Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-05-13
MANY LIVES CRUSHED.

Because of Defective Air-BraIses Train
on the Big Four Road Gets Beyond Its
Engineers ControI-It Leaves the Track
and Crashes Into the Depot Building at
Lafayette, Ind. - Ten Men Killed and
Many Hurt-Five Lives Lost In Rail-
way Disaster in Ohio.
LAFAYETTE, Ind, May s. One of the
most horrible wrecks in the history OF
Indiana occurred on the Big Four road
in this city at 1:15 Sunday morning,
as result of which ten men are now
dead and many more injured The train
was the east-bound passenger leaving
Chicago at 0 p. IN. The accident was
caused by the failure of the air brakes
10 work. The engineer undoubtedly
discovered this before reaching the cut
beyond the Wabash river, as the vigor-
GUS whistliug of the engine for brakes
could be heard when the train was still
mile west of the city
The engineers desperate effort to
stop the train was shown by the large
amount of sand thrown by him on the
bridge through which the train came
just before the fatal crash. The train
dashed out of the bridge over the Wa
bash river at speed of not less than go
miles an hour, when the engine left the
track, crashing into the depot building,
tearing off portion of the depot and
train sheds, carrying them several hum
dred feet.
The engine when it left the track was
| followed by the baggage car, two postal
| cars and the express car and piled in
one promiscuous mass, a total and COM
| plete wreck, burying score or more of
victims in the pile of debris. The trucks
| of the first day coach were dragged
out and the side of the car knocked
into fragments, but no passengers in
this car were injured. The chair car
and two Pullman sleepers renamed on
| the track. The wreck was complete
| one, the engine and cars being torn to
| pieces and piled up together with their
contents.
Fire broke out from the stove in the
baggage car, but the fire department
speedily extinguished the flames. A
large crowd of citizens gathered very
| quickly at the scene of the disaster and
assisted in rescuing the victims, and a
large force of local physicians gave the
necessary attention to the wounded.
Several victims of the wreck were per-
sons standing in the depot waiting for
the train, hackman, mail-cart driver
and passengers.
The list of the dead is as follows:
Michael Welch, engineer, indianapolis, fright.
| fully mangled, head crushed, leg torn from
| body, found under the engine: Fireman Nc.
| Innis, Indianapolis F. d. Myers, Logansport,
mail clerk; 4. f. Mcmahon, Cincinnati ex.
| press messenger; A. r Chadwick Cincinnati
| Inf IA cl,
| man; John Lennon, Lafayette, mai-cart
driver; Jesse H. Long, Lebanon, Ind, mail
clerk Charles Schahill, passenger, Just bought
ticket 10 Indianapolis; Otto Jerselson, AL
hambra hotel, Chicago, passenger going to
train.
These were all frightfully crushed
and mangled, their limbs being severed
in several instances and bodies terribly
disfigured.
The injured are as follows:
jefferson Reese, Kempton, bruised and cur
/ about the head; Richard Jones. Pontiac. Ill.
cut about head; Louis Letfier, Fowler cut by
glass from breaking windows; Sephas Bergen
Gale, Milwaukee, cut about head and hand bad
ly bruised William Place, living near Frank
fort, Ind, bruised and cut Charles Roush, La
fayette, leg broken in two places: William
Rechtell, Lebanon. Ind. passenger in waiting
room arm and hand lacerated: c. A. Wissell
A. W. Cornahnn, L. A. Wetzler and j. n. Wick
cry, mail clerks, all from Cincinnati, were more
or less injured, but not seriously.
The damage TO property will be fully
10000, while the subsequent losses
which will grow out of the disaster
will make the total very large sum.
CINCINNATI, May s.-A rear-end col
lision between two freight trains or
the Dayton & Michigan road occurred
Saturday near Tadmer, north of Dayton
The first train had stopped for water, anC
the succeeding one ran into the real
end of it. Six tramps had hidden them
selves among some railroad ties on on,
of the cars, and when the shock cam,
five of them were killed outright an,
one was injured.