The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-04
SICKENING SCENES WITNESSED
] YeStibulo Express TeleSCOped by a
Fast Freight Train.
SEEKING OUT THE RESPONSIBLE ONES.
a Story of the Horror by Captain Wallace,
an Escaped Passenger-The Engineer
Says He IL Not to Blame.

RAvENNA. O., July 3.-The worst railroad
accident ever occurring in this vicinity hap
Pened at o'clock this morning. The horri-
bic calamity has fairly appalled, the town and
neighborhood
Twenty people we're killed and their bodies
burned to a crisp. More than that number
were injured. The charred remains Of the
dead were taken from the ruins Of the de-
moshed passenger train as fast as the flames
could be subdued by the townspeople, who
rallied to the rescue
Such terrible sights as were witnessed in
the early morning hours made the people al
most SICK
An express loaded with sleeping passengers
was run into 10y freight train while the ex-
press was at q standstill in this city.
THE wRFCK COMPLETE.
The wreck Of the passenger train was terri
bic and complete. To add to the condition Of
the unfortunate passengers who were I'M
prisonet III the debris the train caught fire
and was consumed I'm this waY death fairly
swept through the wrecked train. BY dav-
light twenty bodies nearly all Of them charred
IN horrible manner. were taken out. Twenty
three injured had also been rescued. large
number of the killed were glass-bl0wers who
were on their way Fast ON tinday.
he freight train that telescOped the eN-
press is the dressed meat express from
Chc1go and was running about thirty miles
an hour when It struck the passenger train
cARELEssNEss THE CAUSE.
The accident was due 10 the carelessness in
leaving a swift h open. The passenger train
which was the yestbule express with eight
coaches from Cincinnati TO New York on the
New York Pennsylvania and Ohio railroad
was forty six minutes late and the engineer was
trying % remedy the fault In the engine when
the fast freight was sighted IN the rear. A
brakeman was sent to the back but the
heavy freight train of tWeuty-fOur cars could
not be stopped on the down grade IN time,
and II crashed into the rear OF the passenger
train The rear coach contained torty-slN
passengers, all glass workers recently EN-
pl0yed at Richardson Glass WOTksi lndlay,
who were on their way to their homes IN New |
York state. The car was completely de- |
molished and terrible slaughter occurred.
Thu ENGINrEB's STATEMENT.
George Holman, the engineer of the freight, !
said 10 a reporter Il cannot see that / was to !
blame. Oh my God. if 1 could have cot sand |
could have stopped the train. but the rails |
were wet and the sand would not take. / !
wasn't warned III time and could not See the |
lights on the rear of the passenger. owing |
10 the darkness and fog. ! reversed the lever |
as quickly as possible. and with the fireman /
Jumped from tho tram, sustaining q severe |
fracture If the night hand.
Mr.. Holman seems to think that the man of |
the passenger train Fred Boynton, could |
have tagged from q greater distance.
The fire department of Rayenna was soon
ON the scene and extinguished the flames,
but not before the terrible havoc had been
wrought Besides the victims in the rear
coach four passengers III the Pullman car
next forward were killed.
SCREENING SCENES.
Two men and one woman were burned 10
death IN tins car while their bodies were
partly ont of the windows. their attempts 10
escape having been frutless. One woman
was heard screaming horribly while being
burned, but she could not be reached. Two
headless bodies Of men could be seen caught
il outrigging of the locomotive inside the
telescoped car and another dead body was
suspended from the cOw-catcher.
The brakeman who was sent back had got
only about fifteen rods before lie met the
freight train.
GIRLS AWFUL FATE.
The scenes at the wreck here this morning
were heaTt-rending. nurse girl. whose
name is unknown. and babe about year
old, which she was carrying, were burned to
death before the very eyes or the horror
stricken spectators. Heroic efforts were made
TO save them. but they were apparently
bound down by the broken timbeTs of the
cars. Ihelpoor girl pleaded pteously for some !
body in mercy TO kill her The flames almost
enveloped the car and repeatedly drove the
Tescurers away. Finally the workers were ]
compelled - fall back and abandon the girl 10 J
her awful fate This was but one of the awful ]
scenes being enacted.
When the great freight locomotive ploughed
through the rear coach IL mangled into un-
recognizable masses Of flesh and bones sew
eral of the passengers their deaths. horrible (
though they were. easy compared 20 that OF
some Of their friends When the locomotive
came 70 q standstill five forms we're seen 20 be
piniOned between the head OF the boiler and G
the torn and twisted timbers of the coaches
j WO were undoubtedly dead or unconscious, \
but the other three weakly swayed their 3
bodies and waved their hands in an agonizng a
sndeavor 10 free themselves rom their fright :.
.ul position. Quickly the debris OF the coach
caught fire and IN few minutes the forms of 6
he poor fellows were enyeoped III smoke and
iame. 81
WHAT TRAMP SAID. .
A tramp, who was riding on the rear OF the u
ll-fated train, in all probability knows more
lbout the accident than any other living e.
man. lie was arrested aud placed in the city
Prison by Sheriff Jone to await the coroner's
inquest He said. II rode on the rear plat
orm of the car. getting on at Kent As the IL
'estibuie train slowed up at the Raycnna sta l.
ion Jumped off and walked back a distance :,
# thirty or forty feet and stepped 10 the h
light about eight feet. Just then the glare of 81
ne headlight from the freight engine flashed ;r
a my face. Hooked for the brakeman. He had h,
un toward the approaching tram and from the ce
,Osition Of the lantsrn | concluded he had
,ainy seen. though very near the
round. A.moment later the fearful crash -
ane l was by this time in front OF the Pull Z, g.
nan, one removed from the Inflated coach. ~
was turned over by the lorce OF the col a,
sion and / saw a ladys face at the sleeper uuts
window Just after the cars struck. grabbed T., T.,
heavy piece Of timber and broke IN the -
lass, then jumping on a brace underneath 81
be car climbed in and pulled tho lady out" On On
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
The following is an accurate and complete
st e the nineteen dead. fa
killed:-John Coyle. David Relihan, Fred M
urns John Griffin, Fred DUFF, Owen Harde- on
IAN, Dennis Ryan, Patrick Ryan, Dennis on
asady. Albert Gunthrup John Denny. Henry
ildea, i. Nolan Thomas Keyele. William
ewcombe. all OF Corning. ~ y. and mar
ed; William Kane. of Brooklyn: John KIM =
all, OF flnlay, and q woman and child who lii
ere not identified GU
All of the injured. about twenty left TOR ~,
ieH homes Ia Corning, n. T., during the day inl
the eXCeDfi0u 0f MtpOan and | ma