The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-08-05
Y VERDICT
Of Coroner Sher-
man in the
Horrible Erie Wreck
at Ravenna.
Several Employees Charged
with Carelessness and
the Railway man.

agenent scored.
The State of Ohio, Portage County. s.


The State of Ohio, Portage County. S. s.
Be it remembered that on the third day |
If July, A. ID. 1891, information was given
o me, A. M. Sherman, coroner of said |
that the dead bodies of several per-
sons to me unknown had been found with |
N said county, whose death sup
posed to have been caused by violence. l
forthwith appeared at the place where the |
bodies were found, and after viewing the |
same and caring for them as the law di-
rects and after careful examination L found
in all nineteen dead bodies; fifteen of whom
we're SO disfigured by physical causes as to
be unrecognizable; the other four bearing
marks of severe contusionS, were indenti-
fed by friends. l at once issued subpoe-
mas to such witnesses as l deemed necess-
ary, and proceeded to enquire, how;
how deceased came to their deaths
if by violence, from any other person or
persons, by whom, whether as principals
or accessories before or after the fact, to-
gether with all the circumstances relating
thereto.
The following witnesses were sworn and
examined and their testimony taken by a
competent stenographer and by them re-
spectfully prescribed and afterwards re-
duced to print and is herewith returned as
the official record:
Witnesses, j. NJ. Himbach, 81. L. Wood
worth, II. c. DeGraff, John Keating, Jonah
Clark, A. C. Jones. II. 81. Young, A. r.
Pappenfuss, w. H. Rowley, John E. Har-
rington, j. Pendergast. Allen NJ. Slater,
W. ii. Miller, P. Fl. Boynton, Fred p.
Boynton, VIM. r. Kingen, VIM. Grinnell,
Geo. J. Holman, Bernard Dyer, w. II.
Young, E. j. Burlingame, Stephen Wark,
j. S. Matson, j. E. Bailey, Oliver E. Cook,
Frank Bushong, S. G. Arnold, j. B. Mil
ler, S. B. Smith, j. F. Sharp, Jennie Letter,
Addie Letter, o. M. Evans, W. A. Jenk-
ins, w. l.. Wright, E. F. McCloskey, James
Corbet, d. c. Goldman, w. H. Marsh, A.
B. Fairchild, Joseph Wel.e, Augusta Wei
te, w. T. Schultz, A. Mordica, j. G. More
head, FL. c. Lathop.
After having heard the evidence l do
find that the nineteen persons aforesaid
whose dead bodies were viewed by me as
already described, came to their deaths
each and every one by violence from a
railroad collision on the New York, Lake
Erie and Western railroad at Ravenna, Ohio,
on the 3rd of July, 1891, at or about $50
a. m. That said collision was by and be-
tween what is known and operated by said
company as trains and 80, train be-
ing firSt-claSS veStibuled passenger train,
consisting of locomotive, combination bag
gage car, ladies' car, dining car, four Pull
man sleeperS, and rear day coach, which
coach contained SO passengers at the time
of the collision, all of whom were bound
for Corning, N. Y, and all the dead bodies
save one were passengers in said coach.
Train 80 was known as fast freight train;
was composed of locomotive and "a heavily
loaded Swifts cars containing meat con-
signed to New York City. Said trains were
equipped in their usual manner and left
Kent, Ohio, respectively 40 minutes late
bound east Train being the passenger
train had the right of way and registered
at Kent to leave at 2:11 a. m. Train 81
registered to leave Kent at 2:15 a. m. The
printed rules of the company require an in.
terval of five minutes between the starting
of a passenger and freight train following.
The evidence shows that train s did moi
actually leave Kent until 2:13 a. M, loss
| of two minutes from her registered time.
| She is allowed by schedule time IL min
| utes between starting at Kent and
| leaving Ravenna distance 6 $40 miles. Ev
| idence shows that she lost 2 or 3 minutes
| more, between Kent and Ravenna, making
| in all at least minutes between time reg.
| iStered at Kent and her arrival at Ravenna
| Evidence is conflicting as to actual time OF
| arrival at Ravenna. Conductor P. .Boyn
| ton of the passenger train testifies that he
actually left Kent at 2:13 and arrived at
Ravenna $50, although his report shows
that he arrived at 2:27 and was struck a
1888. The report was telegraphed tt
Meadville by the operator at Ravenna, who
swears that he filed out this report at Con
ductor Boynton's dictation making time O.
arrival 1921. This Conductor BoyntOr
denies and asserts positively that his train
| s, remained at Ravenna 8 minutes before
the collision which he marked by his watch
| The testimonysof passengers says from 3 tt
minutes, that being the best of their rec
objection. Brakeman and baggage master
confirm the same statement. Engineer
Pendergast, who was repairing his whistle
thinks it was from to minutes, although
he did not note the time by his watch. TIL,
entire crew of train agree that the trail
| did not make her usual time from Kent tC
Ravenna. Engineer Pendergast discovered
that whistle was defective and did not re
spond when about midway between Ken
| and Ravenna and when he was approach
| ing the Cleveland and Pittsburg crossing
On arriving at Ravenna depot he imme
diately commenced repairing it, thinking
it would not consume more than a minute
| This defect was unknown to the conductor
and rest of the crew excepting the fireman
who assisted in the repair. After the pas
sengers for Ravenna had alighted and bag
gage had been removed, which consumed
about minute, the conductor signaleC
his tram to go, but it did not. There being
large number of passengers that night,
and the conductor being busy collecting
tickets. and his train not moving, inquired
of the front brakeman the cause, who in.
formed him the engineer was repairing his
whistle. AT least minutes had been con-
| sumed since the arrival. The conductor
at once directed the brakeman to go for
ward and tell the engineer to start his
train. This order was obeyed, but as the
engine Was popping steam and the engin-
eer. being still on the top of his cab, could
or did not hear the order, nor see the dan
ger signal, and in an instant the collision
occurred.
Rear flagman Fred Boynton on train s,
whose special duty it was to protect his
train from trains following in the rear,
testifies that within from 40 to go seconds
from the time the train stopped at Ra-
VIENNA he started back with his danger sig
nal and made every effort possible to go as
far west as he could to arrest an approach
ing train that he knew was following them.
OWluS " Will WulCil Tic LIdCh
was ballasted, he could not make rapid
progress. He had gone 900 or more feet
from the rear of his train when he saw
train 50 come around the curve % of a
mile away, he gave the danger signals, but
got no answer of recognition from the rap
idly approaching engineer whose train was
running 80 miles an hour up to within a
of a mile of the rear end of the passenger
train. A collision from that point was in
evitable. 1t should be stated that when
about 3 miles from Kent and before they
arrived at the G. & p. X. Il. crossing,
while standing on the rear platform of the
last coach, he observed what he supposed
to be the headlight of train 80 mile and
a half away, following his train. He has
been severely criticised for not having
thrown fusee as an emergency danger
signal to following trains.
A printed code of rules has been adopted
by the railroad company for the govern
ment of their employees. Rule 81 of this
code is as follows: "a fusee is an extra
danger signal to be lighted and placed on
the track at night in cases of accident or
emergency" While it is true that fiagman
Boynton was on the alert and prepared
~, 90