The Portland daily press., 1891-07-04
Of Twenty-Five Victims, Nineteen Man.
gled Beyond Recognition.
Negligence on the Part Of Trainmen
Which Resembles Murder.
A Heavy Freight Dashed Into an Ex.
press at RaVenna, Ohio.

CLEVELAND, o., July Sat 8 O'Clock
this morning at Ravenna, O., on the New
York. Lake Erie and Western railroad, train
No. 8. fast express bound for New York
while standing at the depot awaiting orders
was dashed into from the rear by a freight
and 25 passengers were killed and SO severe
| ly wounded.
| The vestibule train due at Youngstown at
2.55 a. m. was very late and was running on
| orders. When the stop was made at Raven
ma the engineer and fireman of the passen-
| ger train went to work to repair the engine,
| and the train was again detained several
minutes. 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
Swifts meat cars The train was running
20 miles an hour and coming down a heavy
grade. The engineer supposed lie had a
clear track, and, 1t 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 peo-
pie In the doomed train. A few yards west
OF the station the engineer and fireman
jumped, alighting safely. A moment more
and the heavy freight crashed into the pas
senger train. The freight engine went clear
through day coach in the rear, through the
sleeper and buried itself in the second Sleep
er, the third car of the train.
Many OF the passengers on the train were
asleep when the awful crash came, and a
pumoer were crushed to death in their
Dorths. A terrible scene followed There
were cries for help from all parts of the
train, mingled with dying means of others
whose lives were being crushed out. The
steam was escaping from the monster freight
engine. and soon the wreck caught fire. and
the flames crowded upon those who were
fast In the debris. The few persons who es-
capped without injury worked with almost
superhuman power In their efforts to rescue
the more unfortunate ones. In several in
stances persons slowly burned to death
while pleading with their last breath for
help which could not be rendered.
There was nothing left of the train but
mass OF debris, and the sides of the third car
stood about the monster engine, as IL to hold
lt prisoner and prevent further damage.
This scene lasted but a moment, when little
tongues of flame sprang up here and there
and soon the whole wreck was wrapped in
hre. 1t was sickening sight. Two scores
OF Imprisoned passengers were in the debris.
The flames lighting up the place with lurid
without aiding the rescuers. The fire de-
partment was Immediately telephoned for,
and every one in that end of the little city
rushed to the scene Of the disaster. Hun.
dreds soon surrounded the wreck but to little
purpose. The awful ruin had been wrought
and little was left to do but to secure and
care for the remains Of the dead. A few
passengers easily reached were promptly
rescued and several bodies of the
dead and dying were carried up to the depot
One woman, pinioned Ill INC u1oOAase,
was cremated before the eyes of the specta-
tors who worked to secure her release until
driven off by the flames,
Thomas Colville was taken out of the
wreck alive. He was terribly crushed and
burned, and his sufferings were awful to be-
hold. In an agonized voice he called to
friend: "Bily. for Gods sake get an axe
and kill me-" He died soon after.
The dead and injured were employed in
Richardson's Glass Works at Findlay. o.,
which shut down yesterday for the summer,
and they were on their way home to Corn
ing, N. Y. They were all on the extra car
attached to the train, and the only one
known to have been killed on the sleeper
was the nurse.