Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-04-25
HURLED TO DEATH.
Eight Men Instantly Killed In q
Wreck at Kipton, o.
Lake Shore Fast Mail Crashes Into n West
bound Passenger Train, Demolishlng
an Express Car and Two Mail Cars
Two Engineers and six Postal
Clerks Killed.

NoRwALK, April 2O-one Of the worst
wrecks the Lake Shore has suffered in
years occurred ut Kipton, a small sta
tion next west of Oberlin, at 4:52 p. m.
standard, Saturday afternoon. Two
engineers and six postal clerks were
killed and several others injured. Train
No. Il, fast mail, was due to meet No.
81, a through passenger, at that station.
Through n conflict in orders or the in
ability of No. 21 to make its 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 smo king 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 go home.
Starkly, fireman of No. IA, was severely
injured. Charles Danzey, aged a. 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 +. j. Nu.
| gent, Toledo; Charles L. Mcdowell,
Ashtabula; f. f. Clement, Cleveland
Charles Hammill and j. b. Bowertnd,
Elyria; James Mckinley, Conneaut.
All the men were married except
| Clement, who had mother and two
sisters dependent on his support. Ira
H. Lecllider, of Toledo, chief postal
clerk, left the forward car one minute
before the wreck. There were four
| -, +lNae a
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 Slo0, 900. 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 a trains length.
Benjamin Barnes was conductor on No.
II and Tim DAILY was in charge of No. 81.
Undertaken Hart, of Oberlin, took the
bodies in charge. Traffic was stopped
for about two hours.
Conductor Barns, of the mail train,
with his passengers escaped injury be-
! 4 Il, -
the accident is as follows: Train No. Il
has the right of way over all east and
westbound trains. Our engineer ex-
pected to meet the accommodation at
Oberlin, and made no effort to learn
whether she was at Kipton. The engi-
neers stuck to their places. l doubt
whether either would have had time to
jump, had he desired. Engineer Top
Tiff, however, died with his hand on the
lever. We left the killed and injured
at Kipton, while my passenger cars
We're attached and brought to Cleveland
by the wreclling train. Both engineers
were old men and no blame can rest
upon either.
L. III. Dresser, a mail clerk who was
off duty at the time and who was rid
ing in the newspaper car, says that the
men who were killed presented shock
ing appearance. They never knew
what struck them. The letter car was
reduced to splinters and the men were
hurled in al directions. They were dis
membered, torn and frightfully mutt
lated. never wish to see such a sight
again and shall not sleep for a few
nights as it 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 Michign {, and this is
the first time in nineteen years that
postal clerk has been killed on the di-
vision. Both Messrs. Pepper and Wells,
who are in charge at Cleveland, say that
it 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 We're faithful and efficient
employees of the government.