The Delta independent., 1890-10-28
COLLISION IN A TUNNEL.
Six Victims of Railroad smash-ur

Six Victims of Railroad Smash-up.
CINCINNATI, o., Oct, pa disas-
trous collision occurred at $40 o'clock this
morning on the Cincinnati Southern rail
way In tunnel quarter Of a mile north
of Sloan's Valley station, between freight
and passenger trains.
In the most hopeless place that train
men ever meet death, the engines Of the
two trains dashed into each other, cars
grafton broke out
Firemen Gould and Welsh, Brakeman
John E. Montgomery, Express Messenger
Edward Ruffncr and the mail agent were
killed. Engineer Taylor, of the passenger
train, and NJ. ID. Pimlott, OF the freight,
were badly burned, and Baggagemastcr
Long was severely injured.
No passengers were killed.
Engineer John Pimlott died this after
noon, making SIX victims OF the tunnel
collision.
The best story OF the accident and the at
tendent scenes is told by }. ID. Brennan,
the messenger OF the United States Ex-
press company, who came in on the train
which arrived after IL o'clock tonight.
MIR. Brennan's story is that freight
wreck last night at Elihu, two miles south
Of Somerset, KY, kept back south bound
passenger trains Nos. 0 and for over two
hours at Somerset and caused the north
bound freight train No. % TO make long
wait at Sloan's Valley, a station a few
hundred yards south of the fatal tunnel,
which is known as tunnel No. 3. The in
structions TO train No. - were to wait at
Sloan's valley till passenger trains Nos.
and 5 passed.
The crew OF No ~ all went TO sleep.
John Pimlo.t, the engineer walked in time
TO see that passenger train No. . had lust
gone by. He assumed that ii was No. .,
and deeming the road clear, went on.
Tunnel No. 5 is lined with wood and is
about 900 feet long. It's mouth entrance
is curved and the north approach 10 1t is
one Of the steepest grades on the road and
il is also curved. Down this steep grade
thundered the fated passenger train No. 3,
with lis traiu OF Eve cars and fifty passcn-
gers. First after the locomotive was tho
mail car, next the combined express and
baggage car then in succession the
smoker, the ladies' car and the Pullman
sleeper. Within q hundred feet OF the
tunnel the crash came. The Pullman car
OF tic passenger train WAS outside the
tunnel. Only the Pullman and the ladies'
car were saved, passengers and train men
pushing them back up the track. A few
of tho freight cars were detached and
rolled out down the grade 10 the south
end OF the tunnel. All the others were
destroyed and several bodies were burned
TO ashes in the furnace.
Here is a story OF heroism that has not
been told. The horo's namo Express Mes
songer brennan had forgotten, but he
was a station agent at Somerset:
"Well, this brave man heard the cries of
George Long in the baggage car Selling
an ax he cut hole in the side OF the car
aud drew him out from under pile OF
trunks aud boxes. In the express COM
partment OF the same car the voice of f.
r. Rufiner, the express messenger OF the
United States Express Company, was
heard. He was scorchcd by the approach
ing flames. RufTncr was walking around
there unscathed, but Ia n death prison.
The brave rcscuer. ready 10 sacrifice his
own life in the effort TO save another, kept
on cutting away with his axe, his own
clothing singed by the fire, the hot air
consuming his strength and his blows get
ting feeblcr ut every stroke. Ruincr,
doomed in his prison, shouted to him to go
away.
Save yourself II YOU Gun. l am Ed
RufTnor of Cincinnati. My homc is 40
West Fourth street Go and tell my fam
lily goodbye. Tell them that YOU did all
man could do TO save my life. Now
don't stay here second longer. Go, or
you will burn up with the rest Of u.s.
The unnamed hero staggered out, and.
reaching the open air, fell down exhausted.