The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-03-14
BROKE A COUPLING,
And Crushed the Life Out of
Several Passengers.
AWFUL WRECK ON THELAKE SHORE.

Coaches Filled with Travellers TeIe-
scoped by Heavy Pulimans-A Cool
Headed Coiored Man Prevents a Ter
rible Hoiocaust-Railway Onicials EN-
barrass the News-Gathcrers.
BUFFALO, N ", March THE Cleveland
and Chicago express on the Lake Shore rail
railroad, due here from the west at $3.50 p.
m, broke in two at Bay View station, about
six miles from this city last night. The two
sections came together and terrible wreck
resulted. All attempts to get any of the
facts from the railway officials were fruit
less The railroad company sent a train out
from here with surgeons and wreckers, but
refused to allow reporters on board. One
reporter struggled himself in as assistant to
surgeon. Reporters were obliged to go to
thu scene by horse and buggy, thus greatly
delaying news Of the accident
How the Wreck Occurred.
The train was running at high rate of
speed to make up lost time when the break
occurred. The front part of the train, con-
two day coaches, was quickly brought to
stop. The rear portion, consisting of five
heavy Pullman cars, came down grade at
full speed and dashed into the second day
coach. The coach was thrust upward by
the greater weight of the Pullmans and lies
on top of the Pullman. The Pullmans tele-
scoped the first day coach. The day coaches
were full of passengers.
The Coupling Declared Defective.
A passenger says the coupling was defec-
tive 1t broke precisely in the same place
as the train was leaving Cleveland. At 1890
o'clock a relief train was made up, and ten
of the most seriously injured were brought
to the Fitch institute at Buffalo. The for
ward portion Of the train was stopped by
Conductor Houghtaling, who pulled the bell
rope. Most of those in the last coach were
warned of their peril in time to leave the
car, but those in the first Pullman car had
no warning, and were i'm the car when it
telescoped one coach and was buried under
another.
Six or Seven Dead.
f. e Stewart, of $50 Street street, Ches-
ter, with his wife and Is months old baby,
was in the day coach when the crash came.
Mr.. Stewart was instantly killed. Mrs.
Stewart died before she could be taken from
the wreck The baby was uninjured. A
complete list of the killed cannot be learned,
but it is positively known that seven are
dead, six of whom were instantly killed j.
Swain, negro PORTER, of Cincinnati, has
been identified among the dead.
Waited Over Two Hours for Doctors.
j. E. Minnie, who had his arm cut off, was
placed on the engine, which started at once
for Buffalo to bring relief. 1t was two
hours and half before the physicians ar
rived, but wrecking train came sooner and
began the work Of extricating the victims
The bodies taken out were placed in a bag
gage car. One of them was that of j. Swan,
a colored porter.
A COlOred POrter's Goodness.
The hero of the affair was Waldron, one
of the colored porters of the Wagner cars.
He was the first man to rush into the
wrecked car and seize the lamp, which was
burning in the debris, and throw it from the
window, thus preventing terrible holo-
caust. Conductor Fest, conductor of the
Wagner car, also distinguished himself for
bravery and presence of mind.
julius Sigel was buried over an hour in the
ruins, pinned down by heavy timber. He
heard the groans of Mrs. Stewart, who had
been sitting in the seat in front of him, until
death put an end to her agony. The wounded
were brought to this city and taken to the
hospitals.
A Passengers Statement.
w. Il. Deland, of Fairport, who managed
to get aboard the relief train,
says the wrecked train was behind
time and was having trouble with the
brakes. At Bay View the train came to a
sudden stop, and a moment later there wasa
terrible crash. The sleepers at once became
separated from the rest of the train and had
dashed into the day coach, telescoping it
completely There were forty or fifty peo-
pie in the day coach, and Mr.. Deland says
he cannot see how any could have escaped
uninjured. He stepped off just before the
crash and was, so far as he knows, the only
one who escaped.
BUFFALO, N. ", March S.--The response
bility for Thursday nights railroad accident
has not yet been definitely fixed. All ac-
counts seem to agree that the air brakes
were uncoupled when the train started after
first breaking in two at Dunkirk The
brakes were, therefore, useless. They work
automatically, and if in proper condition
would have set themselves ON the sleepers
when they broke away from the forward
section of the train. Under those conditions
the proper step was to stop the first section
at once but instead the forward portion
went ahead, and then stopped just when it
should not have done So as by gradually
Stacking speed a comparatively harmless
shock would have resulted.
The Names of the Dead.
tits definitely known thatseven persons lost
their lives, as follows: j. Swan, porter of
sleeping-car "Salina"; John W. Flynn, of
Canton, o.; John T. Powers, of Pitts6eld,
Mass; Mr.. and Mrs. j. Z. Stewart, of
Rochester; Mrs. Joseph ID. Balucas, of
Saratoga Springs, N. Y, and one man UNI
identified. The injured are the same as