The state herald., 1892-05-20
AN AwFVL TRAIN WRECK.
During = Heavy storm Passenger Ex-
press Ran Into Freight on
the Big -Four Road.

/ pEUsb Akau AntU y GEclxht VA
the Big Four Road.
In the midst Of terrific storm Of wind and
rain, two Big Four trains crashed Into each
other near Clevcs, Ohio, Sunday morning,
with awful effect, the full horrors Of which
are not yet known.
The summer schedule went into effect Sun
day morning, Freight No. 4S, through
north.bound train, had orders ID stop at
North Bend TO allow express No. 80, a cannon
ball special to pass, Under the other schedule
the trains passed at another point some miles
further on. Instead u stopping the freight,
Ehgircer Higgs pulled ahead and approached
Cloves running at the rate Of twenty miles an
hour. Why he did not stop at North Bend
will never be known, rs he Ia dead, but It Is
thought that in his anxiety over the storm,
which might have washed out bridges, he for
got tho new schedule and hurried on.
As tho train approached Clevcs, Charles
Smith, the telegraph operator, was astonished
| for he knew that II should have sidetracked
at North Bend and that the EXPRESS q few
| hilnutcs overdue, was but short distance
away, running forty-flve miles nm hour TO
make up for lost time. Smith rushed to the
signal wires and dashed of the danger Sig
nal. Either II was not seen In the bllRdlng
rain or the engineer could not control his en-
glhe for II sped on by without lessenine Its
| speed.
At that very moment the express came Into
sight with tho speed of the wind. II any cf-
fort was made on either engine to slacken
speed II was not npprccIable and the Iron
monsters sprang at and crashed Into each
L.al. EA.ltS 49,. at.-A -.
like clap Of thunder. Both engines were
battcrcd.into shapclcA masscs and rolled on
the track.
The cars behind were smashed Into kind
ling and the track for 100 feet was torn up.
Telegraph poles were thrown down, and It
was two or three hours after the wreck before
word was sent out, and special train
was sent to the scene from Cincinnati Long
before, however, the people from the little
village and from the surrounding country had
gathered, and In the frlghtfdl storm, were
doing all they could Tor the victims.
The wrcckagc caught fire. A messenger
ran TO Clcycs. The fire bell rang. People
rushed to the scene and prevented the wreck
from burning up. The wounded were rcmov.
cd to Clcves under the care Of DR.. Hughes OF
that place. br. Muscrpft OF Cincinnati, was
soon there with two aids md gave the best
care possible to the injured.
Ono OF the forgotten scenes was
the death Of Brakeman Grlbbcns. He llngcr-
cd until after noon, conscious all the time.
lie had n young wife that he had kissed
good bye but an hour before. All his grief
md all his talk was about that wife. In the
ngonies OF death till his tongue was stilled
forever, he spoke OF her. Again and again
he begged some one To pray. At last, In re-
sponsc TO his plcadlngs, an old colorcd min
lister stepped t!midly to his bedside. The
dying man bcckoned the sable man to go on.
,, Then and there as the feryid petition arose
from the trembling lips Of the colored divine
there was scene Of solemnity that none
present will soon forget or ever experienced
before. The words went to the listeners as
| though they were inspired.
"Honcy" Kecfe, a freight brakeman, had
Just reached the top OF d car when the collis-
ion occurred. The crash was so terrible that
he was thrown over n telegraph wire forty
feet Into a stream, which saved his life.
The killed were the engineer, fireman and
conductor Of the freight train, and the cngin-
ecr and baggagcman on the passenger, and
three passengers were fatally injured.