The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-07-10
ROASTED ALIVE.
An Appalling Railway Disaster
at Ravenna, Ohio.
HOLOCAUST OF INJURED SURVIVORS
A Rear End Collision Kills and Mutt
iates the Passengers in
Two Coaches.

Flames Take Up tho Work of Destruc-
ton and Make the Horror More Hor-
rible-Dreadful Death of Woman in
Full Sight of the Helpless Spectators
An Awful Scene at the Wreck, Which
Almost Rivals the Ashtabula Disaster
in It's Terrible Decentralization of
Blunder by Somebody - Nineteen
Dead and Twenty-one Wounded.
RAvENNA, O., July 4.-One of the most
appalling railway accidents that ever hap
pened in this state, almost rivalling the
Ashtabula horror, took place yesterday
morning at 3 o'clock on the New York,
Lake Erie and Western railway. Not con-
tent with the awful work of the collision
which mangled and slaughtered car load
of passengers, the angel of death called to
his service the fire fend, and those pinned
in the debris were quickly roasted, their
screams of agony and despair chilling the
blood in the hearts of those who stood
near willing to aid and succor but utterly
powerless. One woman could be seen by
the appalled, spectators as the flames sure
ly made their way to and over her living
body, in spite of almost herculean efforts
to release her, continued until the heat
was absolutely un bearable by the would-be
rescuers
The Story of the Horror.
The east-bound Erie vestibule No. 8, due
at Youngstown at 2:55 a. M, was very
late, and was running on orders. When
stop was made at Ravenna the engin-
eer and fireman Of the passenger train
went to work to repair the engine, and
the train was again detained several min
utes. A fiagman was sent back, but went
only few feet, at most two car lengths.
Suddenly around the curve, west of the
city, came train No. 49, composed of
Swift's meat cars. The train was running
twenty-five miles an hour, and coming
down heavy grade.
Thought He Had Clear Track.
The engineer supposed he had clear
track, and, it being through train, he
was not expected to stop at Ravenna. He
called for brakes, and reversed his engine,
but all to no purpose. On came the
freight train, with but slightly decreased
speed, and no word of warning could be
given the people in the doomed train. A
few feet west of the station the engineer
and fireman jumped, alighting safely. A
moment more the heavy freight crashed
into the passenger train.
Clear Through Two Coaches.
For a moment after there was the
silence of death, and then commenced the
most frightful cries ever heard. The
means of the dying, the piteous cries for
help from the imprisoned and helpless
passengers, and the mutilated and bloody
remains of the dead seen through the
fragments of the debris formed a scene of
horror no pen can picture. The freight
engine had gone clear through a day
coach in the rear, through the sleeper and
buried itself in the second sleeper, the
third car of the train. There was nothing
left of the train but mass of debris, and
the sides of the third car stood above the
monster engine as if to hold it prisoner
and prevent further damage.
The Demon of the Flames.
The scene lasted but moment, when
little tongues of flame sprang up here and
there, and soon the whole wreck was
wrapped in fire. 1t was dreadful sight.
Two scores of imprisoned passengers in
the debris, the flames lighting up the
place with a lurid glare, served only to in
tensify the horror without aiding the res
cuers. AS soon as the dazed passengers in
the other cars recovered themselves they
rushed to the rescue of their unfortunate
companions. The fire department was i'm
mediately telephoned for and every one in
that end of the little city rushed to the
ccapa Of tho dioaotar