The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-20
FASTTRAlNSCOILIDE
Nine Lives Lost in Wreck at
Kipton Station, O.
WITH HIS HAND ON THE THROTTLE,

So Badly Sealded That the Flesh
Dropped From the Bones When
His Body Was Taken From the
Wreck-Bodies Horribly Mutilated.
CLEVELAND, April 20.-A frightful
wreck occurred on the Lake Shore rail-
road at Kipton station, about forty miles
west of Cleveland, Saturday night, in
which six postal clerks. two engineers
and fireman were killed. The fast
mail, bound east, collided with the To-
ledo express just as the latter train was
about to pull on the siding to let the
fast mail pass. The fast mail was run
ming at full speed, and the force of the
collision was so great that both engines,
three mail cars and one baggage car
were completely wrecked.
Following is the list of the dead: John
Bowerfine, postal clerk, Elyria, o.; Ed
ward Brown, engineer of the Toledo
express, Toledo, o.; +. T. Clemens, pos
tai clerk, Cleveland, o.; Charles Ham,
mil, postal clerk, Elyria, o.; G. II. Nc
Dowell postal clerk, Elyria, o.; James
Mckinley, postal clerk, Conneaut, o.;
F. ]. Nugent, postal clerk, Toledo, o.;
mail train, Toledo, o. Fireman Staley,
of the fast mail, who jumped from the
train, received injuries from which he
died shortly after.
Smashed Into Kindling Wood.
1t was the custom of these two trains
to pass at Kipton, the Toledo express
taking the side track for the fast mail,
which usually went through Kipton
without slackening its speed. The
Toledo express was a few minutes late,
and had just come 10 o stop at the
switch when the fast mail came in sight.
There is scarcely any curve at the sta
ton, but on one side Of the track was a
line of freight cars and on the other the
station. These might have obstructed
the vision of the engineer of the fast
mail. He applied the air brakes when
he saw that a collision was inevitable,
but the speed of the train was not
checked materially.
The engine of the Toledo express was
knocked squarely across the track and
that Of the fast mail reared in the air,
resting on top of the other. The fast
mail consisted of three mail cars and
| two parlor cars, and the Toledo express
of five coaches and two baggage cars.
The first and second mail cars were tel
escoped and smashed to kindling wood,
and the third crashed into the first two
and rolled over on the station platform,
breaking the windows OF the building.
The two baggage cars of the Toledo ex-
| press were knocked from the track, but
did not turn over.
Died with His Hand on the Throttle
The force of the collision was so great
that of the sixty-four revolving chairs
in the two parlor cars only four re-
manned attached to the floor, all the
others being broken and hurled about in
confusion. The passengers were thrown
were seriously hurt
Passengers of the two trains at once
began the work of rescue, and, with a
corps of physicians from the town, min
istered to the few who were injured.
All but one of the dead were beyond
human assistance as soon as the collision
occurred The bodies were all horribly
crushed and mutilated, arms and legs
being torn off, and the corpses were al
most beyond recognition.
fast mail, remained bravely at his post
and was found with his hand on the
throttle dead. His hands and face were
SO badly scalded that the blackened flesh
dropped from the bones when the body
was taken out.
1t is difficult to locate the blame fol
the accident, as both the engineers arr
dead. 1t is said, however, that the To.
ledo express was ordered to stop al
Oberlin, but went on to Kipton, which
is six miles further west, and had moi
sufficient time to make the side track.