Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-01-07
BAD RAILROAD WRECKS.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED AND
SERIOUSLY WOUNDED.
The Most Terrible Accident that Ever
Happened on the New York, Pennsylva-
mia s. Ohio Road--A Serious Wreck On

AZ
the Cincinnati Southern--Elsewhere.
MEADvILLE, Pa, Jan. 1.-The most terri
BILE accident in the history of the New York,
Pennsylvania & Ohio railroad occurred on
that line about five miles west of this city,
at $50 o'clock Saturday morning. One pas
senger, two engineers and two firemen were
killed, and total of sixteen injured. Three
locomotives, a baggage, express and smoking
car and eight freight cars were totally de-
nfolished.
The colliding trains were passenger No. .,
through from Chicago to New York and due
at this city at $50 a. m, and freight No. %,
a double-header going west. Both trains
were over two hours late, and when they
met on long curve hidden by trees the
freight was making fifteen and the "Thun-
derbolt' about forty-ive miles an hour.
The shock was terrific beyond description.
The passenger and head freight engines
stood perpendicularly on their furnace ends,
their drivers and gearing locked in an en-
brace of death, and the engineers and fire.
men of both engines crushed between the
two masses of IRON Engineer A. h. McFar-
land, of the rear freight engine, was thrown
from his cab window uninjured, and his fire.
man, Charles Crumb, seriously but not
fatally bruised.
The passenger train consisted of an express
car, baggage car smoker, ladies' car and two
Pullman sleepers There were tifty-three
passengers ON the train, about fifteen OF
whom were in the smoker The baggage car
telescoped the smoker the entire length
sweeping every seat from the floor, injuring
every occupant and wounding William II.
Stevens, of Toledo, so that he died a few
minutes later Engineer e. p. Swain and
Fireman Edward Humer were evidently
caught while in the act of leaping from their
engine, and the mangled remains OF both
were exposed to view, until covered by
friendly blanket The former was literally
cut to pieces The railroad sent special
train to this city to transfer the passengers.
The injured were taken to the hospital and
the dead to the undertaking rooms in the
city.
The accident was the result of forgetful-
ness on the part of Conductor Murray, of the
freight train, who took it for granted the
"Thunderboltn was in. The passenger passed
Geneva and the freight passed Buckingham,
| tao @qss two issefs spiag stations, at about
the same time or notice. The officials
Of this city saw the inevitable result and
dreaded the terrible message that came but a
few minutes later The track was blocked
six hours
The following is the killed:
Engineer 4. p. Swain, of Meadville.
Engineer William George, of Meadville
Fireman Arthur Irwin, of Meadville.
Fireman Edward Humer, of Cambridge, o.
William H. Stevenson, of Toledo, o., pas
senger ON Train No. 8, died soon after the
collision.
The injured are:
H. E. Holden, of New York, leg bruised
Adolph Wagner of Buffalo, N Y, leg
broken.
Adolph Hosen, of Paterson, n. j., leg
crushed.
H. Melvel, of Middlefield, Ont, one leg
crushed and the other broken.
Michael OBrien, boy, of No. 424 Thirteenth
street. Buffalo, N. Y, leg broken.
+. N. Newton, of Shinglehouse, Pa, leg
bruised.
David Beanland, of No. PAL East Spruce
st., Titusville, Pa, leg broken.
Charles f. Treach, of Sterling, Mass, leg
broken.
Horace Graham, fireman, returning from
Kent, o., badly hurt across hips.
NJ. f. Wyman, brakeman, returning from
Kent, o., foot crushed.
Joseph Boynton, baggage man, leg cut,
Phillip Foulk, of San Francisco, Cal, arm
hurt
j. II. Woods, of Greenville, badly hurt
F. A. Malone, of Salamanca, leg broken.
Adolph Buser, Of Cincinnati, leg crushed.
c. A. Crumb, fireman, bruised about head
and shoulders.
Disaster the Cincinnati Southern.
SOMERSET, KY, Jan. 3.-Saturday after
noon passenger trains Nos. / and ON the
Cincinnati Southern road, collided near this
city with awful effect. Train No left
Chattanooga at 0 o'clock in the morning, and
train No. / departed from Cincinnati at 1885,
At Winfield, the engineer of train No. re-
ceived orders to run TO Summit, regardless
Of train No. /.
Conductor Shrum, in the hurry of the
moment, read Somerset for Summit and so
told his engineer, who, without looking at
his own copy of the order, pulled out for
Somerset.
The orders given No. / were TO meet and
pass No at Summit No. / left Somerset
twenty minutes behind time, and pulled out
for Summit at full speed. The train had
just passed through tunnel No s, and was
turning a sharp curve at fifty miles an hour,
near Greenwood station, when No. / came in
sight, running forty miles an hour.
The two engines were scarcely 100 feet
apart when discovered Throttles were re-
versed and the engineers and firenfen jumped
and escaped, except Charles Candee, fireman
of No. l. who was caught and roasted alive.
The scene cannot be described. The
coaches were piled in confused heap-the
engines We're piles of scrap iron, and fire soon
added its terrors TO the horror.
Following is the list of the dead and in
jured as far as known,
The dead are:
Lawrence Callan, baggage master, of Lud-
low, Ky.
Lee Withrow, baggage master, of Ludlow.
Kentucky.
James Severance, postal clerk, of Stan
ford, Ky.
Patrick Taylor, engineer, Of Somerset,
Kentucky.