF tho engine aud sending
their fragments in every direction.
The passengers in the last two coaches saw
the approaching freight aud most OF them
had time 10 jump Tho engineer jumped, as
di1 his fireman. The latter escaped with
but slight injuries, but the engineer struck
the embankment alongside the track bounded
lack under the wheels and was crushed into
shapeess mass Brakeman w. II. Coch-
ran, OF tho freight jumped likewise, and
lie, too, was hurled back and ground under
the wheels his lfeless body being soon after
taken out from tho debris In the third
coach from tho rear OF the Passenger train
two Grand Army mon Samuel Bryce and
John Shook, were instantly killed, their blood
scattering over their conirnics seated near
them, while the latter were thrown IN "A heap,
many OF them with broken limbs and
gashed heads The passengers i'm tho other
coaches had nearly all succeeded i'm getting
out Of the cars before the crash came, but as
they hurried down the cmbnnkment the
wrecked coaches ROLLED down upon them, i'm
jur.ng twenty-five Others, moro or less
seriously.
The engineer OF the freight train remained
at his post and was killed. Tho freight
train, with it's locomotive, was also thrown
from tho track, aad the cars were piled up
in n frightful wreck.
The officers Of the road were at once not-
iied and a wrecking train was Immediately
dispatched with a railroad crew and phys-
clans, and-other surgeons wero hurried 20
help the wounded from Wadsworth. four
miles east of the wreck. and from Seville and
kittmann. Some OF the wounded were taken
TO Wadsworth aud Others were cared for on
tho ground, cots being iniprovised from
blankets which tho veterans had brought
nlong, the majority Of them having prepared
TO go into camp at Columbus.
TWO lady passengers, Mss Inn Tucker, OF
Austintown, n suburb OF youngstown, Ohio
had n leg cut of and died few minutes
after being taken out OF tho wreck. Mr.
Given, OF Garfield another suburb. also died
ON the ground at - O'clock. Nearly oil the
injured live in Mahoning county, Ohio Tho
wounds arc mostly piinful, but not serious.