The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-16
DASHED TO QUICK DEATH.
The Horrors Of a Storm Added to a
Frightful Railway Tragedy.
THE FATAL MISTAKE OF An ENGINEER.
Both Engines Reduced TO a ShapelesS Mass, and
BOT Single Passenger Escaped With
cut Serious Injury.
Special to TIE MORNING CALL.

CLEvEs, Ohio, May BIN the midst of
a terrible storm Of wind and rain two Big
-Four trains crashed into each other at
Cleves this morning with awful effect The
full horrors Of the collision are even yet not
known. Freight No. 81, north bound, was
ordered to stop at North Bend and allow
express No. so, the eannonball special, TO
pass her. The summer schedule went into
effect to-day, and under the old schedule the
trains passed some miles further on. IN
stead Of stopping at North Bend the en-
Rineer Of the freight pulled ahead and ap-
preached CieXes, running at tue rate OF 20
miles an hour. As the train appeared
Charles Smith, the telegraph operator,
rushed to the signal wires and put up
the danger signal. Either ii was not
seen or the engineer could not control
bis engine, for the train sped on, and
&C the same moment the express
came in sight and the iron monsters
crashed into each other with roar that
sounded above the storm. Both engines
were battered into a shapeless mass and
rolled off the track, and the cars behind
them were smashed into kiudliug and she
track for 100 feet torn up. All the teie-
graph poles in the vicinity were broken and
It was two or three hours before no!iee Of
the wreck could be sent out and special
train sent 10 the scene from CINCINNATI.
The people from the village and the sur
rounding country gathered at the spot and
did all they could 10 rescue the wounded,
many Of whom were taken away. SO their
number cannot De definitely stated tonight.
1t is claimed that some OF the wounded are
iR dying condition, and It is known that
not 4 person Of either train escaped unln-
T. 81 3 q afDFa -nFHa
the work Of getting out the dead began and
uD TO o'clock five bodies had been re-
covered. Four of these were sh0ckingiy
msngled and crushed out Of all haman sem
blance.
Under tie freight engine were found
broken, crushed and scaided the bodies Of
William Hidds, lhe engineer and OF Fire
man Hiram Bruce, both OF Indianapolis.
Phillip Gibbon and David HaTW0Od were
found under 4 splintered frelghtear with
nearly every bone in their bodies broken
and their faces horribly disfgured.
The fifth body was that OF Berry Ed
wards, the engineer of the passenger
Fireman Henry TyTel jumped before the
crash, but was caught under mass Of
wreckage and so badly crushed that he can
not survive the night.
John Schroeder. the conductor of the
passenger train, was Injured in like manner
and an live but a few hours.
George W. HudleT, commercial traveller
OF MiamisbuTg. was crushed between two
car -heaters, being bent almost double. de
cannot survive.
"Bony' Keef, the freight brakeman, who
had Just reached the top Of the car when
the collision occurred, was thrown over a
telegraph wire 40 feet into a stream Of
water. which saved his life. He thinks
there were at least three tTamDs und"r the
wrecked freight. Several passengers on the
express are positive several of their num-
Der were also killed. 1t is certain they are
missing. buJ they may possibly be among
tie wounded, who are scattered around the
town.
Ho;on TerraH Of Della, Ohio, was badly
seRided, and cannot survive.
David u. Sherwood Of indianapolis, con-
duetor of the freight-train, was killed.
Mrs. Morelaud OF North Bend was slight
ly injured
From five to eight passengers who are
supposed to have been In the smoker, which
was buried in the wreck, are missing
and nothing IS known as 10 their where
abouts.
The wrecked freight was going west and
the passenger train was an accommodation
going to Cincinnati from LaWTenceburg
with about 80 passengers i FIRE started in
the wreck Immediately after the collision,
but people rushed to the scene and pre-
vented a holocaust
Fortunately relief came promptly, and
everything possible was done for the
wounded.
a pathetic Incident was the death Of
Brakeman Gibbons. He fingered until this
afternoon and was conscious all the time.
lie left his young wife an hour before the
accident. and all his grief and talk were
about her
In the agonies of death, till his tongue
was stilled, he spoke only Of her Again
and again he begged some one 20 pray for
her, and an old C0l0Ted minister responded
% the pleading and knelt by his bedside.
The scene was solemn one. and viii not
soon be forgotten by those who witnessed
it, and silent tears mOistened every eye.
A WTecklng party aided bY the citizens is
working with might and main 10 extTicate
the bodies Of those persons who were in the
smokiHg-car, and who are supposed to be
under the debris. There is a faint hope,
however, that the supplsitinn that these
eight or nine persons were killed may prove
20 be erroneous.
CINCINNATI, May 17-Juliu5 Weber
Chief Clerk Of the County COrOneT's Court,
has just returned from the wreck at CieyeS,
and says he thinks that there are from five
90 ten more dead in the ruins. The exact
number cannot be told tonight, owing to
the prOstrati0n Of the telegraph wires by
the accident and of tie telephone wires by
the storm. The details Of the wreck are
slow IN coming IL, aud no complete list Of
the wounded can be given, The properly
loss Is very severe, and will reach S100,0 600.
Both engines are complete wrecks, and the
coaches OF the express train are ruined It
is claimed that much valuable mail and ex-
press matter is also lost. A dozen freight
cars, all loaded with costly goods, are also
lost
The Superintendent Of the Big Four Rail-
way te.5gIaphed from CiC.es 30 o'clock
tonight that it had been aSeertaned beyond
all doubt By the removal Of the wreck that
there were no bodies buried under IT, The
list Of casualties as already given may,
therefore, be regarded as complete and Coz
rect