Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-07-11
FATAL WRECKS.
Many Lives Lost by Railway h-Upa
In Ohio and VcHt virginia.

hAVENNA, W., July 4.-lne mOSb ap-
palling railroad horror of the year oc-
curred,here at 3a. m. Friday. Twenty
persons were killed and many of their
bodies burned to crisp, while between
thirty and forty others were badly in
| jured. The list of dead, 80 far as
known, is:
Thomas Venhill, Corning, N. Y; David Reli-
| tan, Corning, N "; William Kane, Brooklyn, |
| N. Y; Albert Gantrap, Corning. N. Y; Henry |
| Gilday Corning, N Y; John Griflln. Boston; |
| Thomas Colville; nurse girl; II. Hun, +. Burns, |
| ]. Demeen, J. Coyle, A. Hardin, Lewis Kim
| ball, w. Ncwcomb, d. Ryan, d. Cassidy, p. |
Nolan.
All but three of these were burned to
crisp. The residences of the killed,
where not given, are Corning, N. Y.
The fast express (No. 81 on the New
York, Lake Erie &c Western railroad,
bound for New York, while standing
at the depot waiting for orders was
crashed into from the rear by a freight
train. A day coach on the rear of the
train was completely telescoped and
two sleepers forward took fire
and were burned up. Many of the vic
tins were so badly burned that they
are almost unrecognizable. The freight
train that telescoped the express is the
dressed meat express from Chicago and
was running about 80 miles an hour
when it struck the passenger train.
The scene that followed the crash
was terrible in the extreme. The en-
gine plowed its way, pushed on by the
weight and momentum of the heavy
cars behind it, through the coach
es as if they were made of thin
boards. Above the horrible grind
ing and crunching could be
heard the agonized shrieks of
the manned passengers, who but
few seconds before were asleep.
When the collision occurred those in
the rear cars were either instantly
killed, wounded or pinned down by
portions of the demolished cars. Then
the flames broke out and spread
with frightful rapidity. If the
accident had been awful before
, it was now an unequaled hor-
ror. The flames rushed through the
debris and the shrieks of the MANNED
or pinioned could be plainly heard on
the night air. In the forward cars the
wounded and unharmed passengers
=, were getting themselves out of the
,, wreck. They at once did all they could
to stay the flames and rescue the i'm
periled. But before this was done twenty
people were sacrificed, that many bod
e les being taken out afterward. Most
of these mangled corpses were black
: ened and burned in manner sickening
/ to look upon, some of them being roast
. ed into unrecognizable masses. By
o daylight twenty bodies had been car
ried out. How many more met death
q is not known.
a The express train was forty-siX min
d utes late and the engineer was trying
!, to remedy the fault in the engine when
= the fast freight was sighted in the
/. rear A brakeman was sent
Il back, but the heavy freight
l. train of twenty-four cars could
> not be stopped on the down
+ grade in time and it crashed into
/, the rear of the passenger train.
$ CHARLESTON, W. Va, July Cat
r least thirteen persons were killed, four
,. fatally injured and nearly sixty injured
d in less degree in an accident on the
o Kanawka & Michigan railroad at
d o'clock Saturday morning, at point s
: miles west of here. The passenger
4. train for Columbus left here with two
o carloads of eXcursionists, among them
% members Of the Order of United Ameri
~ can Mechanics, who We're going tc
II Poca. The wreck occurred on high
N trestle. The sleepers on the structure
d, had caught fire during the night anc
70 burned so that the rails spread under
q. the train. The engine and baggage
5. and mail cars passed over safely
j but the two coaches were thrown
from the track. After running
some 40 feet on the sleepers tn,
4 forward car toppled to the left, tn,
"a rear one to the right The forward
car turned completely over, landing
ic right side up. The other fell 30 feet
" turning upside down. and one set o
n trucks fell upon it, crushing the car I,
5y splinters Following is list of thos
n who We're killed in the wreck:
n Amos Coulter Red house, w. Va; Jaspe
ir Dougherty. New Martinsvle, w. Va; Col. w
M L. Fife, Buffalo w. Va; Charles Huffman
- Blue Creek. w. Va; Ella O'Leary, Charleston
le w. Va; Oryille Robinson, Midway, w. Va; L
is C. Rose, Blue Creek w. Va; Polly Sullivan
st Mason City, w. Va, worked in Charleston
&C Thomas Thornton Middleport, O.. conductor
Walter Welcher, Charleston, w. Va; Mrs
10 Walter Welchcr, Charleston, w. Va; Jane
lie White, Middeport, O.; L. N. Wilson, Gallop'
ia lis o.
90 The saddest feature was the death G
nd Walter Wclcher and his wife, wht
rd We're killed in the same seat, leaving
IT. little baby, which was badly injured
ne 1t was taken care of by friends
It. What caused the burning of ,h
mt trestle is not known, but it
,e- supposed to have caught from cinder
i'll dropped by an engine that passe
is up after midnight. Only a few tie
ST. were burned. The engineer saw til
ch smoke, but, thinking it was fog arisin
III from the creek, went on. Persons liV
on ing in the neighborhood saw the smoke
ed but thought it was from the campfire
to CT persons who had been fishing there
elk The forward car, which turned con
as pletely over, now rests right side u
lrf in field some ~ or Is feet beneat
MS the level of the bridge. When the othe