Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-17
A Passenger and Freight Train Crash
Together in Darkness and Fog.
Eight Persons Killed-A Dozen In
jured- Sumo Terribly Mangled.
The Debris Burns-Seyeral Bodies
remated-HOrrible Scenes,
Apprehension of Trouble on the 18TH
mus-NaYal Vessels to be Sent.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Jan. IA frig htfu
wreck occurred on the New YORK, Penn
sJivania d OhioraiIroad, near Talmadge,
ONO, this morning, a passenger train
cUllldlDg with one section of a freight
which had broken in two. Eight persons
were killed and a dozen III ured. The list
of killed is as follows:
Robert Huntington, of Gallon, Ohio,
passenger engineer; Vim. Walters, Gallon,
passenger engineer; j. f. Rushford, of
Gallon, freight brakeman; VIM. LUndy, of
Salamanca, KY, express messenger;
three ChinsmeD; Mary Ann Lyon, of
Cherry Greek, N. Y.
Four of the i'll jured are in a serious
condition.
A Leader special from Akron gives the
following particulars of the wreck: At
2:27 this morning, train No. 8, east
bound, in rounding the curve one and
half miles east or Tallmage, came sud
denly upon part of freight train No
81. There was dense fog, and
this coupled with other things
made the accident beyond human
power to avert. Engineer Huntington
had just time to- reverse the engine when
the dreadful crash came. He was in
;
and while the train was climbing the
grade the coupling parted at about the
middle of the tram. 1t was decided to
resort to the common expedIent of
doubling up. Flagmen were sent out,
one east and another west, tn warn
any approaching train. Brakeman Brad
ley was sent ahead to flag the east bound
passenger, which was known to be about
due. In the meantime, the first part OF
the broken train was taken to Tallmadge
station. The engine then returned for
the second part. signal was given,
which is said 10 have been to SUMMON
back the eastern fiagman. Flagman Brady
took it to be for him, also, and started
back to the freight tram. The engineer
of the freight engine says no recall
whistle was sounded, but at any rate
Bradley heard it and so went back. The
freiget had just got under motion to go
to Tallmadge, when the express came
along. The momentum of she fast train
WAS somewhat checked by the reverse,
but the impact was terrific nevertheless.
The engineer and brakeman jumped and
escaped serious injury. The passenger
engine was crushed into bits and mingled
with the wreckage behind 1t. The freight
engine reared up and stood almost on
ends. Engineer Huntington end fire
man Walters of the express train, were
terribly crushed. The brave engineer
was disembowelled, his head crushed
and his limbs broken and doubled up.
The passenger train consisted of a com
bination baggage and express car, aud
smoker, common coach and two sIeepers.
The greatest horror came when the bag
gage car and smoker, which telescoped
with the common coach, took
fire. Engineer Jones, of the
Kent yard engine, five miles distant,
began to be uneasy, and looking
down the track saw through the trees tho
glare of the burning cars. After the &C
cident the two telescoped coaches appear
ed as one, and from the shattered and
burning cars came the groans and
shrieks of the unfortuuates. Then came
the scene of terror, the strong
struggling to escape horrible
death by fire, the weak and
the helpless and the wounded praying
for succor from the flames that were fast
envelopipg them. One man, George
Shaw, pinned in by. the wreckage, man
aged by superhuman efforts, to release
his lower limbs, and escaped cut and
bruised. In the smoker we're sight Chi
namen. Five were pulled out ali-e,
but half dead from fright. Three were
not seen after the crash, and the bones an
bits of charred flesh gathered up in bag
was all that was found of them. One of
the most pathetic scenes was that attend.
ing the death of a little orph~n, Mary
ANA Lyon, who was being
sent from Idaho on second
class ticket to relatives in New York.
ha {rJ Is phnr he hn in
were compelled 20 stand idly by while
the unfortunate child burned, pinned
down by the wreck of the seats in the
smoking car. The passengers in the
rear sleeper were hardly aroused by the
OOncnsSiOn.