Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-16
A Terrible Disaster on the
Big Four Road.
Trains Meet on the Same Track
at Cleves, Ohio.
Freight and Passenger Cars Piled
Up in Awful Confusion.
Nearly All the Trainmen Killed and a
Number of Passengers Injured.
Not One Escaped
4 Unhurt.
,As.ociated Press Dispatches.

Associated Press Dispatches
CLEvEs, Ohio, May 15.-In the midst
of a terrific storm of wind and rain two
Big Four trains crashed into each other
at Cleves, this morning, with awful
effect, the full horrors of which are not
yet known.
Freight No. A, north bound, was or
dered to stop at North Bend to allow
No. 80, a cannon-ball special, to pass.
The summer schedule went into effect
today, and under the old schedule the
trains passed some miles further. on.
Instead of stopping at North
Bend the engineer of the freight
train pulled ahead and approached
Cleves, running at the rate OF twenty
miles an hour. As the train appeared,
Charles Smith, the telegraph operator,
rushed to the signal wires and put up
the danger signal. Either it was not
seen or the engineer could not control
the engine, for the train sped on. At
the same time the express came into
sight and the iron monsters
\ CRASHED INTO EACH OTHER
with a roar that sounded above the
storm. Both engines were battered
into a shapeless mass and rolled off the
track. The cars behind were mashed
into kindling, and the track for hun
dreds Of feet torn up. Telegraph poles
were broken, and it was two or three
hours before notice of the wreck could
be sent out and special train be sent
to the scene from Cincinnati. W
REsCUING THE WOUNDED.
People from the village and surround
ing country gathered and did all they
could to rescue the wounded, many Of
whom were taken away and the number
cannot be definitely stated tonight. 1t
is claimed some of the wo unded are in
q dying condition. Not q person on
either train escaped uninjured.
GETTING OUT THE DEAD.
With the arrival of the special train,
the work Of getting out the dead began.
Up to 6 o'clock five bodies were re-
covered, four shockingly mangled and
crushed out of human shape.
Under the freight engine were found
the crushed and scalded bodies of Will
man, Hiram Bruce, both Of Indianap-
oils.
The bodies OF Phillip Gibbon and
David HAYWOOD were found under a
splintered freight car, nearly every bone
in their bodies broken, and their faces
horribly disfgured.
The fifth dead body was that of Berry
Edwards. engineer of the passenger
I train.
Fireman Henry Tyrell jumped before
the crash, but was caught under q mass
of wreckage and go badly crushed that
he cannot survive the night.
John Schroeder, conductor OF the pas.
senger train, was injured in like man
) ner, and can live but few hours.
George w. Hudler, q commercial
traveller of Miamisburg, was crushed
between two seats, being bent almost
double. He cannot survive.
A BRAKEMAN's EXPERIENCE.
'Bony'' Keef, freight brakeman
who had just reached the top of car
when the collision occurred, was thrown
over the telegraph wire, forty feet, into
stream of water, which saved his life.
He thinks there are at least three
tramps under the wreck.
Several passengers on the express are
positive that several of their number
were also killed. It is certain they are
missing, but are possibly among the
wounded scattered around the town.
MORE OF THE VICTIMS.
Holton Terrall, Of Delta, Ohio, was
badly scalded and cannot survive.
David II. Sherwood, of Indianapolis,
conductor Of the freight, was killed.
Mrs. Moreland of North Bend, Ind.
was slightly injured.
Five to eight passengers, who were
supposed to be in the smoker, which
was buried in the wreck, are missing and
nothing is known as to their identity.
The wrecked freight was going west
and the passenger train was going to
Cincinnati from Lawrenceburg, with
about thirty passengers.
Fire started in the wreck, but people
rushed to the scene and prevented hol.
ocaust. Fortunately relief was prompt
and everything possible was done fol
the wounded.
A PATHETIC INCIDENT.
A pathetic incident was the death o.
Brakeman Gibbons. He fingered until
this afternoon, conscious all the time.
He left his young wife an hour before
the accident, and all his grief and tall
was about her. In the agonies Of death
till his tongue was stilled, he spoke only
of her; again and again he begged some
one to pray; and an old colored minister
responded to his pleading and knelt al
his bedside. There was a scene o
solemnity that will not soon be forgotten
by those who witnessed it, and silent
tears moistened every eye.
BODIES IN THE SMOKER,
The wrecking party. aided by citizens
are working with might and main t,
extricate the bodies of those person
who were in the smoking car and SUP
posed to be under the mass Of debris
There is faint hope that the supposi
tion that these eight or nine person
were killed ia erroneous.
PERHAPS TEN MORE DEAD.
CINCINNATI, May 15.-Julius Wehhe,
chief clerk Of the county coroner
court, has just returned from the wrecl
at Cleves, aud says he thinks there ar
from Ave to ten more dead in the ruins