The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-07-09

Railroad accidents have been occurring
with alarming frequency of late, but the
accident which occurred at kavena ~ : :"5
this morning, was one Of the most dlretul
casualties which has occurred in this State
for some years.
York. PENNSYLVANIA and OHIO rail-
road, left Kent in good condition,
eastward bound. At Ravenna some >
thing got wrong with the engine ana
a stop was made for the purpose OF liking
the difficulty. The train stood III front Of
the depot for about ten minutes. Con-
ductor Boynton noticing that there would
be some delay, sent his son, Fred Boynton,
flagman Of tue passenger train, back to
flag any train winch might follow and thus
preclude the possibility Of an accident.
The son who Is about 23 years OF age
and has been in the employ of the COM
many for some time, did not relish the
idea of going back along the track and
disobeyed the order of his father, the
conductor. After giving the order TO the
fagman the conductor paid no further at
tention to the matter, busying himself III
assisting with fixing the ENGINE. Young
Boynton did not 90 out to nag train
which might follow, bat stood leaning
against the bumpers Of the rear car. To
his negligence alone is due the dire ca
lamity.
While standing at the rear OF the train
he saw approaching at a rapid rate OF
speed q heavy freight train loaded with
meat, it being Armour's fast train bound
for the east. This train left Kent, which
is the end Of a division of the road, just
five minutes after the passenger train
pulled out.
Boynton seeing the danger ran back the
distance of about three telegraph poles,
but he was too late to avert the disaster.
The heavily laden train could not be
OF WI
into the passenger train.
The rear coach of the vestibule train
was an ordinary day coach which had
been attached 10 the train for the purpose
of conveying to Corning, New York, a
party of glass blowers on their way from
Findlay for Il two weeks vacation.
There were Al in the party, but four of
these were in one Of the front sleepers,
leaving 40 souls in the i'll fated car. The
heavy engine, driven by the force Of the
cars behind it, plOughed its way through
this car, also through the next one, teles-
coping both. The second car from the
end of the train was a dead headn vesti-
bule car, being taken 10 a point along the
road, to be attached TO some other train.
This car was demolished, but there was
no one in ii. The end of the third car
was broken in, the engine OF the freight
train ploughing it's way half way through
the car.
But sufficient destruction had not yet
been accomplished, and further horror
was added to the scene when flames be-
gan to burst from the splintered coaches.
The scene at this time beggars de
scription. Those who were not
killed, and were SO badly injured
out OF the wreck, were literally cooked to
death. Their cries for help as the deadly
flames ate their way toward them was
heart-rending, and many OF the passen-
gers who were uninjured and who were
unable to give .succor to the fated men,
turned away with sickened hearts. The
scene is described by passenger as being
one of the most terrible and heart-rending
imaginable.
The rear end of the third car, which was
n sleeping coach, was also consumed.
Smouldering In the ruins of this car
when the fire had been put out
by the Ravenna fire department., were
lae bodies of a woman and a young child.
They were burned beyond all recognition,
it being impossible to judge even as TO the
age of the child. The woman is reported
to have been nurse and had the child in
charge. The child Is said TO have belong
ed to passenger on the train, but no one
came forward 70 claim it, or seemed to
know anything about either the woman or
the child. A passenger stated that he was
of the opinion that the father OF the child
was on the train, but as the child's mother
was dead and the child hindrance, the
father was rather glad the accident had
occurred. However that may be there
was no one who was able to identify the
two burned victims.
The work OF taking out the bodies was
a terrible one. The four men who had
been ia the sleeping car and were unin-
jured, set about 10 establish the identity OF
those killed who were in the party in the
rear coach. The manner in which this
was saccomUlished was TO secure a list of
those who were in the party and strike out