The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-04-22
HURLED TO DEATH
Eight Men Killed in a Wreck at
Kipton, O.
TRAINS COLLIDE AT DEPOT.
Lake Shore Fast Mail Crashes Into
Westbound Passenger Train.
THE WORST ACCIDENT
THE WORST ACCIDENT

On the Lake Shore Road Since the Ashta-
bula Disaster-Two Engineers and Sir
Postal Clerks Instantly Killed-Two I'm
gines, Express Car and Two Mail Oars
Dcmolished-Detalis OF the Aocident.
NoRwALK, April 2o.-0ne Of the worst
wrecks the Lake Shore has suffered In
years occurred at Kipton, a small sta
ton next west Of 0berlin, at 4:6s p. m.
standard, Saturday afternoon. Two
engineers and six postal clerks were
killed and several others injured. Train
No. IA, fast mail was due to meet No.
81, through passenger, at that station.
Through conflict in orders or the in
ability Of No. 81 to make It's schedule
time, No. IA going fifty-five miles an
hour, met the westbound train at the
station.
Both locomotives, the express car on
No. 81 and two mail cars were smashed
into kindling. The smoking car on No.
81 was derailed and Abram Bermer, a
passenger of Kipton, was injured by
flying fragments in attempting to jump.
United States express messenger Of To
ledo was injured, but able to 60 home.
Starkly, fireman of No IA, was severely
injured. Charles Danzey, aged IA, was
standing on the platform and was in
jured about the head. The killed were:
Engineer Charles Toplif and Edward
Bacon, Of Toledo, Mail Clerks f. ]. Nu-
gent, Toledo; Charles L. Mcdowell,
Ashtabula; F. f. Clement, Cleveland;
Charles Hammill and J.. b. Bowerfnd,
Elyria; James Mckinley, Conneaut.
All the men were married except
Clement, who had a mother and two
sisters dependent on his support. Ira
II. Lecklider, Of Toledo, chief postal
clerk, left the forward car one minute
before the wreck. There were four
clerks in the second car and one in the
rear car who escaped.
james Bolens, of Ligonier, Ind, was
slightly hurt and inhaled steam.
The wreck Of the engines and cars
was complete. The accident occurred
directly in front Of the depot and flying
timbers almost demolished the tele-
graph Office.
Topliff and Bacon had been on the
road fifteen to twenty years. Both were
Knights Templar.
Mcdowell lived two hours after the
accident, remaining conscious till death.
Fortunately but one passenger was in
jured, though the smoking car was
turned across the track. The loss of
property is about 100000. Train No.
81 had almost stopped, expecting to
enter the switch. A curve at that point
prevented the men on the other train
seeing her until within trains length.
NAnjamin Barnes was conductor on No.
IA and Tim DAILY was in charge Of No. 81.
Undertaken Hart, OF 0berlin, took the
bodies in charge. Traffic was stopped
for about two hours
Conductor Barns, OF the mail train,
with his passengers escaped injury be-
yond a severe shaking. His account of
the accident is as follows Train No. IA
has the right Of way over all east and
westbound trains. Our engineer ex-
pected TO meet the accommodation at
0berlin, and made no effort to earn
whether she was at Kipton. The engi-
neers stuck TO their places. doubt
whether either would have had time to
jump, had he desired Engineer Top
liff, however, died with his hand on the
lever. We left the killed and injured
at Kipton, while my passenger cars
were attached and brought to Cleveland
by the wreclSing train. Both engineers
were old men and no blame can rest
upon either.
Z. II. Dresser, a mail clerk who was
of duty at the time and who was rid
ing in the newspaper car, says that the
men who were killed presenteda a shock
ing appearance They never knew
what struck them. The letter car was
reduced TO splinters and the men were
hurled in all directions. They wore dis
membered, torn and frightfully mutt.
lated. never wish 10 see such sight
again and shall not sleep for q few
nights as IL is.
The accident was the worst that has
ever. occurred in the mail service. Sew
eral-years ago three postal clerks were
killed in collision on the Erie railway,
and that fatality, up TO the present
time, has stood at the head Of the List.
The Ninth division Of the service in
cludes the run from Cleveland to Chica-
go, and through Michigan, and this Ii
the first time in nineteen years that q
postal clerk has been killed on the d.
vision. Both Messrs. Pepper and Wells,
who are in charge at Cleveland, say that
Il Is the very worst accident OF the kind
that has ever occurred. They speak of
the dead clerks in the highest terms and
say that they were faithful and efficient
employees Of the government