River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-05-19
FORGOT HIS ORDERS.

An Awful disaster caused Dy n HALFWAY
Omciars Lapse of Memory Collision
Between Trains at Cleve, Olive Per-
sons Killed and Several Injured.
CINCINNATI, May 16.-Station Agent
Smith, who officiates for the Big Four
railroad at Cloves, o., Is miles from
this city, made mistake Sunday morn
ing. lie forgot change that had been
made in the RAINING time of local
passenger train, and the result was that
five men were killed, two fatally In
lured and six wounded more or less
seriously. The killed are.
n. o, Edwards OF Greensburgh, Ind, engineer
Of the freight train; William Higgs, OF Law
Tcnceburg, Ind, engineer of the passenger
train; David Haywood, Of indianapolis, conduca
tor Of the freight; Hiram Bruce, Of 9reensburg,
Ind, extra fireman OF the passenger train
Philip Gribben. Of Lawrencebnrg, baggage mas
ter of the passenger train.
The fatally injured are:
John Shrader, of Lawreneeburg, conductor OF
tho passenger train. injured internally and cut
on the head causing conclusion OF the brain, he
cannot recover; bolton Terrill, a commuter OF
Lawrenceburg, badly scalded and cannot live.
The remote cause of the accident was
a change of time which took effect Sun
day The Sunday morning Aurora
tind.) accommodation has been due
here at 9:16 and the change brought it to
Cincinnati at SIG, one hour earlier The
freight train crew who left Cincinnati
with a locomotive and twenty or
more freight car at Z o'clock Sunday
morning had been notified Of the
change of time aud SO had Station
Agent Smith, of Cleves. just before
the freight reached Cloves Engineer
Edwards whistled for orders from Tho
station The block signal system is in
use on the road, and Agent Smith. for
getting for the time being the instruc-
tions he had received regarding
the change in the time OF the
Aurora accommodating, adjusted the
block signal SO as TO notify the freight
engineer that the track, which is a
single one at that point, was clear fef
him to the next station west. The
freight was running at least 20 miles
an hour, ard Engineer Edwards, seeing
the signal, kept dashing on.
just as the engine was passing the
station Smith remembered the change
of time. 1t was too late, lie changed
the signals, but the freight train
had Numbered by. II proceeded
only 500 feet beyond the sta
ton. The Aurora accommodation
was coming east and the two
engines crashed into each other, pro-
iucing frightful wreck The passen-
ger and freight ears iammed into one
another in the widest confusion. The
two engines were so badly wrecked as
to permanently disable them both.
The steam from the boilers escaped
and added to the terror endured by the
wounded and dying.
Local physicians were summoned and
as soon as word reached this city wreck
ing parties were sent out with surgeons.
The dead were taken from the debris
and all the bodies found to have been
badly scalded.
Station Agent Smith admits having
forgotten the change Of time and says
that had he remembered one minute
sooner than he did the arcideht would
not have happened. 1t is probable that
he will be arrested and charged with
Inanslaughter. Fortunately there were
few passengers on the accommodation
train.
had just reached the top of car when
the collision occurred. The crash was
so terrible that he was thrown over a
telegraph wire 40 feet into stream OF
water, which saved his life lie thinks
there are at least three tramps under
the wrecG Of the freight train. The
property loss will be 500, 000 Both
engines are complete wrecks, and the
coaches of the express train are ruined.
1t is said much valuable mail and eS-
press matter is lost. A dozen freight
cars loaded with costly goods are a
total loss.
HAeERsTowN, Md, May 16.-A train
on the Norfolk & Western road was
wrecked II miles from here at o'clock
Sunday morning. 1t was in charge of
/ Conductor William Hays and was
made up of a sleeper, two coaches, a
smoker and n baggage car. just
as the engine reached the switch it
| jumped the track and dashed into
I freight cars on a siding. Conductor
| Hays was on the platform of ear and
was hurled headlong 80 feet against THE
rocks and instantly killed, John
| Hauke, passenger hailing from Lew
istou, Pa, was dug out of the
/ wreck with a broken leg and suf-
/ fering internal injuries. nc will
| die. His fethsr was also badly
hurt, Another passenger, supposed to
/ be a drummer, was taken out in dying
, condition. A card in his pocket bore
the name John Boyle, Brooklyn, n. Y.
c. n. Wenner, travelling passenger
agent, and William ElslingeF, OF West
Fairview, Pc, We're also severely hurt.