Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-29

CINCINNATI, o., Oct. 22.-P1nned down
in burning wreck in the center OF a
dark tunnel, with no possible hope for
help, the fate of the victims who were
aboard of two trains that coiiided at 4 40
o'clock this morning on the Cincinnati
Southern Railway, near Sloan's Valley
station, would be difficult to imagine.
The trains involved were freight No.
%, north-bound, and passenger No. 5,
south bound No. leaves Cincinnati
at s P. NJ. Another passenger train
leaves Cincinnati an hour earlier. Both
these were held at Somerset, Ky,
two hours or more, on account
of freight wreck which oc-
Cured south of that place last
night. When the track was clear the
foremost Cincinnati train started out
from Somerset first, and met and
passed safely north-bound train.
Then at a safe distance behind it the
fated No. started out. Freight train
No. %, north bound, was side tracked
at Sloan's Valley
When the first Cincinnati train passed
south, the crew of the freight appear to
have overlooked the fact that No. s was
to follow, and they pulled out and start
G. northward. Less than q quarter of
a mile away they entered a tunnel,
which is one-siXth of mile long. In
the most hopeless place that tranmen
ever met death, the engines of the two
trains dashed into each other, and the
cars following damned into each other
in a mass. Then came the added hor-
ror Of confagration.
No description of the scenes has yet
been made, only the bare results have
been telegfaphed to the officials of the
road here. These are that
FIREMAN GOULD,
FIREMAN WEIGH,
BRAKEMAN JOHN E. MONTGOMERY,
EXPRESS MESSENGER EDWARD RUFF
NER, and a mail agent were killed.
Engineers Taylor, of the passenger train,
and PInlOtt, Of the freight train, were bad
ly burned. The baggagemaster was IN
jurcd. No passengers were killed. If any
were injured the names have not yet been
ascertained.
The burning of the trains in tunnel
renders it impossible to clear the track
as readily as it could be done on open
ground, the smoke and heat preventing
men from entering. Transfers will be
made until the tunnel can be cleared.
There were two mail agents on the train,
J. 7. Gayle and c. T. Doegan. Which
one Of them is killed is not yet known. Ed
Ruffner, the messenger of the United
States Express Company, who was
killed, was a married man living at
Bond Hill, near this city.
The initial cause of the collision was
wreck, which occurred last night at
Elihu Station, two miles below Somer-
set. A mixed train was stopping to
leave a car, and had not yet got into
motion when freight came
up in the rear and struck
the rear car, causing a serious wreck.
Young Mr.. Payne, a commercial travel
er for the firm of Pierson &, Clark, Lex
ington, Ky, had both legs crushed, and
has since died.
The delay to the passenger trains by
this wreck caused the mistake of the
engineer and conductor Of the freight
lision occurred. Fortunately the pas
senger train had not entirely gone into
the tunnel when the crash came, and so
the three sleepers which did not leave
the track served as means of escape
for the passengers. These sleepers
were detached and drawn away from
the burning train, but the baggage car,
vail car and two coaches were burned.
At IL O'Clock to-day the heat and
smoke prevent anything being done to
clear the tunnel. General Manager
Carroll left by this mornings train for
the scene, and will personally direct
whatever is necessary to be done. The
railroad officials have heard of but one
passenger injured. His name is not
given, but he has been removed to
Somerset. The two engineers, Taylor
and Pimlott, are now reported as not
fatally injured.
Later advices show that Mail Agent
Gayle is living, but badly burned.
Mail Agent c. L. Degen is missing, and
death. Both lived n this city. Degen
leaves large family.
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