The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-10-12

was seated in the bottom Of the car with
his back to the front end OF
the car aud did not feel tho effects OF
the explosion to the extent that his
companion did. Borden WAS standing
up, holding 70 brake post when the ex-
plosion took place, and there was no esN
| cape for him. He was knocked back
into the car, which, after running the dis
tAnce TO the bridge, piled up with the
others. When found Borden was lying
between two cars and was in semi un'
| conscious state. He was picked up and
| carried up the hill to the Samuel Basr
homestead, where he was put In bed. He
| repeatedly asked for bis father, who was
at one advised by wire as stated in the
foregoing. DIR. Robinson, of North Law
renee, assisted by DR.. Hardy, dressed his
Injuries. II waS found that his right arm
was broken and that the right side
of his head was torn away. His right ear
was blown Off and he was hurt internally
so that the extent of his injuries cannot
yet be determined though tits the opinion
OF those attending him that he will live.
His parents reside at No. 1b7 East Fourth
street, his father being carpenter.
,M'DERMIT's ESCAPE.
Sam McDermit son Of S. L. McDermit,
clerk at the Auction Syndicate store in
East Tuscsrawas street and residing OF
No. 70 North Cherry street, had q narrow
escape. When the cars took the plunge
into the gully under the broken down
bridge, McDermit went with them.
There was depression north
of the bridge and he was
thrown into this depression, A car fell
on top of him but as he was down In the
depression the car did not touch him. He
crawled out and today hasn't q scratch to
show for his dangerous experience.
FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The work Of destruction by the explo-
sion was complete. AT the point where IL
occurred the track was not torn ur, but
small pieces of car timber aud bits Of
powder cans are strewn on either side OF
the track. The NEws-DEMooRAT man
walked into . field about 500 yards and
pieces of the wreck bad been thrown to
that distance, while farther on email
pieces of the cans which contained the
powder could be found.
CLEARING UP THE WRECK,
Two wrecking crews, one from Orrville
and the other from Alliance were speedily
dispatched to the scene OF the wreck, and
work at either end of II was commenced, :,
The track Was torn up for distance of
about 25O feet, but this was relaid quickly
and the work of removing the cars was
undertaken. 1t WAS a big job and at
o'clock this morning the wreckinR crews
were still working. A difficulty was the
fact that the bridge had been destroyed.
While IL took nome time to clear up the
wreckage of the cars, IL took longer to
construct bridge, so that trains did not
run from the west through Canton at all
during the greater part of the day. All
trains, until 2 o'clock this afternoon were
sent around at Orrville by way of Kent
aud down to Alliance on the g. & p. rail-
road, which 10 controlled by the Pennsyl-
vanie company. Traffic was resumed
at o late hour this afternoon, the wreck
being partially cleared away and tenn
porary bridge having been constructed.
The property loss was enormous.
CONDUCTOR LONG TALKS.
Conductor d. M. Long was seen tV the
NEWS DEMOCRAT man at the Baer resi
dence, near the scene of the wreck. He
10 very foxy man and as he stated, had
been in number Of scrapes before, so he
knew how to act. He said that he had
way bills for all of the five cars that were
taken on at Orrville and says also that
the way bills state specifically the con-
tents of the cars so that there is no occA-
sion for mistake on the part of the con-
ductor. He sSys. however, thai he never
looks at the way bills except as far as 10
necessary to identify the cars described,
and pays no attention 10 the contents Of
the cars. He states that he believes there
is some rule which forbids making up
train with explosives closer that six cars
from the engine, but that the rule was
not lived up to any more. He does not
believe, at lenst he says he doesn't, that
sparks from the engine caused the ex-
plosion, but says that some one must
have set the car on fire. When asked
how Borden and McDermit happened to
be on the train he said that "he was no
buppObeu 10 kuoW tuey WeTe Oh Nv hlis
Some of the railroad men advance the
theory that some discharged men at Orr>
vile arranged to wreck the train and used
fuse to get fire to the powder. 1t ia not
probable, however, that this 10 the proper
theory. 1t is quite evident that fire was
communicated to the powder from sparks
from the engine, and 1t is also quite evil
dent that bad the rules of the company
regarding explosives been carried out to
the full letter, the explosion would not
have taken place. II was an oversight on
the part of Condctor Long which was q
fatal one. II is fortunate indeed that no
one was killed outright for the explosion
was distinctly heard for miles. In Ma1-
sillon and Orrville windows shook and at
the farm houaes near the scene OF the
wreck many windows were broken.