The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-04
TWENTY-0NE KILLED.
Fearful Wreck on the Erie Road
at RaVenna, Ohio.
A Day Passenger Coach TeleSCOped by a
Fast Freight.
Horrible Fate Of the Unfortunate Victims
Caught In The Burning RuinS-AGCl-
dent Due TO CareleSSness.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.


lamp to ward off any danger from the rear.
Suddenly, without warning, the headlight
of a locomotive flashed around the curve
and a fast stock-train dashed down the steep
grade from the west and went crashing into
the rear of the passenger train standing
quietly at the depot. There was some
dreadful mistake. Nineteen precious hui
man lives were crushed out in a moment
and twelve persons manned aud injured
Following is the list of the killed:
DEAD AND MANGLED.
John McAvoy, Patrick Ryan, T. Hauf,
F. Burns, j. Kimball, Owen Sandman,
Thomas Kelville. George Gildea, David
Belehian, j. COyle, j. Newcomb, d. Ryan
D. Cassidy, Henry McGilI, all glass-workers
of FindlaY, Ohio, and Corning. n. Y; C.
Griffin, A. GunthrOp, W. Kain, Brooklyn
\. y, and an unknown nurse-girl and child
all passengers in tie Pullman sleeping-car.
THE INJURED PASSENGERS.
Injured: Joseph Morgan of Corning, n.
Y.s Thomas Hanley of Corning, n. Y,
George Smith of Corning, James Dwicken
of Corning, Dennis Ryan of Corning, James
Smith, II. c. de Graf, John Cadween,
James McGill, John Keatng, A. P Jones
and Jonah Clark, l.. d. Dating, j. Codt, NJ.
MOsier, II. Young. c. Reilly. w. c. Jones,
A. Humphrey, H. Humphrey, John OHare
K. McMain, Edward Perry, F. Maltby. AL
these were seriously hart and some may die.
IN DEATH TRAP.
The passenger train was about ten min
utes late, owing to trouble with one of the
cars. The train at the time of the accident
lay on the main track just at the bottom oi
steep grade, and though the trainmeI
knew they were followed by n fast freight
no one seemed to think the freight was al
their very heels, and once on a down grade
coming into the station it was hard mat
ter to stop, especially as the freight did not
intend to make Ravenna a stopping place
What might have been expected actually
happened. The freight was making time,
and came down hill with a rush, the ell
gine and tender being fairly hurled through
the rear cars of the passenger. When the
correspondent arrived on the spot after the
accident, the scene was awful. Piteous
cries f.! help arose from the heap OF wreck.
age, ard willing hands were already tearing
at the heap Of broken and twisted timber
and iron.
THE WRECK CAUGHT FIRE.
suddenly here and there tiny tongues oi
flame sprang up from the crevices of the
wrecked train and fire had added to the
horrors Of the wreck, and, fight as they
ould. the rescuers could not drive the ugly
element hack one foot from the writhing
victims, who shreked and implOred in vain
for help that was willing enough but was
far too weak to tear aside the iron and tim.
bers before the wreck and flames had done
their worst. There were very few injured
who did not die. and very few dead who
were not bruised and broken and blackeneC
and burned out of all senblance to the form
of their Maker. Tom Hanley of Corning
who was IN the fatal rear car with score Ol
fellow glass-wOrkerS on their way tC Corn.
ing after The seasons work in Ohio, says il
was miracle that a single occupant of the
car escaped to tell of what followed the
crash.
A SURVIVORS STORY.
Il was half asleep" said he. "when
fancied l heard n man cry out in alarm
Too sleepy to fully investigate, l glanced
around the car and sunk back in TO my seat
Opening my eyes ehe next moment, i
seemed as IL | had fallen asleep anC
wakened in another world. / seemed t.
feel no shock, only sm0thered crash and {
dull sensation of pain, resulting probably
from terrific blow received ON the back o.
the head. Then realization of what hap
pened came only too soon, as the most hor
rible groans and cries came from every sid e
from poor fellows who the instant before
had been exchanging some merry remark
Then came the fire, and with the first blazt
L stopped my ears TO the screams Of pair
and terror that arose.
wEDGED IN THE WRECK.
81 was wedged in by some one, my friend
probably, but we were so bent, twisted and
doubled under the seat and about my be-
numbed legs that | could not tell what il
was, except that 1t was human and living al
one time, but dying now. Many were caught
and plDoned 10 their seats, OIL squeezed
against the walls OF the car, or against the
engine that had dashed into and through the
cars. Wherever they were, there they stood
or lay, pleading in vain for help and seeing
every moment the flames creeping closer and
closer. winding about their limbs and lick
ing their faces, and one by one their cries
were strled. My escape was simply miracle
and came about through no effort of my
own. was forced or knocked toward a
break in the car and after some hard WORK
eXtricated my legs from the mass of wreck
and human forms and found myself stand.
ing in the outside air, badly hurt, but alive. u
A sIcKENING SPECTACLE.
There was DO delay in ready assistance,
but all efforts were fruitless until the arrival
Of the city Fire Department. The flames
could not be stayed until water had been
poured into the wreck tor hours. 1t seemed
to agonize the onlookerS, but in reality all
that human power could do was done. AT
daylight a subdued and fearful crowd of
several hundred stood at the station gazing
on the sickening sight, while all about them
was the smotherIng odor of burning human
flesh arising from the black mass Of heaped
up wreckage. Now and then the eve
q nf LOT
scared flesh ana bones, each aud all black
ened and. roasted to a horrible degree. Pos
slby the most fearful sight, if one could be
worse than another, was the appearance of
the boiler of the freight train.
IN A BOILING CAULDRoN.
In the first shock the front end of the
boiler was broken in, and. as the engine
plowed its way through the mass of hui
manity, Tour poor fellows were actually
scooped up in the cauldron. Wounded and
helpless, there they lay, slowly roasting tC
death before the eyes Of the spectators who
would. but could not, aid them. Thes &c
were afterwards fshed out in piecemeal by
fremen's hooks aud covered with sheeting
AID Tor the wounded was soon at hand, but
for the dead there was nothing but to h ide
them from sight as soon as possible. The
AttDa Building was transformed into q
morgue, and as the masses of burned flesh
were hooked out they were hastily removed
there and either stretched at full length or
huddled in little heaps. An enormous
crowd had gathered about the Morgue. but
the doors were closed. Some m0rbidly curl
Gus crept up to the windows, only TO fall
back aghast at what they saw-nineteer
remains of what had been human, covered
with sneetings through which bare and
blackened limbs now and then protruded
while blood soaked through the white cloth
and puddled on the floor.
SCENES IN THE MoRGUE.
Coroner Sherman, with his assistants
stepped from one to the other. searching fol
letters or some means of identi fying one
mass from the other. This was difficult
In half dozen instances the entire head haf
been burned off, leaving only the blackened
trunk, grim and; ghasty, defying all effor Il