Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-21
Eng.ns and Oars Jump Track and DsmOlist
Nearby sch7Ol House.
FIRE SPREADS AMONG PILE OF DEBRIS
Victims Burned Beyond Recognition When
Resousrs beaoh Them.
COAL FREIGHT SPREADS AMONG FLAMES
Filters ThrOugh splintered Wood
Helping 10 Keep ConaagratiOR
ROarine and IntensifyIng
Terrific Heat.

JAMESTOWN. N. Y, April zo-Eight per-
sons are dead and ten injured, three Of
them seriously, as the result OF a coll
lision between passenger and freight trains
on the Erie railroad near Redhouse. N. Y.
OF the dead only one. Robert N Hotch-
kiss Of Meadville, Pa, brakeman. has
been identified. Seven bodies. apparently
those OF three men, three women and
child. we're burned beyond recognition in
the fierce IRE which followed the wreck
The women are said to have boarded the
train at Youngstown. and to have come
from Pittsburg.
r. s. McCready, a mail weigher Of Mead
Vile, Pa, and Frank Barhite OF James
town, q travelling salesman, are missing
and II is likely two Of the unidentified
bodies are those OF the two men.
The wrecked passenger train was known
as No. T. running from Chicago to New
York. The engine was in charge OF En-
gineer Samuel Cook and Fireman Fred Bell
of Meadville. The train was made up Of
one combination car, two day coaches,
three sleepers and two private cars. The
train was derailed by striking e freight
taking a siding at Redhouse. The wreck
at once took fire and the combination car,
two day coaches and two sleepers, together
There is some dispute as to the cause of
the wreck. The passenger train was run
ming east and the freight, which was west
bound, had orders to go onto the siding
and await for II to go by. The siding is
about a mile and half long and there is a
tower Of the block system near the west
END.
The freight was drawn by two engines
Some trouble was experienced in entering
the siding and the foremost engine of the
freight was sent with a hagmAn to hold
the express, 1t is alleged that the operator
in the tower, Lawrence Vale, q boy IS
years old, saw the light on the engine and
supposed the freight was on the siding
behind II. Vale then displayed q white
signal toward the passenger train, indlcat-
ing that II had q clear track The engl-
neer on the passenger failed to see the
aagmsn and only, saw the clearance signal
from the tower The train ran toward
the east end Of the siding at high speed
and colIided with the second engine of the
freight Just as 1t was about to clear the
main line.
The passenger engine and some Of the
coaches crashed into a small wooden struo-
ture used as feed store and school housc
The hrst half dozen cars of the freight
we're wrecked and the coal with which they
we're loaded filled in among the burning
wreckage, creating an intense heat. All
but three Of the express cars followed the
engine and the whole mass OF wreckage was
soon in flames The tracks we're strewn
for rods with burning wood and coal and
heaps Of twisted ironwork.
No is one of the fastest trains on the
Erie. The two private cars attached to
It today were occupied by w. ]. Murphy,
his wife and two ofiicials Of the Queen &
Crescent railroad, and ]. L. Frazier gem
eral superintendent of the Glover Leaf All
escaped uninjured.