The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-08-25

Crashed Into the Standing Train.
SHARON, MssA, Aug. so.-A frightfui
rear.end collision occurred in the
Sharon station of the New York, New
Haven 4 Hartford railroad At 1880
sunday night, when IN express train
which was running e the second Sec
tion Of long train, crashed into the
first section, composed Of local cars
AS result six persons were killed
and 26 seriously injured. The injured
were nearly all removed 70 Boston on
. special train, which was met BY am-
balances and surgeons. The rear car
of the local train was completely de-
molished and portion Of the second
car, while the engine of the express
train was crippled The dead are:
Franklin M. Waters, Somerville,
Mass.
Mrs. William J. Fitzpa trick, Boston,
her granddaughter, Mary Fitzpatrick,
10 years of age, and her grandson, five
years old.
A woman supposed to be Mrs. Wat
son, of Westerly, R. l. ....a
Mrs c. II. Briscoe, Revere.
The injured, some GO in number, are
mostly Boston people.
The two trains which were in the
| collision were usually com mbined into
one long train, but as the traffic Sum
day was so heavy it was divided, the
first section running as local accom-.
mediation, while the second, which
started from Mansfield Is minutes
later than the first, ran as an express.
The local train due at Sharon at 7:0a
was IS mint utes late. It left Mansfield
ON time, making two stops, and had
lost Is minu tes between Mansfield and
Sharon. 1t was due in Canton juno.
ton. the next station beyond Sharon,
two minutes ahead of the express
train, which should have passed it
there Sharon is situated ON q curve
and both the outward aAd inward
tracks are protected by electric block
signals.
After the accident it was thought
the block signal protecting the inward
track was set at danger, showing, ~
it was intended, that there was train
In the station
There was no warning given by the
conductor of the Mansfield local to
show the approaching train that the
track was not clear At the station, and
it was not until he was within 400
feet Of the station that the engineer Of
the express noticed anything wrong.
He immediately set all brakes and
whistled the warning, but 1t was too
late to stop the express.
It crashed into the rear car, splitting
it asunder and completely demolishing
it with the exception of the roof. Its
speed was not Stacked until the engine
had penetrated fully Eve feet in the
rear of the second car. The escaping
steam entered the car and badly scsld.
ed number of the occupants The
roof of the last car was forced on top
Of the engine Of the express and re-
mained there a. the only portion Of
the car intact
Engineer Getchell and Fireman
Holmes, Of the express both jumed
when they saw that collision was un.
avoidable. 0etchell was cut and
bruised shout the head. He stated
after the sccidsnt that he left Mans
field promptly on time and there was
NO incident until he was within 100
feet Of the Mansfield train. Thea he
saw the rear lights of that tr~in and
shut OF all steam. Mean while he bad
whistled for brakes and used every ef.
fort 70 stsp his train.
Every eas Of the killed snA intared
were on the MaasAsld tsaip, and che
oaly explasatisn ol the fact that, The
number Of fatalities Is not larger 10
that the passengers were all in the for
ward end Of the car in the act of
shghting - the station. There were
shout ~, people in the last car and
nsst Of them at the time of the acci.
dent we're either upon the front plat
form or standing by the door.
Mary Fitzpatrick, ten years old. was
taken from the wreck. but uncon.
scious, and died just as the special
train started for Boston. Twenty-Five
of the injured were taken on this
train and four others, whose names
they refused to disclose, remained in
shayn.
A large corps of surgeons and two
undertakers arrived soon after the &C.
cident and Immediately set to work to
relieve the suffering and care for the
bodies of the dead. There were very
few lights about the portion of the
track where the accident occurred and
the surgeons were compelled to do
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