Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-04-23
TWO TRAINS COLLIDE.
Passenger and Freight Trains on
the Erie Road Meet.
EIGHT PERSONS KILLED, TEN HURT.
Seven Bodies Burned Beyond Recognition
In Fire Whicn Followed the Wreck-
Tracks Strewn with Burning Wood
and Twisted Iron Work. .

Jamestown, N. Y, April 21.-Eight
persons are dead and ten injured,
three of them seriously, as the re-
suit of collision between passen-
ger train and q freight train on the
Erie railroad at an early hour yes
terday near Redhouse, N. Y. OF the
dead, only ONE, Robert N. Hotchldss,
of MeadMlle, q brakeman, has been
identified. Seven bodies, apparently
those of three men, three women and
a child, were burned beyond recogni-
ton in the fierce fire which followed
the wreck. The women are said to
have boarded the train at Youngs-
town, and 10 have come from Pitts
burg. r. s. McCready, a mail weigh
er, of Meadville, Pa, and Frank Bar
hite, of jamestown, a travelling
salesman, are missing and 1t is like
ly two of the unidentified bodies are
those of the two men.
The wrecked passenger train was
known as No. 4, running from Chi
cago to New York. The engine was
in charge Of Engineer Samuel Cook,
and Fireman Fred Bell, OF Meadville.
The train was made up OF one com
bination car, two day coaches, three
sleepers and two private cars. The
train was derailed by striking
freight train which was taking Q sid
ing at Redhouse. The wreck at
once took FIRE and the combination
car, two day coaches and two sleep
ers, together with several freight
cars, were consumed. There Is some
dispute as to the cause Of the wreck.
The passenger train'was running east
and the freight, which was west
bound, had orders 10 go into the sid
ing at Redhouse and wait for the
passenger train to go by. The siding
Is about IN miles long and there Is q
tower Of the block system near the
west end.
The freight was drawn by two en-
pines. Some trouble was experienced
in entering the siding and the fore
most engine Of the freight was sent
in along the siding with fagman to
hold the express. It alleged that the
operator in the tower, Lawrence
Vale, a boy II years old, saw the
light engine Of the freight, which was
bringing up the flag, and supposed
the freight was on the siding behind
n. Vale then displayed white sig
nal toward the passenger train, in
dicatinQ TO the engineer that he had
n clear track. The engineer on tne
messenger train failed to see the
aa0man sent out from the forward
engine of the freight train and saw
only the clearance signal from the
tower. The train ran toward the
east end Of the siding at high speed
and collided with the second engine
~ the freight train Just as It was
about TO clear the main line. Inc
passenrer engine and some OF the
coaches crashed into a small wooden
atructure used as a feed store and
,chooIhouse. The first half dozen
ears Of the freight were wrecked
Tbev were box cars loaded with coal.
The coal filed in amongst the wreck.
age. creating an intense heat All
INT three Of the cars Of the express
followed the engine and the whole
mass Of wreelnge was soon In flames
Tha tracks were streTn for rods with
burning wood and coal and heaps OF
t,-5.ted iron work.