The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-06-01
6I1lIIff1G 1PrdIi0fE

Ac.niiins Hnfiroad Collision I.ufeftains
SYast Crowd, bal Fit nay Cert Des Oh
uiai IIis IAlt.
\ COLUMBUS, May Sian audience
Of 5000 people 1t Buckeye Park, TWEEN
ty miles from this city. witnessed
sleht yesterday afternoon, the firss q u!
kind Ii the history Of the world; ana
what was meant % make 9 9ciepune
holiday, may yet result IN the nealn OF
one OF the chief oiilciais o.. the Golui z
bus. Hooking valley and Toledo Han
road.
For DAYS the railroad advertised q
genuine railroad collision e the CHIEF
feature ut Memorial Day holiday az
buckeye Park, q pleasure ground own
ed BY tho company, and the announce
faent caught the eye OF scientists ana
newspaper men all through the east.
such q fhing as railroad collision that
could be witnessed BY thousands OF
people from start 10 finish, had never
before been presented, though an at
tempt that resulted IN o fiiasco was at
tempted at Canton last year.
The hooking Valley Railroad took
tHO OF is Oldest engines decorated
them all over with stars and stripes, at
tatted three gnnd0la cars ana q capoose
to each, fitted chem up with fun crews
OF dummies. and announced that the 70.
rnnUtltes would start Q mile apart ana
come together.
Representatives and artists Of news
papers, OF the Edison kinetoscope and Of
numerous scientific publications came
on to Eitneas the smashup. All day
trains bearing people from all over tho
state poured Into Buckeye park, gather-
ing on a slope commanding a view OF
the track SOr miles and At SAFE dis
lance from the point Of collision Nearly
10000 people we're present from Column
bus alone.
A special track had been laid for the
collidlng trains The galIy decorated
engines, named A. L. Streeter, from
the man who had the collision in
charge, and the W. II. Fisher, from the
general passenger agent Of the Hooking
Valley Railroad, were backed up the
road by Engineers John LOOMS and Pat
Clancy TIL they were q mile apart.
At a signal the engineers pulled open
the throttles Of the locomotives till .
speed OF ten miles an hour attained, then
the throttles were pulled wide open
and the engineers jumped, while the
trains rushed on to destruction.
Going at the rate Of foTty-five miles
an hour. they came together directly in
front OF the park with q crash that
could have been heard for miles and the
air was filled with debris. Both engines
spranE into the air and held each other
by the nose, while the cars piled up
behind them.
The wreck was perfect. The lpcOmo-
lives remained forming perfect ~"
and all the ears were telescoped. The
air was filled with steam and hot water
and 5000 people were panic stricken.
When the air cleared and the wreck
could be seen, cheer went up from
5000 Threats that might have been
heard IN Columbus.
The cheer soon hushed, however, when
It was learned that one OF the Hooking
Valley officials had been struck by fly
Ing bolt and probably fatally injured.
The injured official was Thomas c.
Peck, chief clerk In the passenger de-
partment. who failed to stand far
enough from the madly rushing en-
gines a flying bolt from one Of the To-
comotlves struck him below the right
knee, breaking the leg In two places
and decorating the thigh 30 badly that
ainputati0n may be necessary. Peck
was thrown several feet and rendered
unconscious while the railroad officials
stood aghast, as they had not appre-
hended the least danger.
The presidents private car was sent
down from Columbus and the injured
official was removed at once. No less
than 100 cameras were on the scene and
the wreck was nearly torn to pieces by
relic fiends